Tudor Government Flashcards
Describe the life of Bishops in the 1500’s? (2)
- ruled over groups of parishes called dioceses
- Bishops were rich, lived in palaces, and took part in a government
What was the state of religion in the 1500’s? (4)
- There was mass on each Sunday: held in Latin, which most people didn’t understand
- All children were baptised, unless they were Jewish
- Society was based on religion
- All people were members of the Catholic Church- until the Church of England was formed
What was the role of Earls in the 1500’s? (2)
- Earls held land on behalf of the king in return for local influence and loyalty
- Earls had to provide armed forces for the king and to serve in battle themselves
What was the role of the King/Queen in the 1500’s? (2)
- Had all and total control of the state
- their power was ordained by god and thus accepted by the people
Describe Parish priests in the 1500’s? (2)
- were poor and had little education
- grew their own food and worked with parishioners
What was the state of society in the 1500s? (5)
- Based around religion
- Hierarchal
- Patriarchal
- Large divide between rich and poor
- Wealth and status was gained through heritage
When was the first printing press introduced in England, and by who? (2)
1476
William Caxton
What was the importance of the introduction of the printing press in 1476? (2)
- Allowed people of modest means to obtain books and further their education
- Allowed a greater spread of knowledge
What was life like for peasants in the 1500’s? (3)
- Statistically, peasants had the highest standard of living in the 1400’s - 1500’s since the fall of the Roman Empire up to the 1900’s
- therefore, peasants had a reasonable quality of life
- Peasants had to pay 10% of their income to the parish priest
What was the greatest English export in the 1500’s?
Woolen cloth
How did the Church have a part in the economy? (2)
- Monasteries provided markets for merchants
- Monasteries also provided basic social services
How did Richard III come to the throne?
He murdered his brother Edward VI and Edwards sons were murdered in the tower
How did Henry VII come to power?
He defeated and killed Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485
How did Henry VII get revenge on those who fought against him at the Battle of Bosworth?
He backdated his kingship to one day before the end of the Battle so he could claim that anyone who fought him was treasonous and thus they could be tried and executed
Who did Henry VII marry and why?
He married Elizabeth of York
He did this to reconcile the houses of Lancaster and York to try to end the War of Roses
How and why did Henry VII try and prove he was the rightful heir to the throne?
He always insisted that he was ordained by god as he beat Richard in battle
He used the Tudor Rose of the united houses of York and Lancaster as propaganda to prove he was right to be king
Why did Henry VII create the first pound coin?
To be a symbol of power and wealth
It could not be used and was made of gold
Why did Henry VII have to convince people he was the rightful king?
He actually had a very weak link to the throne
What did Henry VII do at the end of his reign to protect his throne?
- He set up a large network of spies and informants to spy on those he didnt trust
- used old, obscure laws and fabricated laws in order to make all the nobility financially bound to the king so it would be financially impossible to revolt
Who did Henry VII hire to help him make the nobility financially bound to him?
Edmund Dudley- a lawyer who had previously worked in the city but began to pull out old and fabricated laws to bind the nobility to the king financially
Who did Prince Arthur, the son of Henry VII marry?
Catharine of Aragon
Why did Henry VII betroth Prince Arthur to Catharine of Aragon?
Spain was the leading European power at the time and it was a symbol of the strength of England and of the monarchy
How did Henry VII celebrate the marriage of Arthur and Catharine, and why?
He ordered the couple to be paraded through London
It was a symbol of propaganda to show the power of the monarchy
How was the Tudor hold in the throne drastically reduced during Henry VII’s reign?
Prince Arthur died in 1502 leaving only one heir
Elizabeth of York died during childbirth in 1503, meaning no more heirs could be produced
Who was the War of Roses between?
The White Rose: the house of York
The Red Rose: the house of Lancaster
When was the War of Roses?
1450-1485
What was the War of Roses?
The battle between the white and red rose over the throne of England
Who was Perkin Warbeck, and what did he do?
He was a Yorkist who tried to impersonate the younger of the brothers who died in the tower
He gathered large support to overthrow the king Henry VII as people believed he was the rightful heir
Who was John De la Pole, and what did he do?
He was a Yorkist (who had a greater claim to the throne than Henry VII)
He tried to claim the throne by fighting Henry VII in the Battle of Stoke in 1487, but he lost and was killed
The Battle of Stoke was seen as the last war of the ‘War of Roses’
Who was William Stanley?
