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Henry VIII, son of the first Tudor's King is known for his 6 wives, his Great's Matter and his Henrician Reformation. He is certainly one of the most famous and emblematic English Kings.
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After his divorce and his excommunication, the King’s Great Matter had led England to break from the Roman Catholic Church. Henry VIII became the "Supreme Head of the Church of England".
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1536-1541 :
Henry decided that the monasteries were bastions of “popery”. Therefore, they were disbanded and the valuables were confiscated and melted down. -
1536-1537:
The dissolution process was interrupted by rebellions in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. The insurgents were against the reformation and the dissolution of monasteries. They also demanded the restoration of the Pope and of Mary Tudor to the Royal Succession. And Economic grievances were at the centre of the rebellions. The repression was brutal. -
Son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, he was only 9 when his father died. Considering that, Edward Seymour the new King's eldest uncle, became Lord Protector. Throughout his reign, England was pushed towards Protestantism.
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Edward being a devoted protestant, it led to the revision of the mass-book. Hence, Roman Catholic practices were eradicated and the marriage of clergy was allowed. -
Daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, she is the first queen regnant. Married to the catholic king Philip II of Spain, she restored Catholicism in 18 months.
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1555-1558: Under Mary’s reign, over 200 Protestants went to the stake. Indeed, Protestantism was confined to secrecy as heretics. Protestants were forced to leave the country and fled to the continent : they were the “Marian exiles”. -
Daughter of the unloved Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth as a queen needed to prove her legitimacy and to appease 25 years of religious tensions . At the end of her reign, with the body of a weak woman and the stomach of a king, the Elizabethan era is considered as the Golden Age for England.
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1559-1563:
To appease religious tensions and find a Middle Way, a new legislation passed. The Act of Supremacy (1559) abolished the church organization and restored the queen's authority over the Church. She became “supreme governor of the Church of England”.
There is also, The Act of Uniformity (1559) and The 39 articles of faith (1563-1571) -
Because of her moderate religious settlement, the Pope issued the papal bull “Regnans in Excelsis” where he called Elizabeth “The so-called queen” -
This act marked officially the catholic repression. It provided the death penalty for any person converting, or already converted to Catholicism and forbade the participation or celebration to the Catholic Mass. 163 persons were killed during the repression in 26 years.
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After month of hesitation but especially after the Babington Plot (1586), Elizabeth finally decided to execute her cousine. -
Because of the participation of king Philip II to the numerous catholic plot against her, Elizabeth decides to repost by supporting the Dutch revolt against Spain. As a result, the King of Spain attempted to invade England. Nevertheless, the material (new fleet) and human advantage and the Dutch's strategy were enough to make England victorious. -
From 1553 to 1601, poor's law were passed. It established the idea that central and local governments had a responsibility for helping the poor. But it starts the distinction between the “deserving poor” and the “undeserving poor”. And very harsh laws against beggars and vagrants.
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Son of Mary Queen of Scots, James was already proclaimed King of Scotland in 1567. Nevertheless, he was crowned King of England in 1603 after Elizabeth’s death. Strong believer in the divine rights of kings, his reign announced the beginning of an important crisis.
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It's a conspiracy devised by a small group of Catholics to blow up Parliament and kill James I. Indeed, high hopes were placed on James to restore catholicism. Nevertheless, he continued Elizabeth’s harsh repressive laws. -
The first English colonies were formed in North America. It's the establishment of Jamestown in Virginia. -
Starting as a battle between the Catholic and Protestant in Europe, it remains one of the longest and most brutal wars with 8 millions victim. James I decided to intervene to help his daughter and his son in law the Elector Palatine but also to ensure England as a protestant power.
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The colonization of the Caribbean marked the enslavement of millions of West Africans to work on farms and sugar plantations. -
His reign has allowed this emerging crisis to develop rapidly. Indeed, he was married to the absolutist and catholic French princess Henrietta Maria and firmly believed in the divine right of kings. In addition, he favoured a minority wing of Anglicans: the Arminians and fought throughout his reign against the Parliament and his own people.
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MPs’ complaints. Indeed, they requested the King to recognise the illegality of extra-parliamentary taxation, billeting, martial law, imprisonment without trial, in addition to admit that there were limits to his powers
Charles reluctantly signed it but was furious. Later, he suspended parliament seating. -
1629-1640 : The Three Resolutions is seen as an act of open defiance.Charles imprisoned these MPs and dissolved parliament. Indeed, he would now rule without parliaments -
Made by the MP's, it declares 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. Same for anyone advising the King to collect custom duties without Parliament’s consent.
