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Period: 1509 to 1547
The Reign of King Henry VIII
King Henry VIII is best known for his six marriages and for separating from the Catholic Church of England after the Pope refused to annul his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon. This led to the English Reformation and the dissolution of the monasteries. -
1517
Martin Lutter’s The Ninety Five Theses
This is an important text contains a list of propositions written by the German theologian Martin Luther, in Wittenberg, Germany, in 1517. This text is at the origin of the Protestant Reformation in The Roman Empire. -
Oct 31, 1517
The Ninety Five Theses nailed by Martin Lutter.
Martin Luther nailed the Ninety-Five Theses to the doors of the University in Wittenberg. -
1526
The first English Bible: the Tyndale Bible
The Tyndale Bible was the first English language Bible to appear in print which was published in England in 1526. The New Testament translated by William Tyndall. -
1527
The Royal Divorce: « The King’s Great Matter »
King Henry VIII faced a significant challenge regarding his marriage to Catherine of Aragon had lasted 18 years, seeking an annulment due to the lack of a male heir. -
1530
Letter to Pope Clement VII
A letter with 81 wax seals attached to red silk ribbons - sent by English noblemen urged Pope Clement VII to annul Henry VIII's marriage to his first wife so the king could marry Anne Boleyn -
1533
Act of succession of 1533
After the divorce with Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn. Their marriage marked a significant chapter in history, shaping the future of both Henry VIII’s reign and the religious identity of England. -
1534
King Henry VIII and the break with Rome
Henry VIII played a pivotal role in the break with the Roman Catholic Church, driven by his desire to divorce Catherine of Aragon. This decision led to the English Reformation, establishing the Church of England with Henry as its head. -
Period: 1534 to
Early Modern Period
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Nov 3, 1534
First Act of supremacy
Henry VIII declares himself the Supreme Head of the Church of England. -
Period: 1536 to 1537
Pilgrimage of Grace
A major rebellion from 1536 to 1537 concentrated in Yorkshire, against Henry VIII and the English Reformation. -
Period: 1536 to 1542
The Act of Union of 1536
The Act of Union of 1536 corresponds to a series of parliamentary measures taken between 1535 and 1542 by which the legal system of Wales was annexed to the Kingdom of England and frequently called "England and Wales". -
1537
The Matthew’s Bible
The Matthew's Bible was the result of a collaboration between John Rogers and William Tyndale, in which the latter used a pen name since he was sure that a translation connected to his surname would be rejected by the king of England, Henry VIII. -
Dec 17, 1538
King Henry was excommunicated
Henry VIII was excommunicated by Pope Paul III over his divorce from Catherine of Aragon. -
Period: 1545 to 1563
Council of Trent
held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent, in Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation at the time, it has been described as the embodiment of the Counter-Reformation. -
Period: 1547 to 1553
The Young King: Edward VI’s regime
Edward VI was the King of England from 1547 to 1553, known for his brief but impactful reign during the English Reformation, which saw England become more firmly Protestant under his rule. He introduced the Book of Common Prayers. His reign ended prematurely with his death at the age of 15. -
1549
The Book of Common Prayer
Introduced during Edward VI's reign in England, became a key part of Anglican worship, offering a standard format for religious services and influencing the English Reformation. -
Period: 1553 to 1558
Reign of First Queen: Mary I
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Jul 6, 1553
The death of Edward VI
Edward VI was 15 when he died from tuberculosis. During this time, the country was virtually bankrupt. -
Oct 1, 1553
Mary I: The 1st Queen of England
The coronation of Mary I as Queen of England and Ireland took place at Westminster Abbey, London, on October 1553 at the age of 37. This was the first coronation of a queen regnant in England, a female ruler in her own right. She restored Catholicism in 18 months. -
1554
Queen Mary I’s marriage
She was married to Philip II of Spain. Hence this marriage made her ally with Spain in a war against France. -
Period: 1555 to 1558
Queen Mary’s Persecution of protestants
She's known as "Bloody Mary" for persecuting and executing over 200 Protestants. Her death in 17 November 1558 was welcomed, as she had turned the nation against her, including her husband. Protestants fled the country, becoming "Marians exiles." -
Nov 17, 1558
The Death of Queen Mary I
Queen Mary I of England, also known as “Bloody Mary”, died on this day. Her reign known for its efforts to restore Roman Catholicism and persecution of Protestants. -
1559
The Act of Supremacy 1559
Reestablished Queen Elizabeth I as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, reaffirming the country’s break from Papal authority. It aimed to resolve religious tentions by solidifying Protestantism while allowing some Catholic practices. -
Period: 1559 to 1561
Elizabeth I’s Love Affair
Queen Elizabeth I had a love affair with Robert Dudley, 1st earl of Leicester, who was already married at that time. His wife had breast cancer. -
Period: 1559 to
Reign of Queen Elizabeth I
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May 8, 1559
The Act of Uniformity
made Protestantism England’s official faith, established a form of worship which is still followed in English Parish churches today and showed the country that Elizabeth was bent on following a middle road where religion was concerned. -
Period: 1563 to 1571
The 39 articles of faith
A set of doctrinal statements that define the beliefs of the Church of England, created under the reign of Elizabeth I. There were 3 important changes:
- A new ecclesiology (conception of the Church).
