Topic 4: Popular uprisings against the crown Flashcards
Henry VIII and the reformation
- In the 16th century the church was at the centre of communities. Monasteries were places of learning and culture, offered medical treatment, and sometimes acted as refuges for the poor or homeless. People were so worried about going to hell that they paid the church indulgences to be forgiven for their sins and to help the, to get to heaven.
- The reformation was a religious movement in 1500s that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic church because of:
The church’s wealth
The church’s influence in society - These ideas were fuelled by the writings of Martin Luther in 1517. He translated the bible into German and criticised the Church for selling indulgences.
- Henry made himself head of the church of England in 1534 with the Act of Supremacy. He did this with the help of his adviser, Thomas Cromwell. He was a blacksmith’s son who was well travelled. Cromwell helped Henry divorce Catherine of Aragon and increase his wealth.
Why did Henry support the reformation?
- Henry saw the pope as competing power; he wanted the people of England to listen to him only.
- Henry wanted a divorce from Catherine of Aragon but the pope would not allow it.
- If Henry was in charge of the church himself, he would not need to pay the pope taxes.
The monasteries
Thomas Cromwell promised to make Henry VIII the richest king in Europe and do it he would take the wealth from the monasteries.
- The church had an annual income of more than £200,000 which meant it earned nearly double that of the king - Henry wanted this wealth.
- Small monasteries with an annual income of less than £200 were shut down in 1536.
- Valor Ecclesiasticus was set up by Cromwell to evaluate the monasteries: he had reports written about how they were spending their money. If they weren’t being run properly they would be shut down. Those writing the reports were encourages to make the monasteries sound worse than they were, making it easier to close them.
Henry needed to make money and closing the monasteries as, in his eyes, the obvious choice. Not everyone was happy about him taking so much control.
What were the causes of the pilgrimage of grace?
Rising prices: Prices continues to rise under Henry; his advisers were blamed.
Landowners lost influences: Those who had been supporters of Catherine of Aragon fell out of favour after the divorce.
Changes to religion: Most people wanted the monasteries back, with the Pope as the head of church.
Cromwell’s power: Cromwell was hated by landowners who resented his influence; he was blamed for the changes to the church.
What were the demands of the pilgrims?
In 1536 a rebellion broke out in Yorkshire by devout Christians who were angry about the changes to the church. They had the following demands:
- Restore the monasteries because of their importance to the community.
- Recognise the Pope as the head of church.
- Dismiss Cromwell and other ministers who were giving the King poor advice.
This rebellion was known as the pilgrimage of Grace.
Timeline of the pilgrimage of grace rebellion
1) They started in Lincoln with Lord Hussey who had supported Catherine of Aragon; he wanted a removal of tax in peacetime.
2) The town of York and Pontefract castle were captures; they had been held by Lord Darcy but he surrendered and joined the pilgrims.
3) By the end of October, they had control of most of England, north of Cheshire and Lincolnshire.
4) On 27 October the Duke of Norfolk met the pilgrims at Doncaster Bridge; he had an army of 8000 men, and Aske had 30,000.
What were the implications of the pilgrimage of Grace for royal authority?
King Henry VIII was in the doubt about the purpose of the Pilgrimage of Grace. The marchers carried a banner showing the five wounds of Christ. This uprising was about religion and against the king’s advisers, who were seen to be corrupting it.
The rebels had found a leader in a lawyer called Robert Aske. He was able to put the case together to show that the pilgrims were not against the king himself and had no intention of challenging royal authority.
What were the actions of the rebels and what happened after their demands were made?
Throughout October 1536 the pilgrims captured key locations. The Duke of Norfolk had been selected by Henry to negotiate with the pilgrims as he was a catholic and was a strong critic of Cromwell.
Norfolk’s agreed to take the new list of demands from the pilgrims to Henry. They were the same as before but they added that a parliament must meet in York to provide a better representation for the north.
In December 1536 the loss of demands was presented to the king. Robert Aske spent The Christmas holiday with Henry at his palace; Henry reassured us that he was taking the demand seriously. Despite this Henry started to strengthen his Garrison in the north. January 1537: castles in Hull, Verley and Scarborough were attacked by the rebels. Henry cancelled the pardons and sent Norfolk North where another rebellion was taking place in Carlisle. the rebels surrendered, several Wahh and the rebellion was over.
What were the impacts of the pilgrimage of Grace?
Religious
- Failed to stop dissolution of the monasteries.
- In 1539 many larger monasteries were dissolved.
Economic
- The economy improved with the money from the monasteries and Henry was able to develop the royal Navy.
- Landowners bought the monastery land.
Political
- Cromwell had Darcy, Hussey and Aske killed.
- Henry strengthened the council of the North.
- More rebellions took place during Henry‘s reign.
- Cromwell eventually fell out of Henry’s favour and was executed in 1540.
