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1517
Martin Luther : The Ninety-Five Theses
Martin Luther, a German monk, wrote "The Ninety-Five Theses". His ideas led to Protestantism. -
1526
The Tyndale Bible
The Tyndale Bible is the translation in English of the New Testament, by William Tyndale. -
1534
Act of Supremacy
The Act of Supremacy made the king, Henry VIII, "Supreme Head of the Church of England". -
1536
The Pilgrimage of Grace
The break with the Catholic Church and the dissolution of the monasteries led to rebellions called "The Pilgrimage of Grace". They were the most serious rebellions ever faced by a Tudor monarch. They lasted 6 months. -
1549
Book of Common Prayer
Publication of the Book of Common Prayer under Edward VI's reign, a protestant. Catholic doctrines were forbidden. -
1559
Act of Supremacy and Act of Uniformity
Act of Supremacy : Elizabeth I became "Supreme Governor of the Church of England" and the Pope's authority was abolished.
Acte of Uniformity : People who didn't attend an Englican service had to pay a fine. The Book of Common Prayer came back. -
1563
The Thirty-nine Articles of Faith
Published between 1563 and 1571, they brought 3 important changes to the Church : a new definition of sacraments and of the mass, a new ecclesiology and a new doctrine of Salvation. -
1570
The excommunication of Elizabeth I
The pope Pius V excommunicated the Queen Elizabeth I, and accused her of being a heretic, of usurping the place of the Supreme Head of the Church. -
The execution of Mary Stuart
Mary Stuart was executed after Francis Walsingham, the queen's spymaster, discovered her involvement in the Babington Plot, an attempt to kill Elizabeth I. -
Defeat of the Spanish Armada
The King Philip II of Spain tried and failed to invade England. England was then seen as a country protected and blessed by God. -
Gunpower Plot
A conspiracy by a small group of Catholics to overthrow Parliament and kill King James I. It was discovered and the leader of the group, Guy Fawkes, was arrested. -
The Starving Time
The first year on the New Word was extremely difficult for the settlers, mostly due to shortage of water, conflicts with the Native Powhantan tribes or insufficient growing of crops. Only 60 of the 500 colonists survived. -
The Thirty Years' war (1618-1648)
James I believed he could make peace between Catholics and Protestants by marrying his children to a Protestant Prince from a part og Germany and an Spanish Catholic Princess. But it led to a war when the Prince was invited to take the throne of Protestant Bohemia instead of the Emperor Ferdinand Habsburg. -
Charles I declared war on Parliament
King Charles I declared formally war on Parliament. It was the start of the First Civil War. -
England was declared a Commonwealth
In 1649, a law was passed, abolishing monarchy. England will be ruled as a republic: the country was declared a Commonwealth. -
Charles I's execution
King Charles I, after being put on trial for high treason by the Rump Parliament, was executed. This was the end of the Second Civil War. -
End of the Commonwealth and start of the Cromwellian Protectorate
The amount of tensions within the Parliament but also within the population, with royalists' revolts, led to the end of the Commonwealth. It then led to the start of the Cromwellian Protectorate, a military dictatorship. -
Cromwell died
After Cromwell's death, his son Richard succeeded him. However, it lasted 6 months before he resigned, leading to a period of Anarchy. -
The Restoration
After Charles II issued the Declaration of Breda, promising a general amnesty, religious toleration and to share power with the Parliament, the monarchy was restored on 29 May 1660. -
The Popish Plot
The Popish Plot was rumored to be organized by the French to murder Charles II in order put James II on the throne, his Catholic brother. -
Charles II died
Charles II died and was succeeded by his brother James II, a Catholic. -
William of Orange, invited to invade England
The Parliament invited William of Orange, the king's son in law, to invade England, to seize the crown and thus to prevent from a catholic heir. He met no resistance. -
Toleration Act
The Toleration Act established religious pluralism, and freedom of worship for all Protestants. It put an end to religious repressions. -
The Bill of Right
The Bill of Right presented, for the first time, limits to the monarch's power. It also set out the Parliament's rights and the basic civil rights. -
Act of Settlement
This act ensured a Protestant succession but also put an end to the long-term disagreement between King and Parliament. -
Final Defeat of the Jacobites
After two unsuccessful risings in 1715 and 1745, the Jacobites were definitly defeated at Culloden. -
Seven Years' War (1756-1763)
Britain gained Florida over the Spanish and most of Canada over the French. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris confirmed and formalized the Declaration of Independence of 1776 of the United States. -
Irish Rebellion
It was a revolt against British rule in Ireland, mostly influenced by the American and French revolutions. -
Second Act of Union
The first Act of Union happened in 1707 in was the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. It concerned England, Wales and Scotland. This second act had Ireland to the countries concerned.