What type of person was Cromwell? Flashcards
What was he portrayed as?
‘cunning, scheming man with no morality’
What does Elton say about Cromwell?
He was a ‘brilliant public servant, a reformer of govt and someone who strongly believed in the rule of law’.
What do other historians say about Cromwell?
he was a ‘tyrant working behind the scenes with secret informers to spy on potential enemies and find evidence to justify their execution’
What did he use religious beliefs for?
a lever against more conservative factions at court. he bended the law when Henry was personally interested in the outcome and made aware that a guilty verdict was expected.
When was the height of his power?
after the conspiracy with others at court to provide evidence against Anne Boleyn though use of false testimony and torture.
