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Henry VIII was born in 1491, and was the son of Henry VII (the first Tudor king) and Elisabeth of York. Under his reign, the Church of England separated from the Roman Catholic Church. This is called schism. He had six wives. Two were divorced and two beheaded.
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Henry VIII was made "Supreme Head of the Church of England. So he broke with the Roman Catholic Church, and the Pope's authority. It was a schism. Henry did it so he could marry Anne Boleyn because the pope refused to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. -
Henry VIII decided that the monasteries were bastions of “popery”, so they were disbanded, and the Crown appropriated their income and land.
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The dissolution of the monasteries process was interrupted by rebellions in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. These were the greatest rebellions ever faced by a Tudor monarch. They lasted 6 months and were called the “Pilgrimage of Grace”. The insurgents were the common people, but also the gentry and clergy.
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Edouard Vi was born in 1537, he was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour. He died from tubercolisis.
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The revision of the mass-book, led to the publication of the Book of Common Prayer. -
Mary I was born in 1516, she was the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. She was married to PhilipII of Spain. She was the first Queen regnant.
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Under the reign of Mary I, over 200 Protestants went to the stake, because they were considered heretics.
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Elisabeth I was born in 1533, she was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. She was nicknamed the "Virgin Queen", because she never got married. The Elisabethan Era was a Golden Age and an age of exploration and expansion.
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It abolished the authority of the Pope. Elisabeth I became "Supreme Governor of the Church of England". -
- Every parish had to use the Book of Common Prayer.
- People who did not attend an Anglican service were fined.
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- Stated the doctrine (religious belief) of the Church.
- 3 important changes : a new ecclesiology (conception of the Church)/a new doctrine of Salvation/a new definition of sacraments and of the mass.
- Still in use today.
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The rebellion of 6.000 insurgents was against religious reforms, and an attempt to replace Elizabeth I by Mary, Queen of Scots, led by the Earls of Westmorland and Northumberland. It was crushed. -
In his papal bull “Regnans in Excelsis”, Pope Pius V excommunicated Elisabeth I, calling her “the so-called queen”, “ a heretic favouring heretics”. He gave Catholics licence to kill her with the certainty that it would not be seen as a crime by Rome. -
It made it treason for anyone to say that Elizabeth was not the true Queen. -
The 1581 Act (Act to remain the Queen’s Majesty’s Subjects in their due Obedience) :
- It provided for the death penalty for any person converting, or already converted to Catholicism.
- It was now forbidden to participate or celebrate the Catholic mass.
- Anglican services were compulsory £20 per month fine. -
A failed attempt by Sir Walter Raleigh to establish a settlement in Roanoke, Virginia. -
Elisabeth I executed her because she was her heir, a threat, and she participated to the Babington Plot in 1586. She was was executed in Fotheringham Castle, wearing a bright red dress, the colour of Catholic martyrs. -
Philip II of Spain supported several plots against Elizabeth I. In retaliation, and to support the cause of Protestantism, Elizabeth supported the Dutch revolt. As a result Philip attempted to invade England. But England won, thanks to material and human advantage. Moreover Elisabeth had made a speech in Tilbury, in order to rally the troops. -
East India Company founded by royal charter. -
James I was born in 1566, he was the son of Mary Queen of Scots and Lord Danley. He was James VI of Scots.
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A conspiracy devised by a small group of Catholics, with Guy Fawkes, to blow up Parliament and kill James. -
Establishment of Jamestown in Virginia, named after James I, the First permanent settlement. -
Period of starvation, only 60 of the 500 colonists survived. Why ?
- Shortage of drinkable water.
- Insufficient growing of corps.
- Conflicts with the Native Powhatan tribe.
Some settlers even turned to cannibalism. The discovery of a new type of tobacco, discovered by John Rolfe, helped by his wife Pocahontas, daughter of the Powhatan’s chief, who taught him Indian techniques of cultivation saved them. -
Because the crown had debts, Parliament proposed a solution : James would receive a fixed sum, but some MPs feared the King would not need to call up parliaments anymore, James would be financially independent. -
The new English translation of the Bible by James I,following the request of the Puritan clergy in the "Millenary Petition". -
Believing that he could make peace between the Catholic and the Protestant powers abroad, James I arranged for his daughter Elizabeth to marry a Protestant prince of a part of Germany, the Palatine. And to marry his son Charles I, to a Spanish Catholic princess.
The elector palatine was invited to take the throne of Protestant Bohemia, in place of the Emperor Ferdinand Habsburg, the Emperor sent his army. James wanted to intervene to help them, and England as a protestant power had to intervene. -
Puritans left England on the arrival of James I on the Mayflower, and arrived at Plymouth. -
Charles I was born in 1600, he was the son of James I and Anne of Denmark. He was executed on 30 January 1649. His reign was marked by Civil War.