He was Henry VII lord chamberlain, who was found to be conspiring against the king as he was a major supporter of Perkin Warbeck
What important things did Henry VIII learn from Henry VII’s kingship? (4)
- that there would be threats to the throne and he would have to fight
- that threats to the throne could come from anywhere (eg. Perkin Warbeck) and from people close to you (William Stanley)
- the importance of propaganda to maintain the throne (Tudor rose & marriage of Arthur + Catharine)
- the fragility of monarchy and how quickly things can change in monarchy (death of Arthur and Elizabeth)
Was Henry VIII similar in his style of kingship to his father?
- He preferred power and glory over money, unlike his father
- preferred to make people like and respect him, rather than fear him- unlike his father
- Henry VII often tried to distance himself from his fathers image
Who were the main threats to Henry VII’s throne?
John de la Pole
Perkin Warbeck
William Stanley
What is enclosure?
Fencing off common land to herd sheep for personal gain
What was Wosley’s policy towards enclosure?
- Launched a national inquiry into enclosure in 1517: many people were brought to court on charges of enclosure
- offenders were forced to rebuild houses destroyed for enclosure and to return to arable farming
What was the impact of Wolsey’s 1517 inquiry, and other policy, toward enclosure? (3)
- showed drive to bring powerful to justice
- increased rural poverty
- increased his unpopularity amongst the ruling classes
How successful was Wolsey’s 1517 inquiry, and other policy, towards enclosure?
In 1523, Wolsey was forced to accept existing enclosures
–> displays how he was not always able to exert his political power
What was Wolsey’s policy towards the kings councillors and advisors?
- initiated a purge of the privy chamber in 1519: expelling those who could challenge him, and making sure they had jobs away from court
- Wars of 1522-1525 kept nobles away from court. However, when they returned, Wolsey secured the ‘Eltham Ordinances’ in 1526 which reduced the ‘Gentleman of the Bed Chamber’ (the kings personal assistants) from 12 people to 6
What was the impact of the ‘Eltham Ordinances’ and Wolsey’s policy towards the kings councillors?
- reduced the number of people who had influence over the king
- made Wolsey more unpopular amongst the nobility as be damaged the level of their influence with the king
How successful was Wolsey in his policy towards the kings councillors (eg. The ‘Eltham Ordinances’)
- success in that he furthered his control over the kings attention
- failure in alienating the nobility and councillors
What was Wolsey’s policy in regards to justice?
- he supported civil law over common law
- allowed zero legal fees at the court of star chamber for the poor, and in 1516 made reforms of star chamber, moving from 12 to 120 cases per year
- In 1519, opened the ‘Court of Requests’ which allowed anyone from any background to make a case for law
- supported ‘impartial justice’ and he often favoured the poor underdogs to their rich counterparts
What was the impact of Wolsey’s policy on justice?
Made the legal system fairer and more just
Arrested many of the wealthy nobility who previously thought they were invincible to the law
What was the ‘Hunne Affair’?
When the church was accused, and bishop Holsey found guilty of, making up charges and murdering Richard Hunne- a local tradesman- and then seizing his property
What was the impact of the Hunne Affair?
- Caused mass resentment and uproar against the church in London
- Forced Wolsey to apologise to the people of London on behalf of the clergy
How did Wolsey change/reform the church?
- Created probate courts as of his role as lagate a latere
- Certain monastic reforms: eg. Replaced monks and abbots who were not living the monastic lifestyle they had sworn to
- allowed the pope and king to make financial gains from Wolsey’s role as lagate a latere
Explain the impact of Wolsey’s creation of Probate Courts as a result of his accession to lagate a latere
- increased Wolsey’s personal income
- made other people of influence jealous and resentful of Wolsey’s income
What was Wolsey’s main monastic reform and what was the impact of it?
- He replaced monks and abbots who were not living the monastic lifestyles they had sworn to
- this was an achievement, though it was modest and was not without opposition
Describe the events and effects of the pope and king’s financial gain as a result of Wolsey’s appointment
- wasn’t able to deliver and implement ‘subsidy’ tax in Rome
- succeeded in taxing the clergy at higher rates than Henry VII and thus getting more tax into England
- He had split interests between the pope and king but he always remained loyal to the king
- when his work for the pope coincided with his work for the king, Henry turned against him
What were Wolsey’s policies towards finance?