- A new doctrine of Salvation.
- A new definition of sacraments and of the mass which still are in use. -
1569
The Northern Rebellion
This is a Rebellion against religious reforms, in which there were 6000 insurgents. It was an unsuccessful attempt by Catholic nobles from Northern England to depose Queen Elizabeth I of England and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots.
This revolt was led by the Earls of Westmorland and Northumberland. -
May 24, 1570
The Queen Elizabeth I’s excommunication
a Papal Bull, entitled “Regnans in Excelsis”, was nailed to the door of the Bishop of London's Palace. It denounced 'Elizabeth, the so-called Queen of England' as a heretic and formally declared her excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church by the Pope Pius V. -
The Babington plot
The Babington Plot was a plan in 1586 to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I, and put Mary, Queen of Scots, her Catholic cousin, on the English throne. It led to Mary's execution, a result of a letter sent by Mary in which she consented to the assassination of Elizabeth. -
The execution of Mary Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots, was the daughter of King James V of Scotland and Mary of Guise. She was raised in France as a Catholic and widow of the French King Francis II.
She was executed under the orders of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England after being imprisoned for 19 years because she was a threat to Elizabeth. -
Speech to the troops at Tilbury
The Tilbury speech served as inspiration for the English soldiers to fight the Spanish Armada. Queen Elizabeth's words reflected her confidence that the English troops had the ability to defeat the powerful Spanish as well as her own dedication to an independent England. In her speech she added a very famous line: “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 to”. -
The Defeat of the Spanish Armada
The Armada was a fleet sent by King Philip II of Spain to invade England and overthrow Queen Elizabeth I who supported the Dutch Revolt.
It was a pivotal moment when England’s navy, using faster ships. Bad weather also played a role, scattering the Armada and causing damages.
The defeat established England as a major naval power and marked the decline of Spain’ dominance in Europe. -
The new King of England
James I, son of Mary Queen of Scots, became King of England. Catholics placed high hopes in him. But James continued Elizabeth's harsh repressive laws. -
The Gunpowder Plot
A conspiracy devised by a small group of Catholics to blow up the English Parliament and kill the King, James I. -
The Great Contract of 1610
The King tried to introduced a financial reform where he would receive a fixed sum. But some Members of Parliament feared the King would not need to call up parliaments anymore to get money, so the king would be financially independent. -
The King James’ Bible
The King James Bible is a new English translation of earlier texts and manuscripts that make up the Holy Bible. -
Period: to
The Thirty Years’ War
During this war:
- Military defeats (Lord Buckingham, the King's advisor became very unpopular)
- England was at war with Spain and France. consequences:
- Huge strain on finances
- The raising of troops (50,000) had an important impact on the local population. -
Petition of Rights (1628)
The MPs’ complainted against the King's non-parliamentary taxation. They requested the King to recognise the illegality of extra-parliamentary taxation, billeting, martial law, imprisonment without trial.- Wanted to get Charles to recognise that there were limits to his powers.
- Charles reluctantly signed it but was furious, and as MPs were discussing impeaching Lord Buckingham again, he suspended parliament seating again.
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The Three Resolutions
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, an act of open defiance. • Charles imprisoned these MPs and dissolved parliament and he declared there would be no more parliaments -
Period: to
The Personal Rule
11 years when the King ruled without calling a parliament. Whig historians called it "The Eleven Years Tyranny". -
Period: to
The Scottish Crisis
Scottish opposition came to the boil when Charles I attempted to impose a New Prayer Book (Book of Common Prayer) • A riot erupted in St Giles's Cathedral, Edinburgh, on the reading of the New Prayer Book.
