Establishing the Tudor Dynasty Flashcards
Did Henry VII have the best blood claim to the throne?
No!
Name three Plantagenet descendants with a better blood claim. What happened to each of these people?
- John de la Pole (killed at Stoke)
- Earl of Warwick (executed)
- Elizabeth of York (married Henry VII)
Who was the father of Elizabeth of York?
Edward IV
What two other factors helped legitimize Henry VII’s claim to the throne besides blood?
- Hand of God - won critical battle at Bosworth Field against Richard III
- Parliament gave its blessing after the fact
What methods did Henry VII use to domesticate the old nobility?
- heavy fines (but never collected them to hold the punishment over the heads of the “rebel” nobility)
- confiscations of castles and places that could be fortified
- beginning of the court of star chamber
- willingness to employ men of humble birth
What was Henry VII’s biggest strength?
financial prowess
What was the royal income in 1485 (when Henry took the throne)? What was it when he died in 1509?
1485: 52,000 pounds
1509: 140,000 pounds
What strategies did Henry VII employ to gain more revenue for the crown?
- Efficient collection of customs revenue
- Good management of crown lands
- Fiscal Feudalism
- Marriage with Spain
Explain fiscal feudalism.
Henry VII was entitled to money from the nobility for the knighting of his eldest son. He collected this money in 1504 after both his son’s knighting (1489) and his son’s death (1502).
Explain what happened with the Marriage with Spain.
Henry VII married his eldest son Arthur off to the Spanish Princess Catherine of Aragon (daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella). Arthur soon dies after the marriage and Ferdinand, skeptical of England’s stability, demands Catherine’s dowry back. Instead, Henry VIII marries Catherine in 1509.
Why was Henry VII growing increasingly unpopular during his reign?
He rarely called Parliament, overly relied on the Court of the Star Chamber, and he sometimes resorted to forced loans.
Characterize Henry VIII.
He was dashing and heroic compared to his father.
What year did Henry marry Catherine of Aragon?
1509
Who did Henry VIII have executed? Why?
Edmund Dudley and Sir Richard Empson - They were his father’s old advisors who were the most unpopular. He had them executed as scapegoats for his father’s unpopularity.
Henry VII didn’t like the day-to-day stuff about being king. Who took care of this for him?
Thomas Wolsey
Who was Thomas Wolsey?
Son of a butcher from Ipswich
Cardinal (had become a priest and later Archbishop of York)
Seemed too corrupt and political
never set foot in his archdiocese until the year of his death
He was a patron of humanists like John Frith
What European rivalry did Wolsey try to strike a balance with?
Charles V (Hapsburg) and Francois I (Valois)
What were the years of Charles V’s reign? What were the years of Francois I’s reign?
1519-1555
1515-1547
Who allied with France?
the Scots
What battle occurred in 1513? What was the outcome?
Battle of the Spurs - France and Scotland lost
Where was the important decisive victory over the Scots? Who died there? How many Scottish soldiers died?
Flodden, James IV, 10k Scottish soldiers
What was the result of the Battle of Flodden?
Peace Treaty, Margaret (Henry VIII’s sister) married into Scottish royalty
How much did the French campaign cost Henry VIII?
650,000 pounds
Who did Henry VIII’s sister Mary marry? Why?
the elderly Louis XII, to solidify peace with France
What event marked the peace with France?
The tournament at Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520
There was even a wrestling match between Henry VIII and Francois I (Francois won, which Henry VIII took very personally)
What happened to the French king in 1525? Who arranged his release?
He was captured by HRE troops at Pavia. Thomas Wolsey arranged his release.
Who does Charles V not want to marry?
Mary, Henry VIII’s sister
What happened with the HRE’s army in 1527? Why?
The Sack of Rome, the troops were unpaid and some were Lutherans
Who is captured during the Sack of Rome?
Clement VII, the pope
What does the capturing of the pope lead to?
England turns against the HRE.
