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Henry VIII is remembered for his complicated relationships with his 6 wives (with 2 of them executed) and most importantly because his desire to divorce with Catherine of Aragon (which is the reason why schism happened with Rome).
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The German monk, Martin Luther, wrote the famous text entitled "The Ninety-Five Theses". This text marks the start of the European Reformation. It denounced the Indulgences and abuses that the Catholic Church were doing. -
William Tyndall translated the New Testament into English and it was published in England. -
Henry VIII wanted an annul his wedding with Catherine of Aragon for three reasons : 1) His wife’s failure to bear a son (only one surviving daughter: Mary Tudor)
2) Her support of the Habsburgs, when Henry wanted an alliance with France
3) He was in love with Anne Boleyn However the Pope rejected his petition. -
This marriage was followed by a legislation entitled "act of succession" that required his subjects to accept the King's marriage to his second wife, Anne Boleyn, as 'undoubted, true, sincere and perfect'. Henry's annulment from his first wife, Catherine, had forced his break with the Roman Catholic Church. -
This period was a dramatic and tumultuous chapter in the history of the British Isles.
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At this point, the Anglican Church was now created.
Since this act was established, kings was made "Supreme Head of the Church of England" (this is also when the schism happened). Therefore, Henry VIII was made "Supreme Head of the Church of England". -
Henry VIII gave his permission for the establishment of an English Bible and not a Latin one. It soon became mandatory in every church. -
This Council was held in the Italian city of Trent (symbol of Counter Reformation).
The Roman Catholic church attempted to correct some of the abuses of the church and harshly condemned protestant heresies. The Pope’s hostility to the Elizabethan religious settlement was growing and he instructed English Catholics not to attend Anglican church services. -
During his reign, Edward VI continued the religious trajectory that his dad began. He reinforced the protestantism and introduced the Book of Common Prayer.
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This book was introduced under Edward VI's reign and it eradicated Roman Catholic practices, marriage of clergy were now allowed, the Prayer Book was imposed consequently it led to rebellions in Cornwall and Devon. -
Mary I was the first Queen of England. Since her mother Catherine of Aragon was a Catholic, she decided to repeal the previous legislation.
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Her attempt to restore Catholicism led to a mass of persecution of protestants. Over 200 Protestants went to the stake (were burnt alive). Protestants were forced to leave the country and fled to the Continent : they were the “Marian exiles”.
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Elizabeth I stabilized the Church of England with a lasting "religious settlement," expanded England's influence abroad, and ruled for 45 years without marrying, reinforcing England's independence. Her reign is often seen as a Golden Age for the country.
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- The Act of Uniformity established that every parish had to use the Book of Common Prayer and people who did not attend an Anglican service were fined.
- The Act of Supremacy abolished the authority of the Pope, restored the authority of the Queen over the Church and Elizabeth I became “Supreme Governor of the Church of England”.
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It stated the doctrine of the Church and three important changes :
- A new ecclesiology
- A new doctrine of Salvation
- A new definition of sacraments and of the mass
still in use today -
This Rebellion, led by the Catholics, was against religious reforms. It attempted to replace Queen Elizabeth by Mary, Queen of Scots. The revolt was led by the Earls of Westmorland and Northumberland. However, it was crushed. -
Pope Pius V issued the papal bull in which it called Elizabeth derogatory names and (almost) gave Catholics the permission to kill her and thus not being considered as a criminal by Rome. -
The 1571 Treasons Act was made in response of the "Papal Bull" issued by the Pope. It made it clear that anyone who says that Elizabeth was not the true Queen of England and Wales was accused of treason. -
This act 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 and Anglican services were compulsory: £20 per month fine. -
Mary Queen of Scots was seen as threat by Elizabeth I because Mary was Elizabeth’s cousin, and was Elizabeth’s legitimate heir. Her closeness to France and Spain endangered the English kingdom and most importantly to Catholics, she was the legitimate heir. She represented hope for a return back to roman Catholicism . The discovery of the Babington plot (1586) by Francis Walsingham gave Elizabeth her final answer on what to do to Mary Stuart : she needed to be executed. -
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. It was a complete defeat, England was victorious -
James I's reign was marked by tension with Parliament over taxation and his approach to governance, as well ass religious conflicts, particularly with Puritans.
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This plot was a conspiracy devised by a small group of Catholics to blow up Parliament and James I -
Charles declared that anyone promoting "Popery or Arminianism" or advising the King to collect duties without Parliament's consent was an enemy of the Kingdom. This led to the imprisonment of MPs and the dissolution of Parliament, marking the beginning of his "Personal Rule" with no more parliaments -
England was at war against Spain France.
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Charles I was King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. His conflicts with Parliament over power and religion led to the English Civil War. Defeated and captured, he was tried for treason and executed in 1649, ending the monarchy temporarily.
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The King was asked to recognize the illegality of certain actions, like extra-parliamentary taxation and imprisonment without trial, highlighting limits to his power. Though Charles signed it reluctantly, he was angry and suspended Parliament when impeachment of Lord Buckingham was discussed -
Also called "The Eleven Years Tyranny", it was when the King ruled without calling a Parliament for 11 years.
