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1509
Beginning of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon's marriage
She was initially married to Henry's older brother, Arthur, but he died in 1502.
Catherine then married Henry VIII in 1509, shortly after he became king.
Daughter of Ferdinand II of Aragon (Spanish) and Isabella I of Castile, she was promised to the English Crown to form an alliance against France being a potential threat at the time. -
Period: 1509 to 1547
Henry VIII's Reign
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Oct 31, 1517
Martin Luther's 'Ninety-five Theses'
Martin Luther was a German monk who challenged Church authorities with his 'Ninety-five Theses'. He was a major Protestant reformer and theologian.
With his writing, he challenged in particular the use of indulgences, rejected the existence of purgatory
believed that Salvation is through Faith Alone (Sola Fide) and also wanted the Bible to be accessible for everyone. (translated) -
1521
Assertio septem sacramentorum adversus Martinum Lutherum (“Declaration of the Seven Sacraments Against Martin Luther”)
Henry VIII wrote “Declaration of the Seven Sacraments Against Martin Luther” in response to Luther's text 'Ninety-five Theses', defending Catholicism.
Consequently, the Pope Leo X named him Fidei Defensor (Defensor of the Faith) -
1526
William Tyndale's translated 'New Testament'
William Tyndale translated 'The New Testament' (first full printed edition in English), had it printed and put in circulation in Europe (more or less illegally) -
1532
Thomas Cranmer allows the annulment of Henry VIII and Catherine’s marriage.
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1533
Act in Restraint of Appeals
The act was passed as part of Henry VIII's effort to secure an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, which the Pope had refused to grant.
The Act declared that England was an independent sovereign state, and no appeals could be made to the Pope or any foreign authority in matters of religion, marriage, or divorce. -
1533
Henry VIII marries Anne Boleyn
Henry VIII succeeded in marrying Anne, shortly after the annulment of his marriage with Catherine. -
1534
Treasons Act
With this Act, conspiring to alter the succession to the throne, speaking or writing against the king or the Church of England, and especially not acknowledging him as the Supreme Head of the Church of England, is now considered as a treason, leading to death penalty. -
1534
Act of Supremacy
The King becomes the supreme head of the Church in England, officially opposing the Pope and breaking with Rome. -
Period: 1534 to
Early Modern England
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1536
'Institutes of the Christian Religion', first publication
Written by the French theologian John Calvin, it was first published in Latin in 1536.
Calvin's writing highly influenced the system of doctrine adopted by the Reformed churches and his ideas were referred to as 'Calvinism'. -
1536
Injunctions of 1536
The Injunctions of 1536 were a set of orders issued by King Henry VIII that aimed to further enforce the changes brought about by the English Reformation -
1536
Ten Articles
The articles were created to establish a foundation for the Church of England's beliefs and practices as it distanced itself from Roman Catholicism. -
1536
The Pilgrimage of Grace
The Pilgrimage of Grace was a rebellion against changes in religion (among other things)
. The demands of the rebels formulated in the 'Pontefract Articles' (1536) their main concerns were enclosure and poverty, they wanted the parliament in the North , and catholic ways of worship along with bringing back papal authority and monasteries.
Their Leader was Robert Aske.
There were some successes at the beginning, but Robert Aske was executed and rebels were crushed by the army -
1536
Act of Union between England and Wales
The Act of Union of 1536 stipulates that Wales is now included in the Kingdom of England. -
Period: 1536 to 1541
The Dissolution of the Monasteries
Monasteries being dissolved, and their lands confiscated and sold.
The reason was that they were corrupted and under papal authority, but the actual one was about money and political power. -
May 19, 1536
Execution of Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn was executed on charges of treason, adultery, and incest. -
May 30, 1536
Henry marries Jane Seymour
Henry VIII marries Jane Seymour, 11 days after Anne's execution -
1537
Jane's death
Jane died shortly after giving birth to Edward, the future king of England. -
1538
Injunctions of 1538
The Injunctions of 1538 were a further set of orders issued by King Henry VIII that built upon the earlier Injunctions of 1536. -
1539
Six Articles
Articles reinserting more catholic orthodoxy within the Church of England. -
1539
The Great Bible
The first legally translated English Bible, it was intended to make the scriptures more accessible to the general population, aligning with the Protestant principle of individuals being able to read the Bible in their native language. -
1540
Henry marries Catherine Howard
Catherine was a young cousin of Anne Boleyn and a lady-in-waiting to Anne of Cleves. -
1540
Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves' marriage
They were married from January to July 1540.
