Unit 3.1: England

Subjects and Citizens

Definitions

  • Subject

    • A subject is someone who has to obey a ruler.
    • Subjects have no say in who their ruler is and have no power over them.
    • Subjects generally do not have political rights.

  • Citizen

    • A citizen possesses political rights.
    • Citizens help select their ruler and have some degree of power over them.
    • Citizens are stakeholders in society.

Europe Before 1500

The Feudal Pyramid

  • Powerful Groups

    1. Kings/Nobles (5% of the population)
    • Form the government.
    • Power is handed down by birth, almost exclusively to men.
    • They had rights and political power.
    1. Clergy (5% of the population)
    • Composed of priests and bishops of the Roman Catholic Church (the only Church at the time).
    • Any man can become clergy, but only children of nobles can generally secure positions of power.
    • The clergy believed they were divinely ordained to maintain the system of power.
    1. Commoners (90% of the population)
    • This group varied widely in terms of wealth but possessed no rights or power.
    • They were expected to obey the other two groups and could not rise from this class.

The Plague (1347-1353)

  • A catastrophic pandemic that led to almost a third of Europe's population dying.
  • At the time, there was no cure, and existing medicine was ineffective against the disease.
  • Many believed God caused the Plague; however, both Nobles and Clergy died at the same rate as Commoners.
  • The widespread death caused Commoners to question the authority of all ruling classes, signaling a breakdown of the old political system.
  • Potential Public Reaction
    • Consider how regular people might react to the perceived failure of authority during the Plague.

The Rise of the Middle Class

  • Over the centuries, a growing Middle Class emerged within cities.
    • Comprised of educated commoners involved in trade, the Middle Class became increasingly wealthy.
    • The Columbian Exchange led to a booming trade in luxury goods, benefitting this emerging class.

The Protestant Reformation

  • Beginning in the early 1500s, a movement prompted by questioning the authority of the Church resulted in a division within Christianity.
  • Formation of Protestantism
    • Protestants formed new religions that separated from the Catholic Church.
    • This new faith appealed to the Middle Class due to its emphasis on questioning authority and personal interpretation of religion, which required some level of education.
    • The Catholic Church, along with Nobles, strongly opposed this break, often resorting to extreme violence.

England in 1500

Economic and Social Structure

  • The economy was increasingly based on trade, with a relatively large Middle Class by European standards.
  • The Middle Class began to rival both the Nobles in terms of wealth and the Clergy in terms of education.
  • Although the king and clergy maintained control, the Middle Class was beginning to gain some representation through Parliament.

Parliament

  • Parliament consisted of Nobles, Bishops (high-level clergy), and Middle Class representatives elected by property-owning men.
  • Powers of Parliament
    • Their primary power was over taxation; the king could not raise taxes without Parliament's consent.
    • However, Parliament rarely exercised this power to say no.
  • Magna Carta (1215)
    • Established that the King could not raise taxes unilaterally.
    • Additionally, it stipulated protections such as the right to a fair trial by a jury, giving commoners more rights than many others in Europe.

King Henry VIII of England (r. 1509-1547)

Context

  • Portrait by Hans Holbein (1540), held at Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome.
  • Concerns arose in the mid-1520s about a potential civil war due to King Henry VIII's lack of a male heir and the societal aversion to female rulers.
  • Henry intended to divorce his wife in hopes of marrying someone capable of bearing a son.
  • The Catholic Church forbade divorce, whereas Protestantism permitted it.
  • Henry feared moving England's religion to Protestantism unilaterally might incite civil war.

The Solution Proposed by Thomas Cromwell

  • Strategy

    • Thomas Cromwell suggested that if Parliament initiated the religious changes, the blame would not fall solely on Henry, allowing him to obtain the desired divorce without political fallout.

  • The Act of Supremacy

    • Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy, recognizing Henry as the head of a new independent English Church and granting Parliament lawmaking authority.
    • Henry ultimately obtained his divorce, leading to six marriages throughout his lifetime.

Queen Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558-1603)

  • Portrait by an unknown artist (circa 1588), held at Woburn Abbey, England.
  • Elizabeth became queen a decade post Henry VIII's death, amid widespread concerns over having a female ruler.
  • Religious conflicts in Europe escalated, with war breaking out between Protestants and Catholics.
  • To preserve peace and control, Elizabeth forged a close partnership with Parliament.
  • As a result, Parliament expanded its legislative powers and participative role in governance.

Religious Wars in Europe

Significant Events

  • Siege of Haarlem (1573)

    • Depicted Catholic Spanish troops slaughtering Protestant Dutch civilians during the Dutch struggle for independence from Spain.
    • This heinous act led to significant ramifications for the Protestant movement in Europe.

  • St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre (1572)

    • Targeted assassinations of thousands of French Protestants occurred, incited by Catholic authorities during a royal wedding meant to conclude the French Wars of Religion.

Environmental Threats

The Spanish Armada

  • In the 1580s, England faced the threat of invasion by Spain through the Spanish Armada, which was then the world's largest military force.
  • A freak hurricane destroyed much of the Spanish fleet during its passage through the English Channel, allowing England to claim victory.
    • Following this event, English Protestants believed that divine providence was protecting them against Catholics.
    • Consequences of the Victory
    • The defeat of the Armada established England as a major European power, stimulating trade, particularly with the New World.
    • England began establishing colonies and sought trade routes with Asia, increasing wealth within the Middle Class.

King James I of England (r. 1603-1625)

  • Portrait by John de Critz (circa 1605), held at Museo del Prado, Madrid.

Relationship with Parliament

  • Upon Elizabeth I's death without an heir, the throne passed to her nephew, King James of Scotland.
  • James held different views regarding his relationship with Parliament and governance in general compared to Elizabeth.
  • Divine Right of Kings
    • This theory posits that kings are chosen by God and possess absolute power over their kingdom.
    • Such kings believe they are not bound by earthly laws or institutions and only God can judge them.
    • Dissent is viewed as rebellion in this framework, with the king seen as an instrument of God on Earth.

Contrast with Elizabeth

  • Compare James’s ideas on power and governance with those of Elizabeth I.
  • Consider how Parliament might respond to these differing views.

King Charles I of England (r. 1625-1649)

  • Portrait by Daniel Mytens (1631), housed in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Divine Right and Parliamentary Interactions

  • Soon after James I's death, his son Charles I exhibited similar behaviors aligned with the Divine Right of Kings, surrounding himself with like-minded advisors.
  • Petition of Right (1628)
    • This document was a response from Parliament demanding certain rights and limitations on the king.
    • Questions arise about the content of this petition and Parliament's justification for demanding such rights. - Consider whether Parliament's demands were unreasonable.

Conflict with Parliament

  • Charles I rejected the Petition of Right.
  • He disbanded Parliament and ruled independently for 12 years.
  • During this period, he imposed taxes without Parliament’s consent, arbitrarily jailed individuals without trial, and disregarded the Magna Carta’s principles.
  • Consider the potential reactions of Parliament and the Middle Class to Charles I's actions.
  • Contemplate the viability of any potential actions they could take in response to his governance.