Henry VII 1485 - 1509 Flashcards
What caused of the Wars of the Roses?
After Edward III died in 1377, he had no legitimate heir which created two sides that were fighting for the crown
What proportion of the population died in the wars of the roses?`
2.5%
What were 2 impacts of the Wars of the Roses?
- The country looked weaker and would be easier to invade
- Only 1/3 of taxes were collected which left any King with little power.
When was Richard III king?
1483-85
How did Richard III become king?
After his brother died, Edward IV, he was named protector of the realm until his nephews were old enough to rule. Yet instead he twisted the stories and (possibly) murdered his nephews to secure the throne for himself.
Who was Margaret Beaufort’s first husband and was it a successful marriage?
Edmund Tudor, she was just 12, this marriage gave birth to her only child, Henry Tudor, but whilst she was pregnant, Edmund died
Who did Margaret Beaufort marry after Edmund?
Henry Stafford
How did Margaret Beaufort protect her son after he became the strongest Lancastrian heir?
She convinced Jasper Tudor to go with Henry (Tudor) into exile in Brittany
Who and when was Margaret Beaufort’s final marriage?
1472 - Thomas Stanley
What was Margaret known as when her son became King?
“My Lady, the King’s mother”
How much power did Margaret hold under Henry VII?
A lot - she was the most powerful woman in the nation, more powerful than Elizabeth of York who was the Queen Consort
What was the scandal of the Princes in the Tower about?
Richard III intercepted his nephews on their way down to London and he put them in the tower of london for protection, however over the period of about a year they were spotted less and less until they were assumed to have been killed
How did Richard’s lack of support help Henry win the Battle of Bosworth?
Only 1/4 nobles turned up and his army was only 10,000
How did the Stanley’s impact the Battle of Bosworth?
They waited whilst the battle was taking place, but just at the pivotal moment they decided to support Henry, which swung the war into his favour
How did Richard’s own actions lead to defeat in the Battle of Bosworth?
He saw a chance to kill Henry himself and recklessly charged, yet this failed and he ended up getting knocked off his horse and being killed
How close did Richard come to winning the battle of bosworth?
He killed Henry’s standard bearer and came within a swords length of Henry
Who did Lambert Simnel pretend to be?
The Earl of Warwick
What were Henry’s first actions as King?
- His coronation
- Summoned Parliament
- Married Elizabeth of York
What were the biggest challenges Henry faced when he became King?
- Dangerous nobles
- Variable Government
- Poor finances
Why was Henry’s coronation before his marriage to Elizabeth of York?
It proved that he had his own claim to the throne and that he wasnt using his wife’s lineage for his gain
Why was the marriage to Elizabeth of York so important?
Henry was the strongest Lancastrian heir and Elizabeth of York was yorkist, it covered both of the powerful houses
What made the nobility so dangerous when Henry came to power?
If they rose together they would easily overpower him. Also the public knew the nobility far better than they knew Henry, making them more loyal to the nobles
How was variable government an issue for Henry?
Because the Wars of the Roses continued for so long, different parts of the country had different laws making it difficult to make and pass policies that everyone would be happy with
Why was his royal progress important in April 1483?
Not many people knew who he was because he was in exile for so long and so this allowed his face to be shown to the public and he could show off his power
Where did Lambert Simnel go first to gain support?
Ireland
What major noble joins the Earl of Warwick’s rebellion and takes charge?
John de la Pole
Why was the Simnel rebellion unsuccessful?
- Henry paraded the real Earl of Warwick through London
Why was the Earl of Warwick’s rebellion unsuccessful?
- Henry paraded the real Earl of Warwick through London
- The rebellion didnt get much support in Yorkist land
-Henry had not been in power long and people didnt dislike him enough to rebel
What battle did Lambert Simnel’s rebellion take part in?
The battle of Stoke Field
What was Henry’s punishment for Lambert Simnel?
He was forced to work in the royal kitchens
Who did Perkin Warbeck claim to be?
The younger of the princes in the tower: Richard Duke of York
What were the two main differences between Lambert Simnel’s and Perkin Warbeck’s rebellions?