She was a German princess, and the marriage was arranged as a political alliance, to strengthen ties with Protestant states in Germany.
They divorced, as (supposedly) Henry VIII was displeased with her appearance. -
1542
Execution of Catherine Howard
She was accused of having affairs, and was executed. -
1543
Henry VIII marries Catherine Parr
Henry's last wife and a protestant.
She outlived him and she remarried to Thomas Seymour shortly after. She died in 1548 after childbirth complications. -
1543
Third Succession Act
This Act addressed the line of succession to the English throne, and reinstated Henry VIII's daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, in the order of succession. (Since their mothers' marriages where annuled, they were considered illigitimate not eligible to the throne) -
Period: 1543 to 1551
The Rough Wooing
The Rough Wooing is a war between Scotland and England, started by England.
The aim was to break the Alliance between France and Scotland, and force the marriage between the infant queen Mary, and Henry VIII's heir, Edward. -
Period: 1547 to 1553
Edward VI's Reign
Edward VI was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour. He became king at just nine years old, and his reign was dominated by regents, as he was too young to rule independently.
Edward continued his father's Protestant reforms, but he died young at the age of 15 from tuberculosis. -
Jan 15, 1549
The Book of Common Prayer
The 1549 Book of Common Prayer was the first liturgical book written in english.
Written by Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury at that time.
It provided worship services in English and simplified religious practices.
Even if the ideas are mostly protestant, there is still services maintaining the traditional forms and sacramental language inherited from medieval Catholic liturgies.
It was criticised by a community of more radical Protestant. -
1552
The 1552 Book of Common Prayer
The 1552 Book of Common Prayer was the second version of the Book of Common Prayer contained the official liturgy of the Church of England from November 1552 until July 1553.
It was revised, due to discontented Protestants, to be explicitly Reformed in its theology. -
1553
Lady Jane Grey, the "Nine Days' Queen"
She was the great-granddaughter of Henry VII and a cousin of Edward VI.
When Edward VI was dying, he wanted to prevent his Catholic half-sister Mary from inheriting the throne. His advisors convinced him to name Jane, a Protestant, as his successor, and he did with the "Devise for the Succession"
Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed queen on July 10, 1553, shortly after Edward’s death.
However due to the people's support, Jane was deposed, and Mary declared queen. Jane was executed shortly after. -
1553
The Forty-two Articles
The Forty-two Articles were the official doctrinal statement of the Church of England, written by Thomas Cranmer -
Period: 1553 to 1554
Restoration of Catholicism
Mary I worked to reverse the Protestant reforms of her predecessors by restoring Catholicism. She repealed much of the religious legislation passed under Edward VI. -
Period: 1553 to 1558
Mary I's Reign
Mary I, was the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.
She was Catholic and she sought to reverse the Protestant reforms of her father and brother, leading to the persecution and execution of many Protestants. Her efforts earned her the infamous nickname 'Bloody Mary' -
Jul 27, 1554
Mary I's Marriage to Philip of Spain
Mary married Philip II of Spain in an effort to strengthen her ties to Catholic Europe. The marriage was deeply unpopular in England due to fears of Spanish influence. -
Period: 1555 to 1558
Heresy Executions
Mary earned the nickname "Bloody Mary" for her persecution of Protestants. About 280 religious dissenters were burned at the stake for heresy during her reign. -
Period: 1558 to
Elizabeth I's Reign
Elizabeth I was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.
The key challenges of her reign reign were :
- Re-establishing the Reformation
- Calm religious tensions and conflicts by trying to find a compromise.
- Stabilising the country (on a political level)
- Repositioning England in European international relations (Spanish Armada 1588)
She was the las monarch of the Tudor dynasty. -
1559
Book of Common Prayer (1559)
Also called the Elizabethan prayer book, it is the third edition of the Book of Common Prayer and the text that served as an official liturgical book of the Church of England throughout the Elizabethan era. -
Period: 1559 to 1563
Elizabethan Settlement
A series of laws and policies implemented by Queen Elizabeth I between 1559 and 1563 to establish a stable religious order in England following years of religious conflict. It aimed to strike a middle ground between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. -
Feb 1, 1559
1559 Act of Supremacy
The act revived the preceding which Mary I had revoked, confirming Elizabeth I as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. -
Mar 1, 1559
The Act of Uniformity
The Act of Uniformity was part of the larger Elizabethan Religious Settlement, which sought to create a moderate form of Protestantism. This settlement carefully navigated between more radical Puritan factions who wanted further reform and Catholic sympathizers who wanted the return of old practices.
