Henry VIII Flashcards
Character of Henry VIII:
- Enjoyed courtly activities over having a strong work ethic
- Relied heavily on the council or chief ministers
Legacy of Henry VII:
- Left his son a full crown coffer (£300,000)
- Relatively peaceful kingdom, in which the Tudor kingdom was secured
Aim:
Dismantle unpopular aspects of his father’s legacy, while maintaining stability
Actions:
Empson and Dudley executed, Council Learned in Law abolished and many bonds cancelled
Aim:
Establish his status among European monarchs through marriage and preserve the dynasty
Actions:
Married Catherine of Aragon
Aim:
Establish himself as a warrior king through success in battle
Actions:
Pursued military glory through war in France
Government under Henry VIII:
1509-14: Conciliar government had broken down. Mainly due to disagreements Henry had with his councillors over war with France and ‘minions’
1514-29: Thomas Wolsey as chief minister
1529-32: Conciliar government returned
1532-40: Thomas Cromwell as chief minister
1540-47: Conciliar government returned, with power laying with the conservatives in the Privy Council
Domestic policies under Wolsey (1515-29):
- appointed lord chancellor in 1515
- Presided over the court of chancery, which he used to uphold ‘fair’ justice
- the authority of the Crown over regional councils was extended
- tried to raise the amicable grant, which led to widespread resistance
- Eltham Ordinances reformed the Privy chambers finances and reduced the influence of the Privy Chamber
King’s Great Matter (1525-33):
- Wolsey was tasked with securing a papal dispensation for the annulment of Henry’s marriage
- Catherine appealed to Pope Clement VII, but he was reluctant to cooperate because Catherine’s nephew had sacked Rome
- Cardinal Campeggio was sent to hear the case but he didn’t agree with the annulment
- Wolsey was charged with praemunire
King’s Great Matter (1525-33):
- Wolsey was tasked with securing a papal dispensation for the annulment of Henry’s marriage
Acts of Parliament (1532-41):
1532: An act was passed withholding the payment of annates
1533: Act in restraint of appeals (no appeals could be made to Rome against decisions of Church courts in England)
1534: Act of succession (Annulled Henry’s marriage to Catherine, succession now with Anne’s children, denying Henry’s marriage was treason)
Act of supremacy (king declared supreme head of the church of England)
Treason Act (became treasonable to call Henry a heretic, used on Thomas More who was Lord Chancellor 1530-2)
Act in restraint of annates (allowed the annates to be transferred from Pope to king)
1536-41: first and second suppression acts (dissolved the monasteries)
Domestic policies under Cromwell:
- He helped give statute law precedence over canon law
- created departments and courts such as First fruits and tenths that was subject to scrutiny and auditing of all accounts
- privy council was reduced to 20 men, with a higher value placed on talent
Foreign policy (1509-14):
- Holy league with papacy, Spain and HRE against France
- Battle of the Spurs against France. Captured Therouanne and Tournai
- Battle of Flodden against Scotland. James IV killed along with many of the Scottish nobility
Results of the military campaign 1512-13:
- huge drain on English finance
- resentment against taxation nearly caused another rebellion in Yorkshire
- Loss is the french pension Henry VII
- Insignificant gains, Tournai was sold in 1519
- relative peace with Scotland until 1542
Foreign policy (1514-26):
- Treaty of Cambrai between Charles V, HRE and France left England isolated
- Treaty of London (1518): achievement by Wolsey. Non-aggression pact signed by all key states
- Field of the cloth of gold (1520): reinforced positive relations between England and France
- Battle of Pavia (1525): Charles V defeated the French but refused a joint invasion with Henry. Henry then supported the League of Cognac, with France, to counterbalance Charles’ power
Foreign policy (1527-40):
- Treaty of Amiens (1527): France and England
- Henry’s position was weakened:
Charles and Francis signed the Treaty of Nice, in which they agreed to sever ties with England
Pope Paul III absolved English Catholics from obedience to their ruler
1539: Pope tried to raise support in Scotland and France for a Catholic crusade
Relations between Charles and Francis broke down