- Henry VII was able to parade the real Earl of Warwick around London which stopped it gaining much support, the same couldnt be done for the real prince in the tower
- Simnel’s rebellion lasted for a short time whereas Warbeck was over a far longer time period with 3 separate battles
How did Henry try and gain loyalty from the nobility?
He could either buy their support with rewards of lands or titles or show them the consequences of opposition
What were attainders?
Attainders were special laws to allow someone to be declared guilty of treason without a trial. Henry often offered the chance to revoke an attainder if loyalty was sworn to him.
What were retainers and why did Henry pass laws to get rid of them?
They were supposedly service staff but were actually gangs of forces and Henry didnt want nobles to build small armies or get too powerful
How did Henry control his nobles financially?
He forced nobles to behave themselves or leave them with a fine and demanded a financial bond from them
When did Henry date his reign as King from?
21st August 1485 - the day before the Battle of Bosworth
Why was it important that Henry had his coronation before his marriage to Elizabeth of York?
To prove he himself had a claim to the throne and that he was rightfully king and was not relying on his wife’s family
When was Henry VIIs marriage to Elizabeth of York?
18 Jan 1486
Why was Henry’s marriage to Elizabeth so major?
It was the first sign of a unified nation - Henry was a Lancastrian heir and Elizabeth was part of the House of York and it was a marriage that could mark the end of the Wars of the Roses
When did Henry go on his Royal Progress in the North?
April 1486
When was Prince Arthur born?
September 1486
How many nobles were there at the start of Henry’s reign compared to the end?
62…. it dropped to 42
How many acts of attainder were passed and how many were reversed?
138 were passed
46 were reversed
What does oridnary revenue refer to?
Money that was regularly collected each year for Henry VII
What does ordinary revenue refer to?
Money that was regularly collected each year for Henry VII
What does extraordinary revenue refer to?
Money which were one-off measures the King could use to raise finances
What changes did Henry VII make regarding ordinary revenue?
- Enforcing tax, control and ownership of crown lands
- Custom dues on wool, leather, wine
- Wardships
What were wardships?
Looking after young heirs and their lands until they were old enough to rule
How much did his revenue from crown lands increase by?
From £12,000 to £42,000
What was the population of France by 1500?
13 million
What was the population of England by 1500?
2.1 million
Who were the two French kings who ruled at the same time as Henry VII?
Charles VII
Louis XII
What was the Holy Roman Empire?
A collection of nations and cities under the leadership of one person - the emporor
What was the Holy Roman Empire?
A collection of nations and cities under the leadership of one person - the emperor
How did the Holy Roman Empire form?
After the Western Roman Empire fell in 400AD the Eastern empire had some autonomy and under a Frankish ruler in 800 (Charlemagne) they unified and he became the emperor
How many electors voted on who should be emperor?
7
(3 were Ecclesiastical, 4 were secular)
Which were the primary countries that the Holy Roman Empire covered?
Austria, Germany, Switzerland
What was the population of the Holy Roman Empire in 1500?
15 million
Why would France appear to be easier to rule than the HRE?
- It has a capital
- One language spoken in France, hundreds across the HRE
What were the main exports of France, England and the HRE?
France - very varied
England - wool
HRE - famous for its banking empires which leant large sums of money
What were two reasons why Henry avoided war in general?
- Hugely expensive and England was only just recovering economically
- Loss of life. England couldnt afford to lose thousands of young men
What were two reasons that Henry wanted to avoid war with France specifically?
- The Auld alliance meant that an invasion from Scotland was a large threat
- France was a superpower and far stronger than England
What were three reasons that Henry wanted to avoid war with France specifically?
- The Auld alliance meant that an invasion from Scotland was a large threat
- France was a superpower and far stronger than England
- Invading France would be unpopular as people just want peace from war
How did Henry bluff his way to victory against the French?
He sent a large army of 12,000 men into Brittany, hoping they would back down and he was right, they were more concerned about the disrupted isles of Italy
Why was the Breton Crisis such a success for Henry?
He accepted a pay-out of 50,000 crowns a year from France a promise that France would not support Perkin Warbeck
What was the treaty called that ended the Breton Crisis?
The Treaty of Etaples - 1492