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1637-1640
The introduction of the New Prayer Book (Book of Common Prayer) in the Presbyterian Scotland was unacceptable. It led to the beginning of a riot, would soon turn into a widespread rebellion known as the Bishop Wars. After their successful invasion in England, the Treaty of Ripon (1640) was signed to appease tensions and Charles was forced to pay the coast of the Scot's army. -
With the plantation policy of James I, English and Scottish protestant colonists were send in Ireland to take the lands of Irish Catholics. However, in October 1641, Irish Catholics rebels rose up against Protestant settlers. It led to the massacre of 3 000/4 0000 protestants
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It's an important document voted by Parliament which 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
This text divided the parliament in two part : The Royalist and The Parliamentarians. -
After an attempt to arrest 5 Members of Parliament (in juanary). On August 1642, Charles formally declared war on Parliament.
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1643-1646 It's the confrontation between the Royalists (who support the king) and the parliamentarians. In many cases, the Parliamentarians were superior (with the new model army, the alliance with Scotland, the finance). Consequently, in May 1646 the King and the Royalists surrendered. However it cost the lives of 190 000 Englishmen. -
1648-1649 The King escaped from army custody and allied himself with the Scots. The Parliament were chocked and it's the beginning of the Second Civil War. Made of a series of revolts in the South of England, Wales and Scotland, the Royalists were again easily defeated by Cromwell. -
The remainder MPs (the Rump Parliament) put the King on trial for high treason. He was condemned to the death penalty. -
It's a period when normal government is suspended, especially between successive reigns or regimes.
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England declared a “Commonwealth” . It means that the country is only governed by its people. Oliver Cromwell, a well known mp's is now Lord Protector and ruled the army.
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England’s first and only written constitution -
The protectorate was similar to a military dictatorship (a monarchy without a King). When Cromwell died in 1658 it's his son Richard who succeed and became Lord Protector.
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Richard resigned to his role after only 6 months. In addition people longed for a return to order (7 government in less than a year). Therefore, Charles II issued the Declaration of Breda where he promised: a general amnesty, to continue religious toleration and to share power with Parliament. -
Surname the Merry king, he tried to pursue a policy of religious tolerance.
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1660-1665
This is a series of repressive laws passed during the first 5 years of Restoration. It was repressive towards non conformists and dissenters. The Five Miles Act and The act of uniformity in 1662 were established. In addition to the an oath of non resistance to the King and the restoration of bishops to the House of Lords and to their place in the Church. -
The disease was bring by rats, who carried the fleas that caused the plague. They were attracted by rubbish and waste especially in the poorest areas. Over 100,000 people die from plague in London. -
The Great Fire of London destroyed the homes of 70,000 out of the 80,000 inhabitants of the city. Nevertheless, it helped to stop the outbreak of plague. -
It's a rumour of a plot organised by the French to murder Charles II and replace him by his Catholic brother James II -
1679-1681
Parliament attempted to debar James II from the succession to the English throne. See as a try to modify the rules of succession and the Divine Right of Kings. Charles decided to dissolve he Parliament. -
Son of Charles II, his reign was symbol of preoccupation from its people about a possible Catholic restoration. Indeed, they feared that this return would became similar to the French and Catholic King Louis XIV and his absolute monarchy.
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To avoid the threat of a new catholic king to the throne (the son of James and his second wife), Parliament invited the King’s son in law (William of Orange) to invade England and seize the crown. He landed with an army of 15 000 soldier and met no resistance -
Both protestant, after the successful Glorious Revolution, they reduced the threat of a new catholic sovereign.
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It's a text imposed to the monarchs which lists King James’ misdeeds, fixed limitations on the sovereign’s power, set out the rights of Parliament and basic civil rights. -
Because King William III and Mary II had no surviving children and all the potential Stuart successors were Catholic the act settled the order of succession and ensured a Protestant succession, ignoring the other Catholic heirs.
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Its the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain: England and Scotland -
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1775-1784
It's a turning point in British history, as the nation lost a huge part of its Empire -
Important act taken by all 13 American colonies in declaring Independence from British. It expressed numerous grievances against George III
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Peace Treaty where Britain formally recognized the independence of the United States -
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1793-1802
Britain at war with France. They combatting for revolutionary ideology and maritime, colonial and economic motives. -
Ireland decided to revolt against the numerous English plantations in its land under Elizabeth and James I. But also to regain its power as a country and not a colony because of Crowmwell's and William's III conquest. -
It's the Creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain (England and Scotland) and Ireland after the Irish rebellion. Indeed, it merged the Parliament of Ireland into the Parliament of the UK