Henry vii : consolidation of power

Question 1

what was henry vii like as a character?

Answer 1

His spirit was wide and distinguished,promoting him to change the way his government was run,self-motivated but changed towards end of reign as he became more erratic with his decisions.

Question 2

what was henry vii like in government?

Answer 2

shrewd and prudent which was shown by his little use of parliament and cautious relationship with nobility,remaining the key figure in the running of government making good use of the power he held rather than conflicting powers in the english government

Question 3

was henry vii inclined to war?

Answer 3

no,the opposite wanting peace unlike other before him and he made good fortune from most foreign disputes that involved england

Question 4

one way in which henry vii ensured he left a safe throne,solvent government and a reasonably reunited country for his successor?

Answer 4

due to his keen concern for finances and improvement of these

Question 5

what were henry vii’s many aims?

Answer 5

-establish himself as a ruler free from any internal threats
-restore prestige in england and end costly war of roses
-ensure a secure foreign policy with france,spain and other dominant european countries
-ensure England’s security through postive dynastic relationships in foreign policy with other countries in Europe (arthur and catherin of aragon)(margaret and james)
-improve the revenues of England through modified practices and the introduction of a new way of administrating royal finances

Question 6

How did henry try to establish the Tudor monarchy?

Answer 6

• founded the tudor dynasty,unifying the factions in the war of the roses
• dynastic royal marriage (in 1486 he married elizabeth of york,eldest daughter of edward iv)
• using the foreign policy,foreign powers unwilling to challenge his authority
• treaty with france that opened trade
• Intercursus Magnus signed with the Netherlands, securing english textile imports
• used key parliamentary legislations to establish the authority of the monarchy (act of attainder’s and restriction of retaining) but the use of legislation was not extensive
• ensuring the authority of the monarchy was recognised by the catholic church(henry was crowned Archbishop of Canterbury)
• establishing an extensive spy network

Question 7

what problems did henry vii face?

Answer 7

• richard iii’s (who henry killed in battle) supporters
• treasury empty due to war of the roses and war with france
• court split into factions (had lef to war between house of york and lancaster)
• some nobles had become too powerfull
• large private armys recruited by nobles still apparent
• france and spain potential threats
• complete breakdown of law and order within the kingdom
• Yorkist rebellions against his rule

Question 8

how did henry solve these problems?

Answer 8

• married Elizabeth of york
• peace treaty with france and marriage alliances with spain
• justices of peace were given new powers to arrest suspects and try them for many crimes
• keeping of a private army was forbidden,only king could
• rebels were confronted and dealt with severely - lands confiscated and leaders executed
• organised an efficient system of collect money from customs duties,forced loans and land revenues.

Question 9

When was the Stafford and Lovell rebellion?

Answer 9

easter time of 1486, a year after the battle of bosworth, was the first armed uprising against henry

Question 10

Where were Stafford and Lovell sanctioned after the battle?

Answer 10

at colchester abbey but they escaped in april 1486 which Henry’s spies monitored that they were planning a rebellion

Question 11

which spies founded the plot?

Answer 11

Richard Edgcumbe and William Tyler

Question 12

what did lovell do after he found the plot had failed?

Answer 12

joined rebels at Furness Falls and then fled to Margret of York at Flanders

Question 13

what did the stafford brother do?

Answer 13

risen in rebellion in Worcester (depsite the fact henry had mass support there) but once the king advanced towards Worcester they fled to sanctuary at Culham abbey where the King had them forcibly removed from

Question 14

what did henry vii do with the stafford brothers?

Answer 14

executed Humphrey but pardoned the younger Thomas

Question 15

who was Lambert Simnel?

Answer 15

the son of a joiner from Oxford who had been cultivated by a yorkist priest to pretend to be earl of warwick (who was in the tower)

Question 16

who supported lambert (domestically)

Answer 16

• earl of lincoln, yorkist himself so eager to destabilize the tudors
• elizabeth woodvilled,henry vii mother in law who had her estates seized by henry

Question 17

who supported lambert (abroad)

Answer 17

• margaret of Burgundy was eiv’s sister
• emperoro maximillian, margarets husband
• irish lords eager to destablize england to secures independence

Question 18

what did Lambert Simnel do?

