Tudors - Mid Tudor Crisis - Overview Dates + Details

Edward VI: Inherited Situation

Power of Monarchy and Gov Effectiveness

• Monarch Head of Church = power

• factionalised government

Society and Economy

• debasement of coinage for French wars = inflation and rising prices + all money from it spent

• sold Crown and monastic land for French wars = no long term revenue from rent

• failing cloth export industry

Religion

• Monarch Head of the Church

• vague religion in place = some religious freedom

  • BUT cause problems of religious division and discontent

Foreign Relations

• no immediate invasion imminent

• poor relations with French due to 3 campaign attempts (all unsuccessful too so look weak)

Edward VI: Background

Mother: Jane Seymour (died 1537)

Education: Protestant (Cox was his main teacher), at Hampton Court

Age when Crowned: 9

Edward VI: Regency Council

define: when other govern on behalf of the monarch as they’re not of age

→ H8 chose Ed’s council (his will) → 16 members, equal cath/prot = not 1 person/religion is dominant over the monarch

→ BUT led to disagreements as had differing opinions = ineffective

• protestant faction: Edward Seymour (uncle), Cranmer, Earl of Hertford (later Duke of Somerset)

• catholic faction: Earl of Southampton, Marquis of Winchester

• Paget = neutral

→ + BUT still led to an unbalance of power as 1 person would assume control (first was Seymour)

Edward VI: Somerset Overview

1547-49 ‘The Good Duke’

aims (guided by H8’s will): unite Scot and English crowns (by marrying Edward and MQS)

→ moderate Protestantism (H8)

→ Scottish war worsened economy but raised hopes over enclosure

→ policies caused 2 major rebellions (which he couldn’t solve w/o Northumberland)

1553: attempts coup against Northumberland, is executed

Edward VI: Northumberland Overview

1550-1553 ‘The Bad Duke’

power hungry:

• Earl of Warwick → Duke of Northumberland

• led coup against Seymour (promised Catholic faction more Catholic policies but kills them once in power)

• involved in scheme to put LJG on the throne

  = ‘Bad Duke’ rep BUT policies overall seen as more effective

aims (more independent/with Ed): achieve financial security, radicalise religion, change succession

→ radical Protestantism (adopted with matured Ed)

→ peaceful, cheaper polies with Scotland and France

→ achieve financial security

→ suppressed Kett’s Rebellion

Mary I: Background

Mother: Catherine of Aragon

• = ostracised when H8 remarries

Right to Succession:

• 1534 Act of Succession

  • removed Mary = illegitimate

• 1544 Act of Succession

  • reinstated Mary after Edward

• Devyse

  • rocked her right to the throne (LJG)

  • BUT never removed as wasn’t ratified in parliament

Religion: devoutly Catholic = no loyalty to Ed’s Reformation

1^st Queen to rule without a King n England

Mary I: Overview of Policies

Religion: devoutly Catholic

• tried to restore medieval Catholicism but only had 5 years and a limited budget (e.g. can’t buy back monastic land)

• died with no heir = knew prot Liz would succeed

• Marriage to Philip II = war against the French + Pope

• 289 prots burnt + Cranmer 1556

Economy:

• continued Northumberland’s economic reforms

• aid for poor increased from gov (Catholic Church would’ve helped before)

Introduced naval and military reforms

• decreased reliance on nobles

Elizabeth I (1558-1563): Style

Like H7/Like H8/Both/Neither

→ personal details

• shrewd judge of character

  • dismissed Thomas Seymour as a man of much wit but little judgement after their relationship + decreased interest in men after

• quick tempered but with an ability to charm

• cultured in arts, music, literature, and languages

• 25 when crowned = child-bearing age

• great pride in appearance + loved ornaments and jewels

→ political character

• shrewd grasp of politics and the potential for plots

• only acted if had appropriate funds (for the most part)

• cautious not to become implemented in plots → lucky escape after Wyatt’s rebellion (served 2 months in the ToL)

• wasn’t willing to heavily involve in details of government

• indecisive and slow on important choices

• balanced masculinity (command courtiers) and femininity (charm them and throw them off balance)

→ Religious Views

• opposed to extremism, wanted to decreased religious division

• disliked radical reformists but determined to deny Catholic revivalists

• didn’t believe in central Catholic doctrines (transubstantiation/veneration of saints) nor clerical marriage BUT liked aspects of Catholic ceremony (candles, music)

Elizabeth I (1558-1563): Background

traumatic

→ H8 executed her mother, Anne Boleyn

• Anne called ‘the whore’ and Liz ‘the bastard’

→ 1554 - Mary imprisoned her in the ToL for 2 months as figurehead for Mary’s protestant opponents (Wyatt Rebellion)

• released after cleverly wrote a gushing letter to Mary with diagonal lines blocking forgery to prove innocence

→ sexually abused by her step-father (Thomas Seymour)

→ H8 disappointed with her birth as not a boy = no heir

lucky education

→ humanist education by Cambridge uni scholars

→ fluent in many languages (e.g. French, Italian etc) = could converse with foreign diplomats

inspired by Catherine Parr

→ regent rule over England while H8 campaigning in France = showed an educated woman could rule effectively and independently