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Period: 1509 to 1547
Henry VIII's Reign
Henry VIII is one of the most famous English Kings. Indeed, we can wonder why. Actually, he is the emblematic historic figure that established the Church of England with the Protestant Reformation. Although the Tudor King was a devout catholic in the early years of his reign, his will to annul his marriage with Catherine of Aragon led him to break away from Pope's authority, Pope that excommunicated him. He had six wives and three children, Edward, Mary, and Elizabeth that reigned after him. -
1517
Martin Luther writes "the Ninety-Five Theses"
Mathin Luther was a German monk and a professor of theology who denounced the corruption of the sale of indulgences in the Church. He protested it by writing the famous critique that is a synonym for the start of the European Reformation " the Ninety-Five Theses" which he nailed to the door of the University in Wittenberg. He was excommunicated in 1521 but fortunately thanks to the invention of the printing press, his text spread through Europe becoming the first modern media event. -
1529
The Tyndale Bible
William Tyndale published the Tyndale Bible in 1529 which is the New Testament translated into English. Indeed, Protestantism emphasizes a direct and individual relationship with God which is why Protestant reformers wanted to translate the Bible into vernacular, for an understanding of the sacred texts for believers. -
1534
The Act of Supremacy under the reign of Henry VIII
The Act of Supremacy is when the schism between the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England happened, caused by the King's Great Matter. Even though Henry VIII did not support most protestant ideas, it was mostly a political move. Through this Act of Supremacy, the King was made “Supreme Head of the Church of England", going against the authority of the Pope with a Protestant reform. -
Period: 1534 to
Early Modern Period
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Period: 1536 to 1541
Dissolution of the monasteries
King Henry VIII decided that the monasteries were bastions of “popery” and as a consequence disbanded them between 1536 and 1541. It was a kind of nationalization that had a huge impact on nuns and monks, on the social fabric of communities, and on the clergy’s finances. -
1537
English Bible
Permission was given for an English Bible and not a Latin one in 1537 which became mandatory in every church, under the reign of Henry VIII going progressively towards Protestant ideals. -
Period: 1542 to
Mary Queen of Scots' Reign
Daughter of King James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise, Mary Stuart was raised in France as a Catholic and was the widow of the French King Francis II. She had to run away to England due to a civil war in Scotland which led her to be kept under close watch there, as a prisoner for 19 years. Indeed, she was the cousin and therefore the legitimate heir of Elizabeth, she was a Catholic and close to Spain and France which represented a danger for the English Kingdom. -
Period: 1547 to 1553
Edward VI's Reign
Son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward VI, a protestant himself, followed the path of his father with a series of measures that pushed England towards Protestantism. Among these measures, we can find the publication of the Book of Common Prayers and its imposition that caused rebellions, the eradication of Roman Catholic practices, and the permission of marriage for the clergy. Sadly, he died at the age of 15 leaving the country bankrupt. -
1549
Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer published in 1549 due to the revision of the mass book under the reign of Edward VI, caused rebellions in Cornwall and Devon. -
1553
The Poor Laws
These Poor Laws set under the reign of Elizabeth I established the idea that central and local governments had a responsibility for helping the poor but also made a distinction between the “deserving poor” and the “undeserving poor” with very harsh laws against beggars and vagrants. -
Period: 1553 to 1558
Mary I's reign
Daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, Mary Tudor, wife of Phillip II of Spain, became the first Queen of England succeeding Edward VI. She is known for the Catholic restoration. Indeed, unlike her father and half-brother, she revoked their Protestant legislation and restored Catholicism in 18 months. However, Mary I is mostly famous for her nickname "Bloody Mary" because of the executions that she committed. -
Period: 1555 to 1558
Executions of protestants under the reign of "Bloody Mary"
In fact, Mary I is mostly famous for her nickname "Bloody Mary" which was assigned to her in reason of the period between 1555 and 1558, when over 200 protestants were burned alive at the stake, considered heretics. A lot of protestants left the country and ran away, they were the "Marian exiles" -
Period: 1558 to
Elizabeth I's reign
Daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I was a protestant who stayed unmarried for 45 years during her reign, which was associated with the Golden Age that was idealized a lot. The Virgin Queen had to appease religious tensions after 25 years of religious change. She found a Middle way, a compromise which was the Anglican Church, retaining Catholic features with new Protestant ones. The treatment of her gender did not facilitate her reign but she still managed to impose Protestantism. -
1559
The Act of Uniformity
The Act of Uniformity is one of the new legislations under the reign of Elizabeth I. It is an Act centered around religious belief requiring every parish to use the Book of Common Prayer and fine people who did not attend an Anglican service. -
