The Isle of Man had become separated from Britain and Ireland by 6500 BC. It appears that colonisation took place by sea sometime during the Mesolithic era (about 6500 BC).[1] The island has been visited by various raiders and trading peoples over the years. After being settled by people from Ireland in the first millennium[AD or BC?], the Isle of Man was converted to Christianity and then suffered raids by Vikings from Norway. After becoming subject to Norwegian suzerainty as part of the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles, the Isle of Man later became a possession of the Scottish and then the English crowns.

Since 1866, the Isle of Man has been a Crown Dependency and has democratic self-government.