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Period: Jun 23, 1509 to Jan 28, 1547
Henry VIII reign
During his reign, Henry VII decided to break with catholicism to be able to divorced his wife, Catherine of Aragon. He declared that his marriage was doomed because she was first the wife of his brother (who died), and also because she couldn't give him a male heir.
He had six wives in total, with whom he had two girls, Mary and Elizabeth, and a son, Edward. -
1517
The Ninety Five Theses
The Ninety Five Theses is a text written by Marthin Luther. In this text, he denouced the gaps of the Catholic Churh about the Indulgences and how they make money out of it. It is important to say that he was a monk but still did not agree with this type of fonctionnement, mostly because one of the most important vow in Catholicism was poverty. In 1521, he was excommunicated and declared as an heretic.
Protestantism emerged from his tetxs, adding other differences with the Catholic Church. -
1526
New Testament in english
The New Testament in english is one of the new protestant element. It allows everyone to understand and read it, and it is not longer reserved for priests. -
1534
The Act of Supremacy (schism)
The Act of Supremacy pointed the beggining of the schism.
Henry VII chose Protestantism over Catholicism to be able to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon. It also allowed him to remary, which he did with Ann Boleyn, a lady-in-waiting of Catherine of Aragon.
However, it created a lot of tension inside the country, but also in the international connections with other countries. This Act declared the king of England as the supreme head of the Church. -
1536
Disparition of monasteries
Monasteries were considered as "bastion of popery". All small monasteries disappeared because of the king directive. The Crown appropriated lands, and valuables were confiscated and/or melted down. -
Period: 1536 to 1537
Rebeillons
The Reformation and the burning of monasteries created rebeillons in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It lasted 6 months. They demanded the restoration of the Pope and Mary Tudor as heir. Economic grievances were also a reason of these rebeillons.
As repression, the Crown decided to do public hangings -
1537
English Bible
In that year, the English Bible became mandatory in every church, for the faithful to be able to understand the mass. -
Period: Jan 24, 1547 to Jul 6, 1553
edward VI reign
Edward VI was the son of Henry VII and his third wife, Jane Seymour.
He sat on the throne at only nine years old, so his uncle, Edward Seymour (duke of Somerset), was the Lord-protector of England . However, Edward VI kept the path of his father to install Protestantism.
He died in 1553 at 15 years old because of tuberculosis, with Mary Tudor as heir. -
1549
Book of Common Prayers
The Book of Common Prayers appeared after the revision of the mass-book. Roman Catholic practises were eradicated. It allowed the clergy to get married. It led to rebeillons in Cornwall and Devon. -
Period: Jul 6, 1553 to Nov 17, 1558
mary I reign
Mary I, surnamed Bloody Mary was the first daughter of henry VII. As the daughter of Catherine of Aragon, she was raised in a catholic environment because of her french origins. She was married to the king Philip II of Spain, a Catholic king and a catholic empire. She restored Catholicism in 18 months.
During her reign, she put back Catholicism as the national religion. However, in order to make it happen, she killed around 200 people in only 3 years ! It explains her surname 'Bloody Mary'. -
Period: Nov 17, 1558 to
Elizabeth I reign
Elizabeth I was the second daughter of Henry VII with Ann Boelyn. As her mother, Elizabeth was Protestant so she instaured back Protestantism as national religion. She replied "I will follow God's will" at her dying sister imploring her to follow her steps. She was called 'the Virgin Quenn' because she never got married.
She tried to make a compromise keeping catholic elements and adding protestantism elements ("Via Media") to keep the type of protestantism from her father : Anglicanism. -
1559
The Act of Uniformity
This Act declared that the Book of Common Prayers has to be used in every parish. People were fined if they were not attenting at least one Anglican service per week. -
1559
The Act of Supremacy
In this Act, the Pope's authority was, once again, abolished to put the Queen's Authority instead. Elizabeth became "Supreme Governor of the Church of England". -
Period: 1563 to 1571
The 39 Articles of Faith
These articles instaured the new doctrine of the Church. In this document, 3 elements are complete changes : a new ecclesiology was defined, a new doctrine of Salvation was established, and a new definition of Sacraments and the mass took place. -
1569
The Nothern rebeillon
The population was against all these new religious reforms. It led to rebeillons of 6 000 insurgents in Westmorland and Nothumberland. They attempt to replace Elizabteh by Mary Queen of Scots, her cousin. -
1570
Papal bull 'Regnans in Excelsis'
At first, as she tolerated Catholic communities, the pope Pius V didn't thought much of it. However, seeing how Elizabeth decided to eradicated Catholics, he decided to excommunate Elizabeth. In his bull, he described ELizabeth as "a heretic favouring heretics" and "the so-called Queen". He allowed catholics to kill her and promised to them that it will not be considered as a crime to kill her. Many tried to kill her with different plots however none succeeded. -
1571
The Treasons Act
In reponse to the Pope, Elizabeth instaured this Act declaring that it would be a treason for anyone saying she was not the true Queen of England and Wales. -
1581
The 1581 Act
The 1581 Act provided for the death penalty for any person converting or already converted to Catholicsm. It also forbade to participate or celebrate any of the Catholic mass. It declared Anglicans services as compulsory : £20 per month fine if not attending.
