Henry VIII Flashcards
When was Wolsey’s big break?
1512
What was Wolsey’s most important step in his rise to power?
He became Lord Chancellor and Henry’s chief minister and Cardinal
What was Wolsey‘s nickname?
Alter Rex (second king)
Who was Henry’s traditional enemy?
Francis the first, king of France
When was the treaty of London?
1518
When was the Field of the cloth of gold?
1520
When was the Treaty if Bruges
1521
When was the Treaty of More?
1525
When was the Treaty of Westminster?
1527
When was the Treaty of Cambrai?
1529
What was the problem with finance?
The King did not have an income
What did Wolsey do to improve finance?
Act of parliament took Crown lands back
What were the results of finance?
Crown had to sell more lands
What was the problem with enclosures?
Land owners were increasingly taking over
What did Wolsey do to improve enclosures?
Tried to support common people against landowners
What were Wolsey’s results? (Enclosures)
Made him enemies with landowners
What problem did justice cause?
Difficult for landowners to take legal cases to court because of high costs
What did Wolsey do to try and improve justice?
He acted as a judge himself in the Court of Star Chamber
What were Wolsey’s results (justice)?
Some people help to poor people wanted to use courts more than the court could deal with
What problem did The Amicable Grant cause?
Wolsey made people pay a forced loan in 1522
What did Wolsey do to improve it?
Wolsey collected another tax without asking first
What were Wolsey’s results? (The Amicable Grant)
Tax was deeply unpopular
Why did Henry want to leave Catherine so badly?
- fell in love with Anne Boleyn
- he wanted a boy not a girl
- his brothers widow
- he thought she was lying about her last marriage not being consummated
- thought their marriage could be against Christian law
- Catherine had conceived 6 times
Who were the key members of Anne’s tribe?
George Boleyn (Anne’s brother)
Sir Thomas Boleyn (Anne’s father)
Thomas Howard (Anne’s uncle, Duke of Norfolk)
In 1527 who did Wolsey organise a peace treaty with?
France and England
When did England declare war on the Holy Roman Empire?
1528
What was Henry’s attitude to Wolsey and example of?
His indecisiveness
In what year was Wolsey appointed to Royal Council as Royal Almoner (giving money to the poor)?
1509
What happened in the same year that Henry VIII became king?
Wolsey was appointed to Royal Council as Royal Almoner
When did the first war with France take place (Battle of the Spurs)?
1512-1514
Why was 1515 an important year for Wolsey?
Wolsey became chief minister, cardinal and Lord Chancellor
Why was 1525 such an important year?
The Amicable Grant took place. Failure for Wolsey
What did the Amicable Grant consist of?
Taxation to raise money for war (1/3 of priests property and 1/6 ordinary people property). It was not approved by Parliament. Caused a rebellion in East Anglia
What happened a year after the Amicable Grant in 1525?
Eltham Ordinanaces
What did the Eltham Ordinanances attempt to do?
Tackle managment of palace. Reduced spending and cut numbers in the Privy chamber from 12 to 6
What happened in the year 1527?
Henry decides to divorce Catherine which meant that Wolsey has to try and persuade Pope Clement VII to grant annulment
What strength did the Treaty of Westminster have?
Created stronger relations with France
Why was 1529 a extremely key year?
FALL OF WOLSEY - stripped his powers due to reforms, Amicable Grant, failure to gain annulment, foreign policy and the Boleyns.
In what year did Wolsey die and how?
1530
He died on his way to stand trial for
In what year did Cromwell join the privy council?
1531
In what year did Cromwell become chief minister?
1533
What year did Henry get secretly married to Anne Boleyn?
1533
What year did Henry annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and how?
1533, Cromwell managed to make Henry head of the church which meant that Henry could then annul his own marriage to Catherine
What year did Anne give birth to Elizabeth?
1533
When was the Act in Restraint of Appeals and what did it do?
1533, It got rid of all foreign rules
When was the Act of Succession and what did it do?
1534, made Mary illegitimate which meant that Elizabeth was next in line. Included the oath of succession which all churchmen had to take
When was the Act of Supremacy and what did it do?
1534, Made Henry head of the Church of England
When was the Treason act and what did it do?
1534, listed crimes that were treason and punished by execution
When was Elizabeth Barton (Nun of Kent) executed and why?
1534, she was executed for treason (questioning the king)
Who refused to take the Oath of Succession and what happened to them?
Thomas More (Henry’s Lord Chancellor after Wolsey) and John Fisher so they were sent to Tower of London
Give some factors of why Anne Boleyn fell from power and in what year did this happen?
1536
- Accused of imagining the kings death
- Accused of having afairs with 5 men including her own brother
- Role of Cromwell behind it all
- Henry ‘fell in love’ with Jane Seymour (thought she could give him a boy)
What 3 acts took place in 1536?