1559
The Act of Supremacy under the reign of Elizabeth I
The Act of Supremacy replaced the first and original Act under the reign of her father. As a consequence, this legislation is the same as the legislation of Henry VIII. We can find again the abolition of the Pope's authority, the authority of the Queen over the Church restored, and finally the title of "Supreme Governor of the Church of England" for Elizabeth I. -
1559
Speech of Elizabeth I about her marriage with England
In this speech, the Queen stated that she was “married to the
The Kingdom of England”, her subjects being “all my
husbands, my good people”. And then, a more maternal relationship: “mother of all the subjects”, “mother of the Church of England”. -
Period: 1559 to 1561
Love affair of Elizabeth I with Robert Dudley
During this period of time, Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley, 1rst earl of Leicester were courting each other which displeased William Cecil, a secretary of the Queen, who spread a rumor about her suitor wanting to poison his wife. This accusation caused a huge scandal which led to an impossible marriage and participated in the dark legend among Catholics of the "Whore Queen". -
Period: 1560 to 1571
The 39 articles of Faith
This legislation by Elizabeth I is still in use today. It is a doctrine including three important changes: a new ecclesiology, a new doctrine of Salvation, and a new definition of sacraments and of the mass. -
1563
House of Lords begged the Queen to marry “whomever you want, wherever you want”
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Period: 1567 to
James I's reign
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1570
Papal bull
Pope Pius V's hostility towards Elizabeth I's religious settlement was growing and therefore in 1570 excommunicated her through the papal bull “Regnans in Excelsis” which is a text where he instructed English Catholics not to attend Anglican Church services, encouraged people to kill her as it would not be seen as a crime, a sin. He belittled her as well in this text. -
1571
Treasons Act
In response to the Papal bull, was installed the Treasons Act which considered treason for anyone to say that Elizabeth I was not the true Queen of England and Wales. -
Period: 1577 to
Repression of Catholics under Elizabeth I
From 1577 to 1603, 163 persons were killed because of the 1581 Act (“Act to retain the Queen’s Majesty’s Subjects in their due Obedience”) stating the death penalty for any person converting or already converted to Catholicism, the prohibition of participating or celebrating the Catholic Mass and the £20 per month fine because the Anglican services were compulsory. -
Babington Plot
The plot of young Catholics that wanted to kill Elizabeth I to replace her with Mary Stuart because she was Catholic, was discovered by Francis Walsingham, who deciphered a coded letter between Marie Stuart and this group, more especially with Anthony Babington. -
The execution of Mary Queen of Scots
Mary Queen of Scots was executed in Fotheringham Castle wearing a bright red dress which represents the colour of Catholic martyrs. She was convicted for complicity and sentenced to death. -
The Defeat of the Spanish Armada
Philip II, the Catholic King of Spain supported several plots against Elizabeth, and as revenge, she supported the Dutch Revolt against Spain, also to support the cause of Protestantism. As a consequence, Philip II tried to invade England which was a defeat due to material and human advantages for England such as strategy, new fleets, and sailors. This victory reinforced the legitimacy of Elizabeth I and reaffirmed the national cohesion. The Queen thought this victory was a Divine protection. -
Speech to the troops at Tilbury
Elizabeth I made this speech in Tilbury, Essex to rally the troops who were preparing to repel the invasion of the Spanish Armada. In this speech, like in her first speech in 1558, she uses the two bodies theory in which she separates her natural body of a "weak woman" from her political body which emphasizes authority, divinity, and immortality: “I know I have the body of a weak woman but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and a King of England too”. -
The Poor Laws
These Poor Laws set under the reign of Elizabeth I established the idea that central and local governments had a responsibility for helping the poor but also made a distinction between the “deserving poor” and the “undeserving poor” with very harsh laws against beggars and vagrants. -
The Poor Laws
These Poor Laws set under the reign of Elizabeth I established the idea that central and local governments had a responsibility for helping the poor but also made a distinction between the “deserving poor” and the “undeserving poor” with very harsh laws against beggars and vagrants. -
Gunpowder Plot
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Virginia became the 1st permanent English settlement in North America
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The Thirty Years War
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Charles I's reign
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Petition of Rights
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"The Three Resolutions" by the Parliament
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The Personal Rule
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The Scottish crisis
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The Grand Remonstrance
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First Civil War
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Second Civil War