- replaced the system of ‘fifteenths and tenths’ with one called ‘subsidy’, reflecting the true wealth of the tax payer–> this led to a greater tax burden on the rich
- Made very aggressive demands to parliament: asked for £800,000 worth of tax but had to settle for less than his demands
- When Henry VIII wanted to invade France in 1525, Wolsey wanted a non-parliamentary tax called the ‘Amicable Grant’ to raise money
What was the impact of Wolsey’s replacement of ‘fifteenths and tenths’ to ‘subsidy’ form of tax
-‘Subsidy’ was more equal and progressive and raised more money than fifteenths and tenths–> successfully increased the treasury
(From 1513-1516, £170,000 was raised from subsidy, compared to £90,000 from 15s & 10s)
-‘Subsidy’ shifted a greater emphasis of the tax burden onto the wealthy
–> caused the rich and powerful to resent Wolsey
What was the impact of the ‘Amicable Grant’? (4)
- from 1517 to 1529, Wolsey raised £500,000 for the crown
- Tax payments became increasingly late by 1523-1525 which showed growing discontent over the amicable grant
- led to rebellions from below in Suffolk and East Anglia in 1525, in which 10,000 marched in Suffolk–> surprisingly, the nobility took no part in these protests and tried to prevent them despite the grant having the greatest effect on them
- by 1525, the ‘Amicable Grant’ was abandoned and Wolsey made no further attempts at taxation
Evidence that Wolsey was the dominant figure in government (4)
- Had the trust of king Henry VIII to make policy independently
- Henry was not aware of every decision that Wolsey made
- Wolsey had his own palace, Hampton court, and was far richer than any of his political opponents
- Wolsey was able to bypass English tradition, such as the ‘Great Seal’
Evidence that Henry VIII retained control rather than Wolsey running the country? (5)
- Henry only gave Wolsey responsibility if he successfully met Henry’s demands (eg. War, taxes etc.)
- King always held final decision making power
- The king only gave Wolsey power to provide freedom to the king
- Wolsey was ordered to apologise to the king for trying to overrule him in the St. Alban’s incident
- When Wolsey was unable to facilitate the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine, or to facilitate a split from Rome and the Catholic Church, he was removed from a position of power
Evidence that Henry and Wolsey shared power in a mutually beneficial partnership?
- Henry was more interested and concentrated on foreign policy, whereas Wolsey focused on domestic affairs
- Henry and Wolsey discussed policy before taking it to court
- compromises were often made, and policy was decided together eg. When Wolsey convinced the King not to invade France after the tax rebellions
How does the Nobility aid the King in 1509?
- The king provide nobles with land in return for their allegiance
- Nobles can expect justice from the king in the event of a dispute with a fellow noble
- Nobles provide a military for the king for conflicts at home and abroad
How does parliament aid the king in 1509?
- Call together the house of commons and the house of lords at any time
- All laws have to be passed through parliament
- Parliament can grant taxes
- At this time, the King could not pass laws on his own
What was the house of lords?
All the nobles, bishops and representatives from the university
What was the house of commons?
representatives from houses, boroughs and shires
What was the purpose of the royal advisory council?
They were appointed by the king and helped him to make decisions and pass policy
What was the danger of the royal advisory council?
- Factions often formed and it was important for the king not to favour one faction over another
- The king had to ensure the council did not become to large or unwieldy as they could serious influence policy
What was ‘patronage’?
The King’s ability to decide on who becomes nobility (eg. the king can promote people to lords, dukes, earls etc.)
Why was patronage important to the king in 1509?
He has no army or police force: therefore he must use the nobility to maintain law and order within the country
When was Henry VIII’s reign?
1509-1540
What were the key responsibilities for Henry VIII as he was coming into power in 1509? (8)
- To remain within the law himself
- To enforce the law
- Intervene in any disputes with the nobels
- To uphold the church
- To provide a son and heir
- To glorify the monarchy
- To be financially secure
How did a King gain income in 1509? (5)
- The royal estates (rents)
- Feudal payments and privileges
- Custom duties
- Extraordinary income such as tax
Where is court?
It is wherever the King is (eg. If he is in Richmond palace, court is held in richmond palace)
What is court?
It is where servants and nobility essentially ‘hung out’ and networked in hope of gaining further influence
Why would people try to be invited to court?
To gain influence of the king as they could come into direct contact with him there
In court, what was the ‘hall’?
Where anyone invited into court could come into direct contact with the king
In court, what was the presence chamber?
- Where the throne was situated (the throne was guarded and always treated as if the monarch was there)
- A pass is needed to enter this area
- Nobility could request specific things of the king here
In court, what was the privy chamber?
- Where the king spent his private time and lived
- Privy chamber staff also had large access to this room
In 1509, what were minions?
Member of the Privy Chamber Staff
What was the ‘Groom of the Stool’?
- The head of the privy chamber staff
- Responsible for washing the king and wiping him
Why was the Groom of the Stool such a highly sought after role?