- Act for the Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries (got rid of smaller monasteries)
- Act of Union (Wales part of England)
- Act of Ten Articles (set out of beliefs of new church)
What other key event took place in 1536?
Pilgrimage of Grace (a rebellion)
What year was Anne Boleyn accused of adultery and beheaded?
1536
What year did Jane Seymour die?
1537, 12 days after giving birth to Edward
What was the order of ‘The chain of being’
- God
- angels
- royalty
- commoners
- animals
- plants
- non living things
What was Wolsey’s personality like?
- not a member of the nobility
- extremely intelligent
- very ambitious
- charming and persuasive
- ruthless with anyone who threatened him or the king’s government
What were Wolsey’s roles?
Wolsey was both Lord Chancellor and a cardinal in 1515. This strengthened his power.
How did Wolsey rise to power?
- carried out boring important tasks that Henry wouldn’t
- the war with France in 1512 enabled him to prove his worth to Henry and organised a well equipped and supplied army by 1513
- Wolsey’s persuasive personality
What was The Amicable Grant?
A tax levied on the King’s subjects in 1525 to pay for an invasion of France.
Why was The Amicable Grant introduced?
- King of France has been defeated by Charles V in 1525
- Henry wanted to take advantage so invaded France and recovered land lost by the crown in 15th century
- The Amicable Grant was to help pay for this invasion.
Why was The Amicable Grant controversial?
- taxes often included subsidy
- 15th and 10th had all been approved by parliament
- The Amicable Grant had not been approved in this way and was being collected by royal defence
- people only had 10 weeks to pay this tax and many resented as they could not afford it
Short term consequences of The Amicable Grant
- many people refused to pay tax
- in Suffolk a full-scale rebellion broke out with 10000 men gathering and expressing their loyalty to the king but told to be aware of their anger
- tax was abandoned
- Henry made peace with France
Long term consequences of The Amicable Grant
- Wolsey was humiliated and reputation badly damaged
- Wolsey was unable to raise any further taxes
- Henry began to doubt Wolsey’s judgement for the first time
- The position of Wolsey’s enemies in the royal court was strengthened
- The failure of The Amicable Grant demonstrated that there were limitations on the King’s power
Wolsey’s aims abroad
- To create better relationships with both France and the Habsburg Empire which would prevent England being diplomatically isolated and vulnerable
- To play Europe’s to major powers off against each other to England’s advantage
- Provide opportunities for Henry to gain military glory
- Allow Henry to be seen as a major peacemaker
Wolsey’s successes
1514 - The Battle of Spurs (gave victory to Henry)
1518 - The Treaty of London (promised universal peace)
1520 - The field of the Cloth of Gold (diplomatic meetings)
Wolsey’s failures
1522-25 - Treaty of Bruges based on the ideas that Charles would help him seize French territory and the French throne. Charles gave Henry very little Military support
1525-29 - Alliance with France to fight Charles V failed because the French were again defeated by him and received little help from England, damaging Henry’s reputation
1529 - Francis I & Charles V negotiated a peace treaty (Treaty of Cambrai) notified Wolsey too late leaving Wolsey and Henry diplomatically isolated
Wolsey’s fall from power
- Amicable Grant
- Annulment
- Foreign Policy
- The Boleynes
- Wolsey’s reforms
Opposition to Annulment
- Catherine was popular
- She has the support of Thomas Moore (adviser to King)
- Had the support of John Fisher (Bishop of Rochester)
- Cardinal Campeggio engaged in delaying tactics
- She publicly begged the King not to cast her aside
Cromwell’s personality
- often seen as ruthless and unprincipled figure who was prepared to do the king’s dirty work
- capable of great loyalty to friends
- vibrant personality and could be witty, charming and persuasive when he wanted or needed to be
Reasons from Cromwell’s rise to power
- Loyalty
- Ruthlessness
- Efficiency
- Wit and charm
Cromwell and the King’s annulment
- Cromwell realised Pope Clement was not willing to annul the marriage
- He changed tactics arguing that the power to grant an annulment should be taken from the pope and given to Henry
- Henry & Anne secretly married in January 1533
- Parliament passed the act in restraint of appeals, Henry was now head of church
- Divorce hearing began in May 1533
- Anne crowned queen and gave birth to daughter Elizabeth in September 1533
Cromwell’s responsibility after 1534
- In charge of king’s personal seal
- In charge of finances
- In charge of Henry’s household
- Influential role in law
- In charge of the church
Reasons for Anne Boleyn’s fall
- By early 1534 Henry fell in love with Jane Seymour and saw her as his queen
- Anne failed to provide Henry with a male heir
- Anne had strong opinions about foreign policy & religion
- Anne had many enemies
Cromwell’s role in Anne’s fall
- He was aware of Anne’s role in the downfall of Wolsey
- They had differences of opinion on foreign policy
- He built the case for adultery against Anne
