Tudor Foreign Policy and Legislation (1485–1603)

Tudor legislation and treaties 1485-1603 A-Level AQA History

Treaty of Redon (1489)

A treaty where England promised aid to Brittany to protect it against France.

Treaty of Medina del Campo (1489)

An alliance with Spain that arranged the marriage between Arthur Tudor and Catherine of Aragon.

Treaty of Etaples (1492)

Ended the English invasion of France and ensured France would cease support for the pretender Perkin Warbeck.

Intercursus Magnus (1496)

A major treaty that resumed trade between England and the Netherlands (Burgundy).

Truce of Ayton (1497)

A peace agreement established between England and Scotland.

Treaty of Perpetual Peace (1502)

A treaty with Scotland that paved the way for the marriage of Margaret Tudor to James IV.

Intercursus Malus (1506)

A highly favorable trade treaty with Burgundy that was rarely enforced.

Treaty of Windsor (1506)

An agreement acknowledging the rule of Philip and Juana over Spain.

Peace with France (1514)

A peace agreement sealed by the marriage of Mary Tudor to Louis XII.

Treaty of London (1518)

A pact for "Universal Peace" signed between the major powers of Europe.

Treaty of Bruges (1521)

A secret treaty between England and Charles V for a joint invasion of France.

Treaty of Windsor (1522)

A formal alliance between Henry VIII and the Holy Roman Empire.

Treaty of Westminster (1527)

A diplomatic alliance formed between England and France.

Treaty of Amiens (1527)

A perpetual peace alliance established between France and England.

Peace of Cambrai (1529)

A treaty that ended the state of war between France and Spain.

Treaty of Nice (1538)

An agreement against England involving the interests of France, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire.

Treaty of Greenwich (1543)

An attempt to betroth the future Edward VI to Mary Queen of Scots.

Treaty of Ardres (1546)

A peace agreement concluded between England and France.

Treaty of Boulogne (1550)

Ended the war in Scotland and Boulogne, establishing peace with France.

Council of Trent (1555-1563)

A Catholic council convened to address the challenges posed by the Protestant Reformation.

Arms Act (1558)

Legislation that mandated the building of 6 new ships to provide aid to Spain.

Treaties of Cateau-Cambresis (1559)

Ended long-standing conflicts between France, Spain, and England.

Treaty of Berwick (1560)

An agreement for the English to expel French forces from Scotland.

Treaty of Edinburgh (1560)

An agreement that resulted in the removal of English troops from Scotland.

Treaty of Hampton Court (1562)

An agreement to provide economic and military support for the French Huguenots.

Treaty of Troyes (1564)

Peace agreement between England and France marking the end of English involvement in the First French Wars of Religion.

Treaty of Blois (1572)

A defensive alliance between England and France directed against Spain.

Treaty of Joinville (1584)

An alliance formed between Catholics, specifically Spain and the Guise family.

Treaty of Nonsuch (1585)

A commitment of direct English support for Dutch rebels fighting against Spain.

Treaty of Berwick (1586)

An agreement of "Perpetual Amity" between England and Scotland.

Act of Resumption (1486)

Allowed the King to recover crown lands and properties granted away since 1455 to increase royal revenue.

Extraordinary Revenue Grant (1487)

A grant raised specifically for the purpose of funding an army against France.

Treason Act (1495)

Protected subjects from treason convictions if they served the king de facto (in fact), encouraging loyalty to the reigning monarch.

Vagabonds and Beggars Act (1503)

An early Tudor poor law requiring beggars to be punished to manage social instability.

Maintenance of Tillage Acts (1488, 1504)

Legislation aimed at preventing rural depopulation and enclosure by enforcing agricultural practices.

Act in Restraint of Appeals (1533)

Stopped appeals to Rome, enabling Henry VIII to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon.

Act of Supremacy (1534)

Declared the King as the "Supreme Head" of the Church of England, separating from Rome.

First Succession Act (1534)

Barred Mary from the throne and declared the children of Anne Boleyn as the legitimate heirs.

Treason Act (1534)

Expanded the definition of treason to include calling the King a heretic or denying his royal supremacy.

Act of Succession (1536)

Barred both Mary and Elizabeth from the throne, declaring Jane Seymour’s children legitimate.

Dissolution of the Monasteries Acts (1536 and 1539)

Legislation that dissolved religious houses and redistributed their land and wealth to the Crown and gentry.

Laws in Wales Acts (1536 & 1543)

Fully integrated the legal and administrative system of Wales into that of England.

Act of Succession (1544)

Named Edward as the heir and re-legitimised Mary and Elizabeth to follow him in order.

Treason Act (1547)

Repealed the harsh Treason Acts of Henry VIII and allowed for freedom of religious expression.

Royal Injunctions (1547)

Orders for the dissolution of chantries, removal of images from churches, and the repeal of the Act of Six Articles.

Act of Uniformity (1549)

Imposed the first Protestant Book of Common Prayer to make church services uniform.

Second Act of Uniformity (1552)

Introduced a stricter second Book of Common Prayer and shifted church doctrine toward Calvinism.

First Act of Repeal (1553)

Removed Edward VI's religious legislation and returned the Church to its legal state at the end of Henry VIII's reign.

Heresy Laws (1554)

Revived medieval laws that enabled the execution of roughly 300 Protestants.

Second Act of Repeal (1555)

Legislation that revoked the royal supremacy over the Church.

Act of Supremacy (1559)

Revived the royal supremacy and declared Elizabeth as the "Supreme Governor" of the Church of England.

Act of Uniformity (1559)

Reintroduced a modified Book of Common Prayer and enforced church attendance with fines.

Act of Artifices (1563)

Legislation designed to reduce the number of vagabonds.

Poor Law Act (1572)

Required local ratepayers to pay a rate specifically for the relief of the poor.

Poor Law Act (1576)

The first act that attempted to establish a national system of poor relief.

Act Against Jesuits and Seminary Priests (1585)

Made it illegal for any priest ordained under the authority of the Pope to enter England.

Poor Relief Act (1601)

The culmination of Tudor poor laws, establishing a national tax system for the "deserving poor" and punishment for the "idle poor."