It's goal was to enforce religious uniformity by making attendance at Church of England services mandatory and standardizing the use of the Book of Common Prayer across all parishes. -
1562
English participation in the slave trade (from 1562)
1562 marks the beginning of the english participation in the slave trade. -
1563
The Thirty-nine Articles
A defining statement of doctrine for the Church of England, as part of the effort to define its theological identity. -
Jul 29, 1567
James VI crowned King of Scotland, abdication of Mary, Queen of Scots
James VI is crowned king of Scotland at one year old,
to replace his unpopular mother, Mary. -
Feb 25, 1570
Regnans in Excelsis
A document written by Pope Pius V, declaring Elizabeth I a heretic and officially cutting her off from the Catholic Church. -
1581
James VI's Assumed Personal Rule in Scotland
James VI starts to rule without regents -
Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots, is executed for plotting against the Queen. -
Africa Company
The Africa Company was founded in 1588. It was created as part of a broader strategy to expand English trade and influence in Africa and to establish a presence against Portuguese and Spanish dominance in the region. -
Defeat of the Spanish Armada
England defeats Spain in a naval battle.
Spain's aim was to overthrow Elizabeth I, considered as an illegitimate ruler.
It secured England from Spanish invasion and boosted Elizabeth’s popularity. -
Period: to
The Nine Years' War, or Tyrone’s Rebellion
It was a war against plantations (implanting English nobles in Ireland, expropriating Irish landowners), mainly led by Hugh O'Neill of Tyrone.
It ended with the defeat of Ireland and its subjugation -
The East India Company's foundation
The English East India Company (EIC) was a powerful British trading corporation, founded in 1600, under a royal charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I. -
Period: to
James VI and I
James VI of Scotland became James I of England after the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, he was the first King to rule over the entire island. It was a shift, but the two countries weren’t unified yet -
Period: to
First Parliament of James I
The Parliament during the reign of James I of England. It was characterized by conflict over the balance of power between the monarchy and Parliament, religious divisions, and financial instability. James’s belief in the divine right of kings clashed with Parliament’s increasing desire to assert its privileges and authority, particularly in areas related to taxation and governance. -
The Gunpowder Plot
A failed assassination attempt by a group of English Catholics, including Guy Fawkes, who sought to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill James I. The plot was thwarted, and it led to increased repression of Catholics. -
Period: to
Attempted Union of England and Scotland
James attempted to create a political union between England and Scotland, but it was rejected by both the English and Scottish parliaments. -
Establishment of Jamestown
England’s first permanent colony in North America, Jamestown, was founded in what is now Virginia. -
Period: to
James VI & I rules without Parliament
Ruling without the Parliament was okay because England was at peace at that time.
However, tensions reappeared stronger by the end of his reign. -
King James Bible
Published in 1611 under the sponsorship of King James I of England (James VI of Scotland). It remains one of the most influential and widely read English translations of the Bible. The translation was commissioned in response to religious and political tensions in England and was intended to create a unified, authoritative version of the Bible for use in Anglican worship. -
Period: to
Charles I's reign
The son of James I, Charles I continued to assert the divine right of kings, leading to conflicts with Parliament.
His attempt to impose Anglican practices in Scotland led to the Bishop's Wars (1639–1640), escalating tensions between royal authority and parliamentary power.
The English Civil War (1642–1651) broke out during his reign, resulting in his eventual capture and trial. He was executed in January 1649, marking a significant turning point in British history. -
Petition of Right
Key elements in the Petition, against the ”illegal” rule of the King :
No taxation without consent of Parliament – According to Magna Carta (1215 - chart of rights), no imprisonment of non-payers if not validated by Parliament -
Period: to
Eleven Years of Tyranny
Period during which James I ruled without consulting the Parliament for anything, exercing his power as an absolute monarch. -
1637 – Book of Common Prayer (for the Kirk)
Charles I & William Laud (Arch. of Canterbury in 1633) wanted to reform the Kirk (Church of Scotland) to Arminianism, notably by publishing the Book of Common Prayer (for the Kirk) and trying to impose it to Scotland. -
The Covenant
A document written by Scottish presbytarians for the King in response to his reforms and attemps to impose Arminian-style worship in the Kirk.
They wanted to swear allegiance to the King, but still wanted their religion and way of worship to be the same.
