1280px family of henry viii, an allegory of the tudor succession

Timeline of the British History : the Early Modern Period

  • Apr 22, 1509

    Beginning of the reign of Henry VIII

    Beginning of the reign of Henry VIII
    Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547.
  • Oct 31, 1517

    Martin Luther writes the Ninety-Five Theses

    Martin Luther writes the Ninety-Five Theses
    Martin Luther writes the 95 Theses , accusing the Catholic church of heresy. He writes the Theses to tell the Pope about the corruption of the priests of the church.
  • 1526

    The Tyndale Bible

    The Tyndale Bible
    The New Testatment is translated into English by William Tyndale.
  • Nov 3, 1534

    Act of Supremacy

    Act of Supremacy
    England cuts ties with Rome, becomes officially protestant and the king was made « Supreme Head of te Church of England ».
  • Feb 20, 1547

    Beginning of the reign of Edward VI

    Beginning of the reign of Edward VI
    Edward VI was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine, making him one of the youngest English sovereigns. He introduced the book of Common Prayer and Protestant Measures.
  • Jul 19, 1553

    Beginning of the reign of Mary I

    Beginning of the reign of Mary I
    Upon the death of Edward VI in 1553, Mary I was the first queen to rule England in her own right. When she became Queen she began to restore the Roman Catholic faith in England. This lead to lots of Protestants being burnt at the stake, this earnt her the title of ''Bloody Mary''.
  • Nov 17, 1558

    Beginning of the reign of Elizabeth I

    Beginning of the reign of Elizabeth I
    Elizabeth succeeded to the throne on her half-sister's death in November 1558. Her reign is associated with the idea of the "Golden Age".
  • Feb 25, 1570

    Pope Pius V excommunicates Elizabeth I

    Pope Pius V excommunicates Elizabeth I
    Pope Pius v issued the bull Regnans in Excelsis, which declared Queen Elizabeth of England excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church and deprived her of her sovereignty in England and Ireland.
  • The execution of Mary Queen of Scots

    The execution of Mary Queen of Scots
    Mary Queen of Scots was convicted for complicity in plots against Elizabeth I and sentenced to death. She was executed in 1587 in Fotheringham Castle, wearing a bright
    red dress, the colour of Catholic martyrs.
  • The defeat of the Spanish Armada

    The defeat of the Spanish Armada
    Philip II, the Catholic King of Spain supported several plots against Elizabeth : In retaliation, and to support the cause of Protestantism, Elizabeth supported the Dutch Revolt against Spain. As a result, the King of Spain attempted to invade England but it was a complete defeat,and England was victorious.
  • Beginning of the reign of James I

    Beginning of the reign of James I
    James was proclaimed King of Scotland in 1567.
    He was crowned King of England in 1603 on Elizabeth’s death.
  • The Gunpowder plot

    The Gunpowder plot
    A conspiracy devised by a small group of Catholics to blow up Parliament and kill James I.
  • Establishment of Jamestown in Virginia

    Establishment of Jamestown in Virginia
    The first permanent english settlement in America.
  • Period: to

    The Starving Time

    A period of starvation in the colonies.
  • Period: to

    The Thirty Year's War

    The Thirty Years' War ran from 1618 to 1648. It broke out as a result of a quarrel between Catholic and Protestant German princes and rapidly spread across Europe, causing the deaths of millions of people.
  • Beginning of the reign of Charles I

    Beginning of the reign of Charles I
    He became heir to the throne on the death of his brother, Prince Henry, in 1612. He succeeded, as the second Stuart King of Great Britain, in 1625.
  • Petition of Rights

    Petition of Rights
    The MPs requested the King to recognise the illegality of extra-parliamentary taxation, billeting, martial law, imprisonment without trial. They wanted to get Charles to recognise that there were limits to his powers.
  • The Personal Rule

    The Personal Rule
    11 years when the King ruled without calling a parliament.
  • Period: to

    The Scottish Crisis

    The introduction to a new Book of Common Prayer set Scotland aflame and led to a violent crisis in the country.
  • The Great Remonstrance

    The Great Remonstrance
    An important document voted by Parliament after heated debates, summarazing all the wrongdoing of Charles I.
  • Period: to

    Civil Wars

    Two major civil wars took place as a result of conflicts between Parliament and the King. At the end of these two wars, the monarchy was abolished, giving way to a common wealth in England.
  • Creation of the New Army

    Creation of the New Army
    A new army was created in 1644 by the Parliamentarians.
    Unlike the earlier regional armies, this was a national, centralized army, controlled and paid from Westminster rather than the counties
  • Period: to

    The Interregnum

    A period of discontinuity or "gap" in the English government.
  • Period: to

    England is a Commonwealth

    The political structure period when England was governed as a republic after the end of the Second English Civil War and the trial and execution of Charles I.
  • The execution of King Charles I

    The execution of King Charles I
    Charles I was executed in 1649 after the Second Civil War, which led to the dissolution of the monarchy and the House of Lords, and the beginning of a common wealth in England.
  • The Instrument of Government

    The Instrument of Government
    England’s first and only written constitution.
  • Period: to

    The Cromwellian Protectorate

    A military dictatorship during which Cromwell was the "Lord Protector" (similar powers to those of a King)
  • Declaration of Breda

    Declaration of Breda
    Charles II issued the Declaration of Breda that promised:
    - A general amnesty
    - To continue religious toleration
    - To share power with Parliament in return for the restoration of monarchy
  • Period: to

    The Restoration

    Return of the monarchy : the King restored.
  • The Act of Uniformity

    The Act of Uniformity
    All ministers had to swear to conform to the Book of Common Prayer and the restoration of bishops to the House of Lords and to their place in the Church.
  • Period: to

    The Exclusion crisis

    Three Exclusion Bills sought to exclude James II from the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland, because he was Catholic.
  • Period: to

    The Glorious Revolution

    James II was replaced by his daughter Mary II and her Dutch husband, William III of Orange.
  • The Bill of rights

    The Bill of rights
    Sets out a constitutional requirement for the Crown to seek the consent of the people as represented in Parliament
  • The Act of Settlement

    The Act of Settlement
    This act put an end to the 16th and 17th quarrel between King and Parliament. A new balance of powers in favour of Parliament
  • The Act of Union between England and Scotland

    The Act of Union between England and Scotland
    Creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain: England (and Wales) and Scotland.
  • Period: to

    War of the Spanish Succession

    Britain gained Acadia over the French.
  • Period: to

    The Georgian Era

    It is named the Georgian Era because all kings were names Georges : George I : 1714-1727
    George II : 1727-1760
    George III: 1760-1820
    George IV: 1820-1830 Prince regent from 1811
  • Period: to

    The Whigs domination on British politics

  • Boston Tea Party

    Boston Tea Party
    Colonists dressed as indigenous and threw tea overboard . It was the first episode of the war of independence
  • Period: to

    American War of Independence

    The years 1775-1783 were a turning point in British history,
    as the nation lost a huge part of its empire in the American War of Independence
  • Declaration of Independence

    Declaration of Independence
    It started the American revolutionary war.
  • Treaty of Paris

    Treaty of Paris
    Britain formally recognized the independence of the United States .
  • Second Act of Union

    Second Act of Union
    Creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain (England and Scotland) and Ireland.