Does Mary I deserve the nickname: Bloody Mary?

What are the statical differences between Mary I and Henry VIII’s executions?

• Mary I - 5 years & executed around 280-300 Protestants

• Henry VIII - 38 years & executed around 200-300 for religious reasons

Similar Numbers for very different reign timelines!

Why is Thomas Cranmer’s burning controversial?

Had a recantation before his burning - Mary personally signed his execution off anyway

• more then just religion - he married Anne Boleyn and her mother

Why did Mary I burn Protestants?

• targeting Protestants for beliefs, not treason - unfair and cruel to many

• burning as a punishment - public to spread fear and resentment

Why did Mary I become extremely unpopular?

Executions continued

• after 1555, made Mary extremely unpopular

• rather than reducing Protestantism, the burnings created martyrs

What are Mary’s I burnings executions like compared to other Tudor monarchs?

• Edward VI - very few

• Elizabeth I - for treason, not heresy

• Henry VII - hardly any executions at all

What were all of Mary I’s executions carried out under?

Restored heresy laws

Who gave Mary I the title ‘Bloody Mary’?

John Foxe - Book of Martyrs

• propaganda for Elizabeth’s reign - became the most widely read book in England to establish a Protestant nation

What was the general opinion of executions during Mary I’s reign?

Execution were legal and supported at the time

• passed by parliament

• Heresy laws already existed before her reign

• acting accordingly to contemporary values - not personal cruelty - accepted at the time

Were Mary I’s religious policies universally unpopular?

No - many people were still Catholic

Why was Mary I deemed as ‘Bloody Mary’ unfairly?

• Short reign overexaggerates her reputation - actions may have appeared less extreme over time

• Protestant propaganda damaged her image

• Religious intolerance was normal in the 16th century - believe religious unity was necessary for stability