The Social Impact of Religious & Economic Change Flashcards
What major rebellion did Mary face during her reign?
Wyatt’s rebellion in March 1554
Who sparked the rebellion and why?
- Sir Thomas Wyatt and his supporters were opposed to Mary I’s marriage to Philip of Spain.
- The rebellion was anti-Catholic and anti-Spanish.
- Wyatt wanted to replace Mary I with Edward Courtenay (a descendant of the Yorkists).
Who supported Wyatt’s rebellion and why?
- While many supported Wyatt’s anti-Catholic and anti-Spanish sentiments, the rebellion also served their material interests.
- Socioeconomic grievances were caused by the decline of the cloth industry in Kent.
- There was unrest in Kent because of conflict amongst the local gentry who wanted to increase their power.
What happened during the rebellion?
- Wyatt intended to coordinate four rebellions at once in March 1554 - In Devon, Leicestershire, Wales and Kent.
- But only the rebellion in Kent that Wyatt led successfully began.
- Wyatt had 3,000 men who he led to London.
- The rebellion failed because Wyatt could not persuade Londoners to join his cause.
What were the consequences of the rebellion?
- Wyatt’s rebellion posed a threat to Mary as he threatened London, the capital of England.
- Mary I executed Wyatt, Lady Jane Grey (who had the potential to be used as a symbol for future rebellions) and her husband.
- Princess Elizabeth was arrested because Mary I feared she had a role in the rebellion. But nothing could be proved and she was released.
What do historians argue were the causes of the rebellion?
- D.M. Loades (1965) argued that ‘the real reasons which lay behind the conspiracy were secular and political.’
- MacCulloch and Fletcher (2014) argue that ‘… the religious agenda of the rebellion deserves more attention than Loades gave it. Jane in her proclamation against Mary’s attempt to steal her throne back in July 1553 had emphasised the religious dimension of events…’
How did Mary use the printing press?
- The printing press is often associated with Protestantism.
- But Mary I maximised the printing press when she restored Catholicism.
- For example, the printing press was vital for producing new Catholic prayer books (which had been destroyed by Henry VIII and Edward VI).
How did Mary increase religious education?
- In 1556, Mary proposed that the places where clergy were trained should be reformed, like the development of seminaries.
- Mary I also focussed on developing universities. For example, St Johns College, Oxford was founded in 1555.
Did Mary support humanism?
Yes;
- she was influenced by humanism, particularly Erasmus.
- She even translated some of Erasmus’ work herself.
- This reminds us that humanism was not automatically associated with Protestantism.
How did the general English population receive religious reform?
- It is difficult to establish what people thought of Mary I restoring Catholicism.
- The speed with which Mary I restored Catholicism suggests many supported her.
- Towards the end of her reign, persecutions of Protestants were in decline. This could suggest that Mary was successful in her policies.
- Unfortunately, her untimely death meant she did not have enough time to consolidate her Catholic rule.
Did Mary successfully revive the Catholic Church in England (historical assessment)?
-Robert Whiting (1997) takes an extreme stance in the debate on the extent to which Mary successfully revived Catholicism in England. Whiting suggests that Mary’s Catholic revival was not effective.
- He found that people mentioned prayers and masses for the dead (a Catholic activity) in only 11% of the wills he examined.
- This did not mean that people necessarily believed in Protestantism though. ‘Protestant views of the afterlife were more common in bigger towns with more trade connections to Protestant London and higher rates of literacy for scripture reading.’
