The Tudor Dynasty

The Tudor Dynasty

• The century of Tudor rule – the most glorious period in English history, because:

  • Henry VII: made England a powerful monarchy and a wealthy state

  • Henry VIII: kept a magnificent court and made Church of England 100% English

  • Elizabeth I: defeated the navy of Spain – then the most powerful in Europe

  • The literacy increased + the living standards got better

  • Renaissance time

• The Church of England

  • Henry VIII became head of it – couldn’t control it + wanted to divorce Catherine of Ar.

  • Elizabeth I kept it under her authority – made it part of the state machine

• Colonies

  • Virginia in America was founded

  • Slaves from Africa became a profitable trade

  • The East India company – to trade with India

• Foreign policy

  • Henry VII remained friendly with neighbouring countries

  • Mary I. allied England to Spain by her marriage to King Phillip the Spanish

  • Elizabeth encouraged the merchant Expansion + defeated the Spanish navy

• Henry VII

  • Very important and good king – established the new dynasty

  • Based royal power on good business sense

  • Wanted to make the Crown financially independent

  • Put taxes on wars, which he didn’t fight

  • Never spent money frivolously

  • Understood, that England’s wealth would depend on international trade - built ships

• Henry VIII.

  • Son of the first Tudor king – Henry VII – but was unlike him

  • Cruel, wasteful

  • Kept a magnificent court

  • Broke away from the Roman Catholic church by becoming the head of the Church of England

    • He disliked the power of the Church of England – he couldn’t fully control it

    • Wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragorn (who didn’t give him a son), but the pope didn’t allow it

    • Henry forced the bishops to make him the head of the Church of England

  • Closed numbers of monasteries (sold the land to landowners)

  • Only loved 1 of his 6 wives – Jane Seymour, who died giving birth to his only son

  • Had 3 children: Elizabeth, Mary and Edward

• Edward VI

  • Too young to rule, when Henry VIII died – Council ruled on his behalf

  • Died aged 16 – his sister to rule

• Mary I (Bloody Mary)

  • Was catholic – popular shortly from the beginning, then not anymore

  • Married King Phillip of Spain (unpopular)

  • Burned protestants – 300 people were killed

  • Died young – her sister to rule

• Elizabeth I (the Virgin Queen)

  • Wanted to find a peaceful solution for the English Reformation

  • Made the Church a part of the Crown

  • Village = parish (an area served by one Church)

  • People had to go to church by law, otherwise fined

  • Was endangered by: Spain and France (catholic), the pope (catholic) and the English Catholic nobles (who wanted to replace Elizabeth with the catholic Mary of Scottland)

  • Mary, the Queen of Scotland was unpopular at home and fled to England

  • Elizabeth imprisoned Mary for 20 years and then executed her

  • Defeated the Spanish navy (the most powerful in Europe then)