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MP's requested the King to recognise the illegality of extra-parliamentary taxation, billeting, martial law, imprisonment without trial. Wanted to get Charles to recognise that were limits to his powers. -
The MP's declared that whoever tried to bring in “Popery or Arminianism” or to alter the protestant forms of the Church of England was an enemy of the Kingdom. As well as anyone advising the King to collect custom duties without Parliament’s consent. -
Because of the Three Resolutions, Charles I dissolved Parliament. He declared there would be no more parliaments, and started his "Personal Rule". During 11 years, he ruled without calling a Parliament. Wing historians called it “The Eleven Years of Tyranny”. The religious policies implemented by Charles during the Personal Rule were destructive of the Elizabethan compromise.
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In 1637, the introduction of the New Prayer Book set Scotland aflame. Scotland were Presbyterian and the changes were deemed unacceptable. The riot would soon turn into a widespread rebellion known as the Bishop Wars. In 1638, the Scots made a petition opposing Charles’ religious policy : the Scottish National Covenant : Scotland and England both started to form an army. The Scots invaded England and emerged victorious.
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In 1640, needing money to fight the Scots, Charles called a Parliament for the first time in 11 years, “The Short Parliament”. As the MPs demanded the King to address their grievances, Charles dissolved it after only 3 weeks. -
The "Treaty of Ripon" on October 1640 forced Charles to pay the cost of the Scots’ army. Charles had to call Parliament again :
“The Long Parliament”, because it would not be dissolved until 1660. The 1640 Parliament was determined to remedy 11 years of grievances and wanted to ensure regular parliaments. They passed 2 acts ensuring that :
- Parliament should meet at least every 3 years.
- The dissolution of Parliament required its consent. -
In October 1641, an armed revolt broke out in Ireland : The Irish Rebellion. James I had implemented a plantation policy : sending English and Scottish protestant colonists to Ireland, taking the lands of Irish Catholics.
In October 1641, Irish Catholics rebels rose up against Protestant settlers.
→ Massacre of 3.000/4.000 protestants.
Rumours : Irish atrocities, 200.000 protestants massacred (fuelled the anti-Catholic sentiment in England). -
An important document voted by Parliament after heated debates. It summarized all the wrong doing of Charles I and concluded on “revolutionary” demands :
The right of the House of Commons to choose the King’s ministers. The right for Parliament to control any army sent to Ireland. The right for Parliament to reform the Church. It divided Parliament into 2 groups : the Parliamentarians and the Royalists. -
Charles I marched into the House of Commons with troops and attempted to arrest 5 Members of Parliament in January 1642. It was a breach of privilege, which showed there could be no peace between King and Parliament. On 22 August 1642, Charles formally declared war on Parliament. -
The First Civil War would cost the lives of 190.000 Englishmen in combat and from diseases and last for 4 years. It opposed the Royalists called the "Cavaliers" and the Parliamentarians called the "Roundheads". The June 1645 Battle of Naseby was a turning point and saw the Royalist forces weaken. The Parliamentarians won thanks in particular to the new model army created in 1644. In May 1646, the King and the Royalists surrendered.
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In November 1647, the King escaped from army custody and allied himself with the Scots. He promised to introduce Presbyterianism into England. In return, the Scottish army would invade England and restore him to power. It horrified Parliament and led to the Second Civil War. The Second Civil War was made of a series of revolts in the South of England, Wales and Scotland. The Royalists were easily defeated by Cromwell. It ended with the execution of Charles I.
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The Interregnum = between 2 reigns, between 2 Kings.
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In 1649 :
- A law abolished monarchy, described as “unnecessary, burdensome and dangerous”.
- The House of Lords was abolished.
- England was declared a Commonwealth, and ruled as a Republic. But it failed because of royalists threats in Ireland and Scotland, and the Rump Parliament increased repression of internal critics, and radical sects. So Cromwell dissolved it, and on 16 December 1653, the Protectorate started. -
Pride’s purge in December 1648 : Colonel Pride (Army) entered the House of Commons, stopped the vote and arrested the 45 conservative leader MPs. The remainder MPs named the Rump Parliament put the King on trial for high treason.
On 30 January 1649 King Charles I was executed. -
Lessons learned from the failure of the Commonwealth : problem with a single central authority. So the Protectorate would restore the principle of mixed government : Cromwell became Lord Protectorate, Parliaments of 460 MPs elected every 3 years, and there was a Council of State. In 1653, England had his first and only written constitution : "The Instrument of Government".
