Henry VIII Reign (1509–1547) Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, statutes, treaties, and events from the reign of Henry VIII (1509–1547).

Empson and Dudley

Henry VII's unpopular tax agents executed in 1510, marking a symbolic break from the previous reign's fiscal methods.

Battle of the Spurs (1513)

A war event in France reflecting Henry VIII's aggressive, glory-seeking foreign policy in contrast to his father's peace-focused diplomacy.

Battle of Flodden (Sept 1513)

A military victory in which the Scots were defeated and King James IV was killed, neutralizing the 'auld alliance' threat while Catherine of Aragon acted as regent.

Thomas Wolsey

Lord Chancellor and Cardinal/Papal Legate who dominated English administration from 1515 to 1529 through near-total delegation of government authority.

Treaty of London (1518)

A European non-aggression pact brokered by Thomas Wolsey that represented the height of England's diplomatic prestige.

Field of the Cloth of Gold (1520)

A famous prestige diplomacy meeting between Henry VIII and Francis I demonstrating the reliance on personal monarchy in foreign relations.

Amicable Grant (1525)

A forced loan to fund war that provoked widespread rebellion and was withdrawn, illustrating the limits of royal taxation power without parliamentary consent.

King's Great Matter

Henry VIII's attempt starting in 1527 to secure an annulment from Catherine of Aragon to produce a male heir, causing a constitutional and religious crisis.

Reformation Parliament

The parliament sitting from 1529 to 1536 that marked a structural shift from minister-led government to parliamentary statute as the primary engine of change.

Submission of the Clergy (1532)

The formal surrender of independent law-making authority by the English Church to the Crown, prompting Sir Thomas More to resign as Chancellor.

Act in Restraint of Appeals (1533)

Statute declaring England an 'empire' and banning legal appeals to Rome, asserting national sovereignty and imperial kingship.

Act of Supremacy (1534)

Statute that legally entrenched Royal Supremacy, establishing the King as the Supreme Head of the Church of England.

Valor Ecclesiasticus (1535)

A comprehensive government survey of Church wealth that provided the bureaucratic basis for the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Pilgrimage of Grace (1536)

The largest uprising of Henry VIII's reign, originating in Lincolnshire and the north to directly protest religious changes and Thomas Cromwell's influence.

Council of the North

A regional governing body re-established and formalised in 1537 to extend central monarchical authority over northern England following the Pilgrimage of Grace.

Exeter Conspiracy (1538)

The trial and execution of members of the Pole and Courtenay families, demonstrating Henry VIII's persistent dynastic insecurity regarding Plantagenet descendants.

Act of Six Articles (1539)

Religious legislation known as the 'Whip with Six Strings' that reasserted traditional Catholic doctrine such as transubstantiation and clerical celibacy.

Thomas Cromwell

Chief minister from 1532 to 1540 who spearheaded the Break with Rome through parliamentary statute and implemented systematic bureaucratic reforms.

Battle of Solway Moss (1542)

An English victory over Scotland that led directly to the death of King James V and the accession of the infant Mary Queen of Scots.

Treaty of Greenwich (1543)

A diplomatic agreement proposing the marriage of Prince Edward to Mary Queen of Scots, which was later rejected by the Scottish parliament.

Act for the Advancement of True Religion (1543)

A conservative statute passed in 1543 that restricted the reading of the English Bible based on gender and social class.

Third Succession Act (1544)

Statute that restored Mary and Elizabeth to the line of succession after Prince Edward, prioritizing dynastic stability over technical legitimacy.

G.R. Elton's Administrative Revolution Thesis

The historical argument that Thomas Cromwell transformed English governance from informal household rule into a modern, bureaucratic state.

Debasement of the Coinage

A policy begun in 1545 reducing the precious metal content in coins to fund costly military ventures against France and Scotland, causing severe inflation and financial strain.