The consolidation of power Flashcards
Why was Henry VIII claim to the throne weak?
• Descended through the female line: Margaret Beaufort
• Beaufort line was seen as illegitimate as their son was born out of wedlock
• Henry was the Lancastrian claimant only because there was no other suitable candidates
As a result how where the early years of HVIII’s reign characterised?
By insecurity and fears of potential Yorkist challenge
How long did the War of the Roses last?
30 years, between 1455-1485
Where did Henry live in exile until the age of 14?
Brittany
What we’re HVII’s personality traits?
• Shrewd
• Calculating
• Self-restrained
(probably shaped by his life as a fugitive)
From 1485, what was HVII’s main aim? and how was this accomplished?
His main aim was to consolidate his power in order to keep his throne.
Accomplished through both political actions and military success
Who’s power did he have to reduce?
Nobles as they had used the previous period of instability to enhance their own authority.
What were his other aims?
• Improve the Crown’s financial position
• Secure the recognition of foreign powers
What date did Henry predate his reign to and why?
21st August, the day before the Battle of Bosworth; thus anyone who had fought on the Yorkist side could be accused as a traitor
Why did Henry detain Earl of Warwick? [Edward IV’s nephew]
His claim to the throne could be much greater than his own
Why did HVII arrange his coronation for a week before the meeting of his parliament?
To show that his right to the throne was hereditary and not just based on parliamentary sanction (an official confirmation or ratification of a law given by Parliament as the acclaimed body of the State)
What were Acts of Attainder?
Declared a landowner guilty of rebelling against a monarch; the attained noble lost his life title, lands and sometimes his head; his heirs were disinherited.
How did he further increase his income?
He demanded the customs revenues of tonnage and poundage (the right to raise revenue for the whole reign from imports and exports) for life at his first parliament.
What happened in 1486 with Lovell and the Staffords?
• Minor rising, focused on traditional Yorkist heartlands of Yorkshire and the Midlands
• Lovell escaped to Burgundy; Humphrey Stafford was captured and executed (though Thomas was pardoned)
Significance- showed that there was little support for a Yorkist uprising at this point
What happened in 1487 with Lambert Simnel and the rebellion of the Earl of Lincoln
• Simnel impersonated the imprisoned Earl of Warwick- Henry exhibited the real Earl of Warwick in London
• Lincoln fled to Burgundy to join Lord Lovell who persuaded Margaret of Burgundy to pay for a force of mercenaries to invade England
• The rebels failed to muster up Yorkist support
• Henry’s army defeated the mercenary army at the Battle of Stoke Field, June 1487; Earl of Lincoln killed
—> This battle effectively ended the Wars of the Roses and Henry’s position became safer