Answer 18

1. may 1487, Margaret of burgundy sends 2000 mercenaries to ireland where simnels cronwed with a coronet
2. Henry offers rebels a pardon (refused) and shows the real earl of warwick
3. june 1487, Battle of Stoke where Lincoln is killed,simnel captured and put to work in kitchen
4. 28 rebels have land seized,elizabeth publicaly crowned queen and 488 treaty of friendship signed with Maximilian

Question 19

how well did henry vii deal with Lambert Simnel?

Answer 19

very well as stoke was the last battle of the wars of the roses(henry decisive and brave0,woodvilles were destroyed as a policital force after stoke and simnel was utterly humiliated rather than turned into a martyr

Question 20

who was Perkin Warbeck?

Answer 20

a charismatic cloth merchanct with a shady background who was persuaded by Margaret of Burgundy to impersonate Richard of York,Edward iv’s younger cousin

Question 21

who supported Warbeck and why?

Answer 21

had much wider support than Simnel for eg Stanley,Maximilian and Margaret,the kings of France,Spain and Netherlands (decieved),Isabella (daughter of spain)not allowed to marry arthur till threat dealt with

Question 22

how did henry vii deal with Warbeck?

Answer 22

initially in 1486/7 he acts decisively and withstands him due to considerable foreign help but after loosing two sons and his wife he became more ruthless having 54 men attained for their implication in the plot but only manages to get Pole into the tower in 1506 after blackmailing Philip of Burgundy

Question 23

who was the Earl of Suffolk?

Answer 23

younger brother of John de la Pole who was designated heir of his uncle Richard iii ,who was killed in the battle of stoke in 1487, so Edmund became the leading Yorkist claim

Question 24

what were the key events involving the earl of Suffolk? (Richard De la Pole)

Answer 24

-1499 he fled to Burgundy but henry ensured his return a year later
- 1501 Edmund fled england,seeking the help of Maximilian,the holy rome emperor who promised help to yorkists
- extorted money out of Henry without returning Edmund
- 1502 Maximilian agreed to a treaty to not back de la Pole should he make an attempt for the throne
-1506 Maximilian’s son Philip ended up in England after sailing
- the treaty of Windsor improved relations and Max agreed to give up suffolk (his son needed to leave england) as long as henry didn’t harm him
- Richard de la Pole was killed in 1525 battke of Pavia

Question 25

how was henry unsuccesfull ?

Answer 25

• instability of the thrown,only by 1506 was all threat eliminated
• even after 1506 his dynasty’s survival relied on survival of his only son
• didn’t increase the military security of the monarchy,still dependent on indivual armies of the nobles
• henry hadn’t actually established the monarchy,it had largely been left to Bray,Empson and Dudley
• the fact his own family (stanley) could support pretenders and conspire agaisnt him indicates that henry was never fully secure on the throne
• the willigness of foreign powers to support the pretenders further supports this

Question 26

how was henry successful?

Answer 26

• was able to consolidate his power and establish his dynasty through his own strength
• successfully established the monarchy as his eldest son succeeded him without contest (first time this had happened in 15 years), so he had the authority of the monarchy to determine the succession and the legitimacy of the tudors

Question 27

line of argument for how did Henry consolidate his power?

Answer 27

Despite facing many challenges, primarily due to the status of the crown and lack of support from the nobility,Henrys approach to leadership displayed continuity and placed a considerate emphasis on royal authority.

Question 28

most significant aspects of Henrys approach to being king?

Answer 28

• continuity of approach
• authority of crown damaged at was of roses
• outsider status/lack of support from nobility

Question 29

what were the most successful ways Henry consolidated his power?

Answer 29

1.1486 marries Elizabeth of York
2. Creates the Tudor rose and 1486 Arthur born
3. Act of attainder, stopped nobles rebelling
4. parliamentary sanction, didn’t need his claim to be fortified by parliament
5. granted tonnage and poundage ,raised revenue
6. waited his reign to day before the battle