Henry VII Flashcards
Who did Henry VII’s claim to the throne come from?
-His mother, Margaret Beaufort who was a direct descendant of Edward III.
-Her great grandfather, John of Gaunt, was Edward III’s third son
Why was Henry VII’s claim to the throne weak?
-John of Gaunt and Catherine Swynford= unmarried, meaning his great grandfather was illegitimate
How was Henry Tudor related to Edward III through his father’s side of the family ?
-His grandmother,Catherine was married to Henry V before her marriage with Owen Tudor, his grandfather
-His father and Henry VI = half brothers
(Father died before his birth)
What did Richard III do in 1483 when his brother Edward IV died?
-Proclaimed himself king and put Edward’s children in the Tower of London, although he was meant to become regent for them until they become old enough
-They disappeared and people became suspicious of him
Why was Richard’s unpopularity a reason Henry won at Bosworth?
-Considered to be a usurper and suspected of murdering the two princes
-Northern nobility meant to be supporters of him, however failed to support him in battle
-No southern support (Gave land form south to north and was northern by birth)
-His claim to throne was not accepted
Why was support for Henry the reason he won the Battle of Bosworth?
-Charles VIII(King of France) sent money and men
-Yorkist support: Promised to marry Elizabeth of York if he became king
-Support from the Welsh
-Exploited Richard’s unpopular choices ( use of propaganda)
Why was Richard’s military errors a reason why Henry won the Battle of Bosworth?
-Left his vantage point at the top of the hill for a one on one combat with Henry, leaving him vulnerable
-Stanley intervened on Henry’s side= Richard’s soldiers abandoned him (some)
-Lack of personal safety
-Richard III died: if he had fled, Henry would have been in a weaker position when he took the crown
Other factors that helped Henry win the Battle of Bosworth?
-Many did not want to commit to Richard’s side after recent years proved monarchs came and went rapidly . Support wrong side = execution
-Richard was unlucky
-Weak nobility
-The Stanley’s might have backed Richard had the battle seemed to be in his favour
who was John de la Pole and how was his claim to the throne stronger than Henry’s?
-Earl of Lincoln, the leading Yorkist claimant
-The nephew of Edward IV and Richard III
-The air presumptive during Richard’s reign
-Potential figurehead of a Yorkist rising and rapidly became the focus of opposition to Henry in his first 2 years as king
Who was Edward Plantagenet and how was his claim to the throne stronger than Henry’s?
-Earl of Warwick, nephew of Edward IV and Richard III
-1485 Warwick was only 10 so his youth made it easier for Henry to control him ; he placed him in the tower of London for the rest of his life
-This didn’t stop him from being the focus of plots against Henry VII
How were Edward’s daughters a threat to Henry’s claim to the throne?
-Had Yorkist blood
-People assumed they could not rule in their own right as they were female but they could pass on their claim to their children, making them a threat
How did Henry VII eliminate the threat of Edward IV daughters ?
-1485; promised to marry Elizabeth of York if he became king
-This helped him rally Yorkist support, despite being a Lancastrian
How were the princes in the tower a threat to Henry ?
-Even though it was possible that they were dead, this didn’t stop Henry’s enemys from attempting to use them as tools for rallying support against him
How did the battle of Bosworth help secure his claim to the throne?
-Several leading supporters of Richard III were killed or captured
-He killed Richard III, this was taken as a sign that God approved of him (Divine Right)
Who led an uprising in 1486 after the battle of Bosworth?
Dissatisfied Yorkists:
-Lord Lovell (Francis)
-The Stafford brothers; Humphrey and Thomas
Faithful adherents of Richard III, who had been staying in the sanctuary of Colchester after Bosworth. The Church offered protection from the law for up to 40 days.
What was Henry doing when the Lovell and Stanford rebellion broke out?
-Henry was on a royal progress in his northern capital of York ( touring houses of the nobility to help gain support)
What were the key events of the Lovell and Stanford rising?
-April 1486: The rebels broke sanctuary as Henry travelled North; Lovell headed north, planning to ambush the King. The Staffords travelled to Worcester to stir up rebellion in the west
-Henry recieves the news while at Lincoln.He continues his progress and sends armed forces to offer the rebels the choice of pardon or of they fought and lost: exocummunication and death.
-The rebels dispersed. Lovell evades capture and fled to Flanders
-The Staffords sought sanctuary again. Henry sees it unreasonable that traitors sought sanctuary once again so they were arrested and sent to the tower of London.
-Humphrey= executed, Thomas was pardoned and remained loyal
What was the impact of the Lovell and Stanford rising?
-Henry’s policy of ‘calculates mercy’ = successful
-The Royal Progress increases support and loyalty
-He carried on witb his progress showing that he was not concerned
-Henry was seen as the upholder of justice and order
-Although the rising appears insignificant, it still proved alarming for Henry
What were Henry VII’s main aims as KIng?
- Establish an effective government
-Maintain law and order
-Control the nobility
-Secure the crown finances
What measures did Henry put in place to secure his throne?
-Predated his reign from the day before the battle of Bosworth ( 21st August). This meant Richard and his supporters could be declared traitors and so their estates became property of the crown by the Acts of Attainder
-Arranged his coronation for 30th October, before the first parliament meeting 7th November. Now it couldn’t be said that parliament made Henry KIng
-Applied for a Papal dispensation to marry Elizabeth of York, which was necessary as they were distant cousins
-Married Elizabeth 18th January 1486, uniting houses of York and Lancaster ( so no more violence).He ensured his coronation came before his marriage so he could not be accused of claiming the throne through his wife
-Elizabeth gave birth to a son in September, helping to establish the Tudor dynasty.
-Enlisted the support of the church and gained control of the nobility
-Secured the support of the Pope and the Kings of France and Spain, who recognised the legitimacy of his kingship
What are factions?
Rival or opposing political groups led by powerful noblemen or noble families.
Factions fought to influence or control the monarch
What was Henry’s carrots and sticks policy?
The use of incentives and threats to control the nobility and help to secure the Tudor dynasty
What incentives did Henry use ( carrots)?
-Patronage
-Order of the Garter- Created 37 knight of the Garter
-The Great Council
-King’s council- 5 key councillors had alligned themselves with Henry before Bosworth ( Reginald Bray, Giles Daubeney
A position as King’s Councillor was a sign of the King’s confidence. The emphasis was on loyalty to trusted servants
What is patronage?
-Giving titles to people in return for their loyalty
-e.g Jasper Tudor, his uncle, was made Duke of Bedford and rewarded with land for good service
What was the Great Council? Why did it give Henry control of the nobles?
-Meetings of noblemen, called together by the King to discuss high matters of state, usually in moments of emergency when the calling of parliament would have taken too long.
-A way of gaining the agreement and support of his most important subjects for a potentially controversial policy. If the nobles had been included in, and had agreed to a major decision they could hardly then turn around and criticise Henry for the policy.
What was the Order of the Garter? Why was it effective?
-This was a significant honour reserved for the King’s closest servants. It was the ultimate mark of honour favoured by Henry VII.
-Henry created 37 knights of the Garter and more than half of these were his closest associates in war and government.
-E.G.Earl of Oxford and Reginald Bray.
- It was effective for Henry because it gave prestige but not power of land
What threats did Henry use ( sticks)?
-Acts of Attainder
-Bonds and Recognisances
-Feudal Dues
What were Acts of Attainder?
-Acts that led to a family losing the right to possess its land as well as right to inherit its land. It would then be given to the King. This means he has control and can manipulate the non-conformist nobles
-They were reversible but it was often expensive to reverse
-A method of using an act of parliament to declare someone guilty without putting them on trial
