Government essay Successes Vs Failures Flashcards
most significant success of HVII’s govt ?
- Henry successful in restricting power and influence of nobility
- Acts of attainders: ensured good behaviour as took away titles and possessions ❗️138 men attained
- Patronage: (giving power/possessions/titles/land) helped to buy loyalty from the nobility ➡️ came as a result of good and loyal service
- Retaining: helped H to gather sizeable army if needed BUT ❗️ laws passed in 1485 and 1504 which meant nobles had to obtain licences to retain to prevent nobles becoming over powerful
- Laws passed allowing H to declare nobles guilty of treason w/o trial ➡️ could act quickly against threats to the crown
Ex: This was crucial for Henry due to the insecurity he felt on the throne as a result of the many pretenders who wanted to depose him. It was important that Henry could limit the nobilities influence as doing so reduced the likelihood of them overpowering him or plotting against him
other significant successes of Henry’s government? (2)
- Used finance as method of control, exploited his legal rights
- Act of attainders allowed H to accuse a noble of treason + disloyalty ➡️ Henry able to seize titles and possessions of nobles ❗️138 men attained
- Financial bonds: written agreements in which people promised to pay sum of money if they failed to carry out their promises ❗️36 noble families gave bonds (exploiting legal rights to claim special payments of nobles) ➡️ enforced order and obedience
- Order of the garter: gave prestige but not power of land therefore increased revenue
- Crown lands: ❗️1486 used the Act of Resumption to reclaim all Crown lands granted away since the start of the War of the Roses
- feudal dues: feudal payments for financial and political purposes, increasing payments from nobles ❗️income from wardships 1487: £350 risen to 1507: £6000 per year
- bonds and recognisances: council learned in the law enforced payments of these debts + was a useful way of maintaining law and order ➡️ could be substantial sum ❗️ Earl of Westmorland had to pay £10, 000 after the Battle of Bosworth
Ex: Henry successful in using finance as a method of control, he used various different financial methods in order to guarantee a stable revenue and create a secure future for his successors. He was able to take advantage of his legal rights to increase revenue by forcing nobles to pay large sums of money to the crown while also ensuring obedience.
how much money did Henry leave?
- plate and jewels worth around £300, 000 & £10, 000 in cash ➡️ a substantial sum but not the £1, 800, 000 estimated by Bacon
another way Henry’s govt was successful? (3)
- use of local govt and JP’s
- appointed annually from local landowners (knights and esquires)
❗️ daily duties, defence of public order and implement social and economic nature ➡️ ensure laws were being followed - Henry relied on second rank landowners (❌ nobility ➡️ part of plan to restrict their power and threat)
❗️Act in 1495 gave JP’s power to replace suspect members of juries - H relied on JP’s own self interest to uphold law and justice (if acted improperly = social disgrace)
❌ H relient on JP investigators
BC: continued the policy of Edward IV of extending the power of the JP’s
Ex: Henry successful in his use of JP’s, the simple fact they served for a year and then were reappointed was a clever way of ensuring their loyalty as a fall from this position would be considered a social disgrace as well as a sign of incompetence. To further lessen the influence and threat that the nobility posed on him, Henry wisely chose his JPs from among the local landowners. As a result, Henry was able to maintain the rule of law throughout the country while also making sure the nobility knew where they stood. Therefore being successful in achieving his aim of dynastic security.
another way Henry’s govt was successful? (4)
- use of regional governments
- Council of the North:
Primary function to ensure the good governance of a lawless and undisciplined region that was too remote from London + responsibility to oversee the defence of the northern counties (vulnerable to attack from Scotland) ➡️ made sure that key members of the council were appointed by him: had to entrust defence of the border to great families ❗️eg. Percys (Earl of Northumberland released from tower + appointed him as lieutenant in the north in 1486) + Thomas Howard (Earl of Surrey) succeeded Northumberland and governed the North effectively - Wales:
Appointed 7 year old son Author as nominal head (Prince of Wales) ➡️ did not have to worry about threat from welsh due to family links + rewarded welsh faith in him by trusting them to see to their own affairs shown by appointing welshmen to key positions in wales - Ireland:
Aware of danger Ireland could pose when Simnel and Warbeck received considerable support ➡️ made Prince Henry Lord Lieutenant + appointed Poynings as deputy but proved expensive
❗️Poynings Law 1494 which decreed Irish Parliament could only be summoned and pass laws without the king’s approval (any law made in England would automatically apply to Ireland) ✅ gave king far greater control over ireland by destroying independent legislative power of Irish parliament BUT PROVED TOO EXPENSIVE
Kildare appointed as Lord Deputy and served him loyalty for much of the rest of his reign
Ex: Henry able to use regional govts and key figures to ensure obedience of counties out of his reach.
most significant issue of Henry’s govt?
- longevity of threats + rebellion
- Warbeck biggest crisis of his reign lasting till 1499 ➡️ should have been dealt with more harshly
❗️1497 Cornish rebellion: sparked by extraordinary revenue to finance a far away military campaign ‘unfair’ ➡️ 15,000 men marched to London but were easily defeated
❗️Yorkshire rebellion 1489: resentment of the taxation granted to finance English troops evolvement in Brittany ➡️ Earl of Northumberland pleaded to H regarding taxation but when returned w/ no success he was murdered by his tenants, 5000 rebels captured York but earl of Surrey put them down
another issue of Henry’s govt? (2)
- council learned law (failed + detested)
- enforced payments of debts, able to bypass laws with no way to appeal
❗️ council became more feared with the appointment of Emspon after 1504, he and Dudley manipulated the system by falsely claiming that people owed feudal dues eg. wardships
❗️Dudley confessed to acting illegally in 80 cases
another issue of Henry’s govt? (3)
- the financial situation
- wealthy nobles (who made them threatening) grew in 15th century at expense of the crown
- initially prove finances of the crown due to expensive foreign and domestic wars
- H became money obsessed in the final decade, hoarding wealth
conclusion for Henry’s government success/failure?
Ultimately stable with income being secure and was able to fulfil main goal of establishing himself as king