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The Scottish Crisis erupted when Charles I’s religious reforms sparked rebellion in 1637, leading to the Bishops' Wars and forcing him to recall Parliament, deepening political conflicts.
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Charles I needed money to fight the Scots so he called the Parliament for the first time in 11 years. However, the MPs demanded the king to address their grievances first resulting in Charles dissolving it after only 3 weeks. -
The Long Parliament limited royal power, led to the English Civil War, and oversaw Charles I's execution before ending with the monarchy's restoration.
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It was an armed revolt with Irish Catholics against Protestant settlers -
The Grand Remonstrance listed Charles I's misdeeds and demanded parliamentary control over ministers, the army, and Church reforms. It split Parliament into Parliamentarians, seeking reform, and Royalists, favoring negotiation, setting the stage for civil war. -
Charles I marched in the House of Commons with troops and attempted to arrest 5 MPs.
On the 22th of August 1642, Charles I formally declared war on Parliament. -
The English Civil War was a conflict between Charles I's Royalists and Parliamentarians over governance and religion. Parliament’s forces, led by Oliver Cromwell, defeated the king, leading to Charles’s execution and the rise of the Commonwealth.
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All ministers had to swear to conform to the Book of Common Prayer
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The First civil war would cost the lives of 190 000 Englishmen (in combat/from diseases) and last for four years.
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It was the turning point saw the Royalist forces weaken. -
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Charles I escaped custody, allied with the Scots, and promised Presbyterian reforms in exchange for their support to invade England. This move outraged Parliament and triggered the Second Civil War. -
It was a series of revolts who happened in the South of England, Wales and Scotland. The Royalists were easily defeated by Cromwell and it was a very short civil war (January-Autumn 1648).
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The Commonwealth was a period after the execution of Charles I, during which England was ruled as a republic without a monarchy. Power was held by Parliament, but political instability led to Oliver Cromwell taking control as Lord Protector.
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The Interregnum followed Charles I’s execution, during which England was a republic. Oliver Cromwell ruled as Lord Protector, but the period was marked by political instability and military control. It ended with the restoration of the monarchy under Charles II.
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The King was put on trial for high treason and thus executed -
The Blasphemy Act of 1650 sought to suppress radical religious views and practices, imposing penalties for beliefs deemed heretical to uphold religious and social order. -
England's first and only written constitution. -
Riding through the House of Commons with soldiers, Cromwell ordered the MPs to leave. -
The Cromwellian Protectorate was a period of military rule under Oliver Cromwell, who became Lord Protector after dissolving the Rump Parliament. His government focused on religious reform and stability but faced political challenges. After Cromwell’s death, instability led to the restoration of the monarchy in 1660.
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Charles II (the son of Charles I who had been executed in 1649) issued the Declaration of Breda. It promised:
- A general amnesty (pardon)
- To continue religious toleration
- To share power with Parliament
And in return for the restoration of monarchy. -
It was series of laws passed during the first 5 years of Restoration. It was repressive towards religious groups not belonging to the Anglican Church
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The Early Restoration marked the return of Charles II to the throne, restoring the monarchy after the Interregnum. This period focused on stabilizing the nation, but tensions arose between the king and Parliament, particularly over issues like finances and foreign policy, leading to political conflict.
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The Great Plague was a devastating outbreak of bubonic plague in England, killing thousands, particularly in London, before subsiding after the Great Fire of 1666.
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A rumored French plot aimed to replace Charles II with his Catholic brother James II, sparking fears of pro-Catholic policies, absolute monarchy, and threats to Parliament. -
Parliament tried to block James II’s succession, challenging the divine right of kings, prompting Charles II to dissolve Parliament.
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The Glorious Revolution of 1688 occurred when James II’s Catholic son was born, threatening Protestantism and Parliament's power. In response, Parliament invited William of Orange to invade. With little resistance, William’s forces caused James II to flee to France. The revolution was "glorious" due to its bloodless nature, replacing James with William III and Mary, strengthening English liberties and ensuring a more stable political system. -
It limited royal power, required parliamentary consent for laws, finances, and the army, barred Catholics from the throne, and established key rights like free elections and protection from cruel punishment. It influenced the U.S. Bill of Rights and reflected John Locke’s ideas on natural rights. -
It limited the monarch’s power for the first time -
It established religious pluralism, and freedom of worship for all Protestants
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The Act of Settlement secured a Protestant succession to the throne, excluding Catholic heirs, as William III and Mary II had no children. It also ended the monarchy-Parliament conflict, shifting the balance of power in favor of Parliament. -
The creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707 unified England and Scotland, realizing James I's vision. The Act of Union, under Queen Anne, merged the two countries, dissolving Scotland’s Parliament but giving it representation in the House of Commons and Lords. Scotland retained its Presbyterian church and legal system. -
This act united the kingdom of Great Britain and the kingdom of Ireland. Thus the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is created.