The document isn’t an act of rebellion but an attempt to start negotiations.
However, the King refused, and became more radical in his reforms, leading to the Bishops' Wars. -
Period: to
The Bishops’ Wars
Wars between the Scottish forces (well-trained) and the King’s army (underfunded).
The wars centered around Charles’s attempts to impose Arminian-style religious reforms on the Scottish Church, which was Presbyterian in nature. -
Period: to
"Short Parliament"
The "Short Parliament" was a brief session of the English Parliament that lasted from April to May, 1640. It was convened by King Charles I to address his urgent need for funds to finance his military campaign against Scotland during the Bishops' Wars.
However, the Parliament refused to grant money to the King.
Frustrated, Charles I dissolved it after just three weeks. -
Period: to
"Long Parliament"
The Parliament succeeding the 'Short Parliament'.
Its members tried to restore a balance of power between the Parliament and the Crown.
It was not really a success since Charles I was not willing to make concessions -
The Irish Rebellion of 1641
The Irish Rebellion of 1641 was a major uprising that took place in Ireland, primarily driven by Irish Catholics (both the Old English elite and Irish Gaelic populations) against the English Protestant settlers and the rule of the English crown. -
Period: to
Breakdown of relations between Charles and Parliament
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Grand Remonstrance
List of grievances by the parliament, presented to the King, who ignored it. -
The Community of Safety
The Committee of Safety was a Parliamentary executive body formed to manage the war against King Charles I. It coordinated military strategy, raised armies, and ensured supplies during the English Civil War. Over time, it evolved and played a vital role in maintaining the Parliamentarian war effort, ultimately contributing to their victory in the civil wars. They took over london and make the king flee. -
Charles I's attempt to arrest five members of Parliament
In January 1642, tensions escalated further when Charles attempted to arrest five members of Parliament (all puritans). -
Raising of the King's royal standard
Charles I raised his royal standard in Nottingham on August 22, 1642, declaring war to the Parliament. -
Period: to
English Civil War(s)
The English Civil War(s) was a series of armed conflicts and political struggles between Royalists (also known as Cavaliers), who supported King Charles I, and Parliamentarians (also called Roundheads), who sought greater power for Parliament and limits on the king’s authority. -
Solemn League and Covenant (1643)
The Solemn League and Covenant was an agreement between the Scottish Covenanters and the leaders of the English Parliamentarians in 1643 during the First English Civil War. -
New Model Army
The New Model Army was created in 1645 during the English Civil War by the Parliamentarians (also known as the Roundheads) as a professional, centralized, and ideologically committed military force. -
The King surrenders to the Scots
Charles I surrendered to the Scots in 1646 because he believed they offered the best chance for negotiation and the preservation of his monarchy, especially compared to the more radical English Parliamentarians and New Model Army. -
Putney Debates
The Putney Debates were a series of discussions over the political settlement that should follow Parliament's victory over Charles I in the First English Civil War. The main participants were senior officers of the New Model Army who favoured retaining Charles within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, and radicals who sought more sweeping changes. -
The Engagement
Secret agreement between Charles and some Scottish lords.
Charles I agreed to establish Presbyterianism as the official religion in England for a trial period of three years. In exchange, the Scottish Lords promised to support Charles I’s restoration to power and maintain the monarchy. They pledged to raise an army to help him regain control from the Parliamentarians. -
Second Civil War
(Feb-Aug 1648)
The Second English Civil War was triggered by King Charles I's refusal to accept defeat after the First Civil War and his secret deal with the Scottish Covenanters (the "Engagement"). In exchange for military support, Charles promised to establish Presbyterianism in England, leading the Scots to invade.
However, the Scottish Engager army was defeated by the New Modern Army. -
The Parliament decides to settle with Charles I
On the 5th of december 1648, the Parliament decided that a settlement had to be found with Charles I.
A vote took place. -
Pride’s Purge
The Pride's Purge refers to the removal of MPs from Parliament on December 6th, 1648, who voted for a settlement with King Charles I.
It was orchestrated by Colonel Thomas Pride, and led to the New Model Army developping its political power.
Afterwards, the vote of the 5th of december was considered null. New ideas of settlement were proposed to Charles I, but he refused them all, and ended up in trial -
Abolition of the Monarchy and the House of Lords
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Charles I's execution
Charles I is executed after refusing to plead for his case on trial. -
Act of Union with Scotland
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Act of Union with Ireland