The riot would soon turn into a widespread rebellion known as the Bishops' Wars (Guerre des évêques). -
Treaty of Ripon
King Charles I was forced to pay the cost of the Scots' army. It was considered as a humiliation to the King’s reputation.
He was pushed to call the Parliament for the first time in 11 years of his rule. -
Period: to
The Long Parliament
- “The Long Parliament” lasted 20 years where “The short Parliament”, lasted only for 3 weeks.
- The 1640 Parliament was determined to remedy 11 years of grievances and wanted to ensure regular parliaments. They passed two acts ensuring that: • Parliament should meet at least every 3 years • The dissolution of Parliament required its consent.
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The Militia Act
This act passed by the Parliament, where the army should be placed under the control of a general appointed by Parliament
As result, this act took away the King's ability to appoint whoever he wanted ! -
The Grand Remonstrance
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 -
Attempted to Arrest
King Charles I believed that John Pym and 4 other MPs were plotting against the Queen. He wanted to impeach them, but Parliament refused. Charles I marched into the House of Commons with troops and attempted to arrest the 5 MPs -
Period: to
English Civil War
The English Civil Wars comprised three wars, which were fought between Charles I and Parliament.
4 key factors leading to Civil War:
- Religious divisions
- Financial problems
- Relations between King and Parliament
- Governing three kingdoms -
Declaration of Commonwealth
Monarchy and House of Lords abolished.
The House of Commons had supreme authority.
England was declared a Commonwealth (a Republic) -
Massacre of Irish Royalist troops and civilians in Drogheda
The Irish Rebellion led by Irish Catholics was crushed by Cromwell and his troops. -
Period: to
The Interregnum
England declared a "commonwealth", where now governed by people without a king. -
Execution of King Charles I
The execution was the culmination of political and military conflicts between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians in England during the English Civil War, leading to the capture and trial of Charles. -
The Blasphemy Act
Tis Act aim to curb religious extremism. The Toleration Act repealed compulsory attendance at church that had been introduced in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Proposals to licence only approved ministers who were allowed to preach were discussed but not implemented. -
The Instrument of Government
England's first and only written constitution -
Cromwell dissolved the Rump Parliament
Riding through the House of Commons with soldiers, Cromwell ordered the MPs to leave. -
Period: to
The Cromwellian Protectorate
- The Protectorate was a MILITARY DICTATORSHIP similar to a monarchy without a King
• Executive power (return to a government of a single person)
• Controlled the military, diplomacy
• Ruling with the help of the legislative power. 2) Parliaments of 460 MPs elected every 3 years
• To be allowed to vote, a man had to own £200 of personal property 3) Council of State
• Composed of 13 to 21 members who served for life -
Death of Cromwell
His son Richard became Lord Protector but resigned after 6 months. This led to a period of Anarchy → 7 governments in less than a year! People longed for a return to order, increasing support for monarchy -
Déclaration of Breda
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 — in return for the restoration of monarchy. -
The Restoration Of King Charles II
The declaration of Breda, where he did 3 promises, worked well. So England got a new king. -
The Act of Uniformity
All ministers had to swear to conform to the Book of Common Prayer -
The Great Plague of England
This type of plague spread from a bite caused by a black rat flea that carried a kind of virus.
This lasted from 1665 to 1666.
Killed an estimated 100,000 people -
The Great Fire of England
It started at a bakery belonging to the King's baker.
Luckily, this Great Fire helped to disappear the Great Plague. -
The Popish Plot
Rumour of a plot organised by the French to murder Charles Il and replace him by his Catholic brother James Il. -
Death of Charles II, arrival of James II
Charles II died of Stroke and his brother James II (Catholic) became new king of England. -
The Bill of Rights
The bill included: • Listed King James' misdeeds
• Fixed limitations on the sovereign's powers
• Parliament had to consent to new laws
• Parliament gained control over finances and over the army
• No Catholic was to inherit the throne -
The Act of Settlement
• Ensured a Protestant succession, ignoring dozens of Catholic heirs
• Successor: Hanoverian descendants of James I -
Act of Union 1707
The Acts of Union of 1707 are 2 Acts of Parliament, for a Union of the Two Kingdoms of England and Scotland. -
Act of Union 1801
The Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland unite to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.