Politics and Government in the 1530s

Question 1

Name 2 reasons of why cromwell fell from power

Answer 1

1. cleves marriage- the cleaves alliance and marriage was Cromwell’s project and this abysmal failure saw
2. conservative faction- led by duke of norofolk they were keen to reduce or remove his influence to regian there position as henrys most foremost advisors
3. religious sympathies- conservative faction was able to raise questions about cromwells loyalty to the church when traditional religious policies were being advanced such as the 6th articles

Question 2

when did henry marry anne of cleaves and what did this mean

Answer 2

1540 - formed an alliance with the protestant state of cleves. howvere the marriage was not a success

Question 3

WHAT WERE THE 6 MAIN ACTS OF PARLIAMENT CROMWELL

Answer 3

• act in restraint and appeals - no appeals could be made against Rome against decisions of church courts in England, Catherine could not appeal to Rome against marriage annulment
• act of succession- annulled henrys marriage to Catherine, vested the succession in annes children, to deny henry new marriage was considered treason, princess Mary became illigemate, hopes for male heir rested with anne
• act of supremacy- king declared supreme head of th church in england- popes authority not longer recognised in england; the break from rome
• treason act- became treasonable to call henry a heretic- used against opponents of royal supremecy and borught down thomas more, scholar courtier and lord chancellor (executed 1535)
• act in restraint of annates, allowed the annates to be transferred from pope to king, strengthened the kings position, special court set up to administer this
• first and second suppression acts, dissolved the monasteries, confiscation of church land to the crown vastly increased wealth and power of the crown

Question 4

HOW DID WOLSEY RAISE FINANCE FOR THE KING

Answer 4

• Set up a network by himself to asses taxpayers wealth for raising subsidies (extraordinary revenue)
• when extraordinary revenue raised wasn’t enough to finance henry war in France, tried to raise amicable grant, voluntary gift to the king from his subjects, reality heavy tax, without parliaments approval, led to widespread resistance and had to be abandoned
• introduced Eltham ordinances, aimed to reduce royal household expenditure by reforming privy chambers finances , but through Wolsey also succeeded in reducing the influence of privy chamber

Question 5

HOW DID WOLSEY ENFORCE LAW AND ORDER

Answer 5

• authority over court of chancery, used to uphold fair justice in problems relating
• from 1516 he extended the use of the court of star chamber, which had been established as an offshoot of the kings council during henry 7th reign, making it centre of both government and legal system, used to increase cheap and fair justice and heard cases of alleged misconduct and private lawsuits
• local law officers were appointed to enforce royal law
• authority of the crown over regional councils was extended.

Question 6

WHAT WAS GOVERNMENT LIKE IN HERNYS LAST YEARS (1540-47)

Answer 6

• dominated by conservatives anxious to halt further religious changes
• Norfolk’s influence was threatened following Catherine Howards execution for treason in 1542 and the kings sixth marriage to Katherine Parr
• as kings health deteriorated, factional rivalries occurred between those of differing political and religious views intensified in a bid to be able to control his successor
• Norfolk escaped execution by kings timely death of king, leading contender for power was seymour

Question 7

WHAT WERE SOME FEATURES OF WOLSEYS GOVERNMENT

Answer 7

• organisational abilities impressed
• appointed lord chancellor in 1515
• other courtiers had to go through him to speak to the king
• domestic policy centred on strengthening royal authority and strengthening finance to support wars with France and Scotland