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Charles II issued the Declaration of Breda offering a general amnesty in return for the restoration of monarchy.
It worked ! King restored 29 May 1660. -
Charles II was born in 1630, he was the son of Charles I and Henrietta-Maria of France.
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All ministers had to swear to conform to the Book of Common Prayer, + Restoration of bishops to the House of Lords and to their place in the Church. -
The Great Plague of London struck the city of London and killed about 75,000 people, so about 20% of the population. -
The fire broke out in a Pudding Lane bakery. It burned down 13,200 houses, 87 parish churches, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the majority of the City’s public buildings. -
Rumour of a plot organised by the French to murder Charles II and replace him by his Catholic brother James II.
Fear : James as King would implement pro-Catholic politics + might try to restore absolute monarchy, and threatening Parliament. -
Parliament attempted to debar James II from the succession to the English throne, so it tried to modify the rules of succession, and the Divine Right of Kings. Charles dissolved the Parliament. James had supporters : the Tories, who supported the doctrine of hereditary rights, and opponents : the Whigs, who were discredited by a plot to kill Charles.
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James II was born in 1633, he was the son of Charles I and Henrietta-Maria of France. His son-in-law William of Orange and his daughter Mary seized his throne, he had to go into exile in France.
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In 1688, Parliament invited the King’s son in law to invade England, and seize the crown. He landed with an army of 15.000 men and met no resistance. James’ army disintegrated, officers deserted. James II fled to France and William became King William III, and his wife Mary II. They were joint rulers. The Revolution was glorious because :
- Shedding no blood. Dislodged the King from his throne and set up his daughter and her husband.
- Liberties of English subjects reinforced. -
Guillaume III was the son of Guillaume II of Orange and Mary, the daughter of Charles I. He reigned jointly with Mary the daughter of James II, until Mary’s death in 1694.
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The Bill of Rights limits the powers of the King. It :
- Lists King James’ misdeeds.
- Fixes limitations on the sovereign’s powers .
- Sets out the rights of Parliament.
- Set out basic civil rights.
- Is a key political text. -
The 1701 Act of Settlement :
- Settled the order of succession and ensured a Protestant succession, ignoring dozens of Catholic heirs.
Successor : Hanoverian descendants of James I.
- Put an end to the 16th and 17th quarrel between King and Parliament. A new balance of powers in favour of Parliament.
It had a key role in the formation of the Kingdom of Great Britain. -
Anne was born in 1665, she was the daughter of James II and Anne Hyde. From 1702 to 1707, she was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland. She became Queen of Great Britain and Ireland in 1707.
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Creation of the UK of Great Britain : England (and Wales) and Scotland.
Under Queen Anne, ratification of the Act of Union :
- A simple kingdom.
- Scotland lost its Parliament but gained 45 seats
in the House of Commons + 16 seats in the House of Lords.
- Scotland kept its Presbyterian church and own laws. -
Britain gained Acadia over the French.
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George I was born in 1660, he was the son of Ernest Augustus, Elector of Hanover, and Sophia of the Palatinate. His reign marked the beginning of the Georgian Era.
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The Jacobites were loyal to the Stuarts, they protested agaisnt the Hanoverian government. The 1715 Jacobite Rising led by the “Old Pretender” James Francis Edward Stuart (the son of James II).
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George II was born in 1683, he was the son of George I and Sophia Dorothea of Celle.
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The 1745 Jacobite Rising led by the “Young Pretender” Bonnie Prince Charlie (the grandson of James II). The Jacobites are defeated on 4 April 1746 at Culloden.
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Britain gained Florida over the Spanish and (most of) Canada over the French.
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George III was born in 1738, he was the son of Frederick, Prince of Wales and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, and the grandson of George II.
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The Thirteen American Colonies declared their sovereignty regarding the UK. Grievances against George III. During 1775 and 1783, there was the American Revolutionary War. In 1783, Britain formally recognized the independence of the USA, with the Treaty of Paris. -
By 1783, Britain had established an empire which comprised of :- Colonies in North America including the West Indies, and the Pacific including New Zealand (which became a British Colony following an expedition by James Cook in 1769).
- Trading posts in India.
- Naval bases in the Mediterranean - Gibraltar and Minorca.
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Plantations under Elizabeth and James I. Conquest under Cromwell and William III.
→ By 1700, Ireland essentially a colony / a client state of Britain. Irish Rebellion of 1798 :
- An uprising against British rule in Ireland.
- Influenced by the ideas of the American and French revolutions.
- Presbyterian radicals + Catholics.
- Rebels defeated (atrocities). -
Creation of the UK of Great Britain and Ireland.