It led to 163 dead in 26 years of repression. -
Mary Stuart's death
Elizabeth never married so she never had a child for heir. Her heir was then her cousin, Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots. However, Mary was catholic so Elizabeth was scared that Mary would bring back Catholicism in England. For 19 years, Elizabeth kept Mary under her close watch. She was emprisoned. during these 19 years, many advisors tried convincing Elizabeth to kill Mary but she was reluctant do to so, until the Babington plot which planned to kill Elizabeth, plot in which Mary was involved. -
The defeat of the Spanish Armada
Philip II, the catholic King of Spain, decided to invade England because Elizabeth supported the Dutch Revolt against Spain. He sent the "Invicible Armada", only did he knew that england built a entire new fleet, based on a fish's design. This fleet was composed of 800 ships and used the incendiary strategy. They recruted a lot of sailors to help during the battle. A storm happened in the North of Ireland / the West of England and used it to say it was God wanting them to win this naval battle. -
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James Ist reign
James Ist faced many difficulties. Firstly, he was king of Scotland and England but the countries did not make any alliance. Secondly, he inherited the throne with many debts left which increased tensions between him and the Parliament. -
The Gunpowder plot
As James was on the throne, a lot of Catholics placed hope in him but he kept the harsh repressive laws against them. In reponse, a small group of Catholic wanted to blow up the Parliament in attempt to kill the King. This failed attempt is celebrated today on the Guy Fawkes' day. -
The Great Contract
It is one of the many reform to try to save england from debt. this reform said that the king would be financially independant and not need the Parliament's approval. However the House of Lords refused to vote for it. -
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The Thirty Years war
this war was indeed caused by the defeat of the army against Spain and France. It left a huge strain on finance and impacts on the population. It will leed to the Civil War. -
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Charles Ist reign
When Charles came up tot the throne, he faced the war that started his father and a lot of financial problems and debts. Parliament started threatening the king. During the Civil War, he was deported multiples times before being beheaded. -
The Petition of Rights
Parliament wanted the king to regognize the illegacy of some new taxes, billeting or even martial laws. The Lords also wanted Charles Ist to say that he had limited powers. He reluctantly signed the petition which was clearly an attack to him but he was furious. Charles Ist also declared the suspension of parliament seating to protect Lord Buckingham. -
The Three Resolution
This act declared that anyone bringing popery or Arminianism was an ennemy of the kingdom. However the king himself was supporting Arminianism ! It also stated as ennemy anyone advising the king to collect new duties without the Parliament's agreement. -
Period: to
The Personal Rule
This long timelapse of eleven years represents the miss of the Parliament. In fact, for eleven years, the king did not called for any Parliament session so he ruled the country alone. It was a tyranny. He only called a new Parliament in 1640 that will stay only three weeks (the Short Parliament). -
Period: to
The Scottish crisis
Charles Ist was also king of Scotland. In Scotland, Calvinism was privileged, which isn't Angilcanism, so not the same religion for both countries. Charles tried to unify them by imposing in 1637 Anglicanism to Scotland but they did not want it. It caused a rebeillon between English and Scottish. It is called The Bishops' War. -
The Long Parliament
The Long Parliament wanted to remedy 11 years of grievances and ensure regular Parliaments. They made two acts: one stating that Parliament should meet every three years, the second one stating that the king could no longer dissolve Parliament That easily. They also choose to kill Earl Stafford, a powerful adviser of the king, as a scapegoat. -
The Irish rebellion
James Ist implemented a plantation policy which was allowing Protestants settlers to colonise Ireland. Under charles Ist, Irish Catholics rebeled against Protestants and caused between 3.000 to 4.000 deaths. In england, this slaughter was amplified by drawings and other numbers whichcaused a massive anger in the population against Irish. -
The Grand Remonstrance
This document summarized all the wrong doing of the king. It is clearly an attack of Parliament against Charles. It also stated revolutionary demands such as the house of commons had to choose the ministers of the king, giving the right to Parliament to control the army and the right to reform the Church. -
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The Civil War
The Civil war started by Charles Ist thinking that five MPs were plotting against the Queen. he forced his way through Parliament to command the arrest of theste MPs. It's on april 22th that Charles officialy declared war against Parliament. -
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The First Civil War
This frist civil war caused around 190.000 deaths of Englishmen. It was Royalists against Parliamentarian also called Roundheads". As Parliamentarians used a completly new type of army in 1644, the royalists were defeated in may 1646 -
Period: to
The Second Civil War
As the king escaped, he made an alliance with the Scots, allowing him to created a new army for himself. However Parliament was so horrified that MPs decided to fight back. This Second Civil War was indeed very short, only a few months before the king's imprisonment. -
King Charles Ist execution
King Charles Ist was beheaded to mark the end of the civil war. This event marks the regicide in England, a consequence of the civil war. -
Declaration of the commonwealth
After the king's execution, England declared on march 1649 that the monarchy and house of lors were abolished. It maks the begging of the Commonwealth, a republic.