The Tudors and Stuarts Flashcards
Describe Henry VII’s use of the policy of centralised power
He deliberately strengthened the central administration of England and reduced the power of the nobles. He was thrifty and built up the monarchy’s financial reserves. When he died, his son Henry VIII continued the policy
Why did Henry VII use the policy of centralised power
After his victory in the Wars of the Roses, Henry VII wanted to make sure that England remained peaceful and that his position as king was secure
What was Henry VIII most famous for
Breaking away from the Church of Rome and marrying six times
How was the Church of England established
To divorce his first wife, Henry needed the approval of the Pope. When the Pope refuse, Henry established the Church of England
What was different about the Church of England
The king, no the Pope, would have the power to appoint bishops and order how people should worship
What was happening at the same time that the Church of England was being established
The Reformation was happening across Europe. This was a movement against the authority of the Pope and the ideas and practices of the Roman Catholic Church
Which religious group gradually gained strength in England, Wales and Scotland during the 16th century
Protestantism
What did the Protestants do
They formed their own churches, read the Bible in their own language instead of in Latin; they did not pray to saints or at shrines and they believed that a personal relationship with God was more important than submitting to the authority of the Church
What was the reaction against English attempts to impose Protestantism in Ireland
Alongside efforts to introduce the English system of laws about the inheritance of land, attempts by the English to impose Protestantism on the Irish led to rebellion from the Irish chieftains , and much brutal fighting followed
What changes were made in English relations to Wales during the reign of Henry VIII
Wales became formally united with England by the Laws in Wales Acts. The Welsh sent representatives to the House of Commons and the Welsh legal system was reformed
Who was Henry VIII’s successor
His 9 year old son Edward VI
Describe the reign of Edward VI
Edward VI was strongly Protestant. During his reign, the Book of Common Prayer was written to be used in the Church of England. A version of this book is still used in some churched today. Edward died at the age of 15 after ruling for just over 6 years
Who was Edward VI’s successor
Edward’s half sister Mary
Describe the reign of Queen Mary
Mary was a devout Catholic and persecuted Protestants (for this reason she became known as ‘Bloody Mary’). Mary also died after a short reign
Who succeeded Mary
Her half sister Elizabeth, the daughter of Henry VII and Anne Boleyn
What were the religious requirements during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I
She re-established the Church of England and everyone had to attend their local church
There were laws about the type of religious services and the prayers which could be said but Queen Elizabeth did not ask about people’s real beliefs
1588
The English defeat the Spanish Armada heightening the popularity of Queen Elizabeth I
Spanish Armada
A large fleet of ships sent by Spain to conquer England and restore Catholicism
1560
The predominantly Protestant Scottish Parliament abolish the Pope’s authority
and Roman Catholic religious services are criminalised
Mary Stuart (Mary Queen of Scots)
Catholic Queen of Scotland
A week old when coronated
Most of childhood spent in France
Suspected to have killed her husband and was later executed, after being imprisoned for 20 years, on the accusation of plotting against Elizabeth
James VI of Scotland
The protestant son of Mary Stuart and cousin to Queen Elizabeth
Golden Hind
The ship Sir Francis Drake, a commander in the defeat of the Spanish Armada
One of first ships to circumnavigate the world
5 characteristics of the Elizabethan period
Growing patriotism
Explorers sought new trade routes
Formation of England’s naval tradition
Richness of poetry and drama (especially of Shakespeare)
English settlers begin to colonies the eastern coast of America
1603
Queen Elizabeth I dies
King James VI of Scotland becomes King James I of England, Wales and Ireland but Scotland remained a separate country
King James Version
A new translation of the Bible into English by King James
A.k.a the ‘Authorised Version’
Not the first English Bible but is still used by Protestants today
William Shakespeare
1564-1616
born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England
playwright + actor + poet
dramatised significant events from the past
one of the first to portray ordinary Englishmen and women
invented English words
‘Once more unto the breach’
Henry V
‘To be or not to be’
Hamlet
‘A rose by any other name’
Romeo and Juliet
‘All the world’s a stage’
As You Like it
‘The darling buds of May’
Sonnet 18 - Shall I Compare Thee To a Summer’s Day
The Globe Theatre
In London
A modern copy of the theatres in which Shakespeare’s plays were first performed
Who was known as the King of Ireland in 1541
Henry VIII after both he and his father had extended English control to the whole of Ireland
Lord Lieutenants
In Dublin, authorities who gave instructions to local Irish leaders after English laws were introduced in Ireland
Plantations in Ulster
Settlements in the northern province of Ireland where the English government, under Elizabeth I and James, encouraged Scottish and English Protestants to settle
Taking away land from Catholic landholders
How long did Charles I rule without Parliament
11 years
How did the English civil war begin
Charles I tried to impose a revised Prayer Book on the Presbyterian Church in Scotland and a Scottish army was formed that Charles could not match without the financial support of Parliament who wanted control of the English army
1642
The civil war between the king and Parliament began and the country split between those who supported the king (the Cavaliers) and those who supported Parliament (the Roundheads)
1649
Charles I executed after a continual unwillingness to reach any agreement with Parliament and England declared itself a republic, called the Commonwealth
How long was England a republic for
11 years
Lord Protector
The title given to Oliver Cromwell after his campaign in Ireland and victory over Charles II and his Scottish army at Worcester
May 1660
Beginning of the Restoration
Parliament invited Charles II to return from exile in the Netherlands to be crowned King Charles II of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland
1665
The Great Plague of London which killed thousands of people especially in poorer areas
1666
The Great Fire of London in which St Paul’s Cathedral was destroyed
Sir Christopher Wren
Designed the new St Paul’s Cathedral
1679
The Habeas Corpus (Latin for ‘you must present the person in court’) Act became law and aimed to protect against unlawful imprisonment
The Royal Society
Promoted ‘natural knowledge’
The oldest surviving scientific society in the world
Isaac Newton
1643-1727
Born in Lincolnshire
published ‘Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy’ which showed how gravity applied to the whole universe
He discovered that white light is made up of the colours of the rainbow
1688
The Glorious Revolution, which was a peaceful transition of power from the Roman Catholic James II to his elder daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange (the Protestant ruler of the Netherlands) and the guaranteed power of Parliament
1690
The Battle of Boyne in Ireland where William of Orange defeated James II who was trying to regain the throne by invading Ireland
Jacobites
James II’s supporters, particularly in Scotland, those who joined him in exile in France and those who were secretly supporters