- Provided very close access to the king and gave a maximum opportunity to influence him
- The groom of the stool and the majority of the Privy chamber staff came from the nobility
What were factions in the Royal Advisory Council?
When groups of advisors with similar beliefs came together in a temporary allegiance to help and influence the king into doing something
When Henry came to power in 1509, how did he deal with his lack of a wife and heir?
- Following Arthur’s death, Catharine was kept in England to become the bride of Henry
- Soon after his coronation, he married Catherine- partially out of of chivalry following her being made to stay in England following Arthur’s death
By marrying Catherine of Aragon in 1509, to what extent did Henry overcome the problem of a lack of an heir and wife?
-He know had a wife but he was and would be without an heir for a long time
How did Henry overcome the problem of the resentment of the nobility to his father?
- Executed Dudley and Epsom in 1510- his fathers chief staff in terms of the bonds and recognisances
- Abolished the ‘Council of Learned’- the council responsible for the economic sanctions placed on the nobility
- Publicly removed some of the noble’s financial bonds but was too prudent to remove all of them
- Used patronage to create many new nobles
To what extent did Henry overcome the resentment of the nobles towards his father when he came to power?
- Decision to execute Dudley and Epsom in 1510, and to abolish the ‘Council Learned’ was a popular decision amongst nobility
- Became more popular amongst nobles for giving them now honours and titles
Why did Henry VIII executed Dudley and Epsom in 1510? (4)
- They disassociated Henry VIII from his fathers reign and were part of a more general backlash against his father
- They were an excellent PR exercise as the two men, as well as the ‘Council Learned’ were unpopular
- Some of Henry’s councillors were concerned at the legality of the Council Learned
- Henry VII’s policies had been so effective that Henry VIII could afford to dispose of the Council Learned and it’s officials
Did Henry disband and remove all of his father’s policies?
- He made a public show of removing parts of his father’s dynasty
- Only got rid of things that he didnt really need and thus kept the majority of what his father had implemented
How did Henry VIII deal with his lack of experience when he first acceded the throne
- He kept the majority of his father’s advisors to help him
- He gave the main administrative running of the country was given from Henry VIII to Thomas Wolsey
- Henry was very keen on an aggressive foreign policy to highlight his strength as a ruler despite his inexperience
How did Henry VIII deal with the lack of presence and status in Europe and a lack of a military victory in France, when he came to power?
- In 1513, the King ordered an expedition of France in which Tournai was won
- Henry often held grand and expensive displays and parades in order to impress foreign kings
How did Thomas Wolsey first get into the King’s court
He was hired as an royal almoner
What was Wolsey’s role in the 1513 French expedition?
He organised the logistics of the expeditionary force of 12,000 men that travelled to France successfully
What were the titles accumulated by Thomas Wolsey?
- 1514 became the bishop of Tournai and Lincoln
- 1514 became the archbishop of York
- 1515 became a cardinal
- 1515 became Lord Chancellor (the head of govt)
- 1518 appointed as a legate a latere- the personal correspondent of the pope (highest church power in England)
What was Henry VIII’s attitude to government when he came to power? And how did this aid Thomas Wolsey?
- Henry wanted control over foreign policy but wasnt too interested in domestic affairs
- Therefore Wolsey was given power over state affairs and thus essentially ran the country
How did a new form and era of government emerge at the start of Henry VIII’s reign?
- Many of Henry VII’s advisors were ageing and retiring
- Henry VIII wanted to break away and disassociate himself from his fathers government
How did Wolsey’s position in the church and state affect his power?
When he became head of the government in 1515 (Lord Chancellor) and the highest church power in 1518 (Legate a latere), he became arguably more powerful than the king (as the king was separate from the pope) and no-one could argue with his decisions
What was the ‘Course of Seals’?
The course of which laws and policies were accepted and passed
Henry->Secretary->Lord Privy Seal->Lord Chancellor->Great Seal
This was a long an arduous process for laws and policies to be passed
How did Thomas Wolsey originally get into court?
At the start of Henry VIII’s reign, there was slight power vacuum between Henry, his councillors, and the privy chamber
Councillor Fox and Archbishop Warham hired Wolsey to try and get him to listen to his councillors
Wolsey, however, decided his personal position would be best served by liberating the king from his councillors
How did Thomas Wolsey change the ‘Course of Seals’
- He broke it as he found it was not embedded in law but rather was simply convention
- Therefore, Henry could go straight to the Lord Chancellor when passing laws and thus messing out the secretary and Lord Chancellor
