History of the Henry VIII's Reign and Protestant Reformation of England

The legitimacy of the English monarchy always depended on the succession from one monarch to the next. After the accession of William the Conqueror in 1066, England was ruled by a long line of dynastic rulers, who consistently needed to justify their power to the strengthened nobility. By the mid-fourteenth century, England was embroiled in the Hundred Years’ War with France, an event that contributed to a series of internal conflicts for the ruling Plantagenet Dynasty. The Plantagenets were a powerful family not only throughout England but throughout Europe. The Plantagenet kings were the wealthiest family in Europe, ruled England and half of France. After the death of Edward III in 1377, the succession of the English monarchy was dramatically impacted by infighting and a civil conflict fought over the legitimate monarch.

The War of the Roses was a bloody war fought between the House of York and the House of Lancaster. Richard of York returned to England in 1452 and decided to take the throne from Henry. Many long and short battles were fought over the crown. In the end, Henry VII won the war and was able to align the two families together. After Henry VII’s victory in 1485, he immediately needed to legitimize his rule through marriage. His marriage to Elizabeth of York ensured that any offspring would be a product of both family lines, and therefore more worthy of the crown in the eyes of the nobility. The marriage of Henry VII and Elizabeth produced multiple children, and most importantly two sons. Tragedy struck in 1502 and the eldest son Arthur died, they left their younger son Henry as sole heir.

The old sensitivities over a strong succession plan again put the country in turmoil, particularly since Elizabeth died and Henry did not take another wife. All energies and focus were put into young Henry, as he was prepared to become king. After the accession of Henry VIII in 1509, England experienced a tumultuous history, with Henry’s unpredictable and often violent rule. Henry removed Roman Catholicism from the religious traditions of England, and a new style of worship was introduced to the country with a great deal of social upheaval. Henry’s desperation for a male heir initiated the struggle, as the sole purpose was to achieve a divorce from his first wife Catherine of Aragon. After a long and childless marriage, they were only able to produce one offspring, a girl named Mary. Henry’s succession crisis launched England into multiple internal struggles, and external wars fought over the power of the monarch.

When the Wars of the Roses ended, Henry VII was the Tudor Dynasty first king. He made the monarchy supreme during his reign and transformed England into a strong and powerful modern state that he conducted like a businessman. He was able to get land back from the church and he seized land from nobles who had died in a war. Since it was too expensive, he avoided war and the peace he brought made him popular amongst the urban middle classes and the gentry. He called parliament only six times during his long reign to pass laws against the nobility. Henry also laid the foundations of English naval power by spending money on shipbuilding so that England would have its own fleet of merchants and increase its military power.

For thirty-two years, the Lancasters and the Yorks were fighting in a brutal civil war. This war was going on since Richard III was a child and Henry Tudor was still not born. The war began in 1455 when Richard challenged the Lancastrian King Henry VI’s right to the throne. Richard’s son, King Edward IV was placed on the throne after the York army had succeeded, Henry VI was chased out of the country. England was continuously getting torn apart since the Lancasters kept trying to reclaim the throne. Richard III was the King of England when the Battle of Bosworth Field began. Richard was asked to lead the country until his older brothers, Edward IV son was old enough to take the throne, Richard was named Protector of England. Richard had different plans, he instead locked up his two nephews in a tower and claimed the throne. The boys disappeared in 1483 and many people believe Richard had killed the princes so he could keep the throne. Due to the war, eery Lancaster with a possible claim of the throne had died, the only person left to challenge Richard III for the throne was Henry Tudor.

The army of Henry Tudor landed on the southwest coast of Wales on Aug. 7, 1485. Henry’s army started to charge towards Richard III. Richard III’s army doubled or tripled Henry’s army with Richard having 10-15,000 men and Henry Tudor only having 5,000. There was a third army, however, and the battle tides could easily be changed. The Stanley was a wealthy family with an army of 6,000 men, the had not chosen a side yet. Richard kidnapped Stanley's eldest son to persuade them and held him hostage as a guarantee for the family's support in the war. The three armies battled it out on the moors which was south of the village of Market Bosworth. Richard III divided his army into three groups in strategic locations at the top of Ambien Hill. Henry kept together his men and moved down the marsh. The Stanleys stood by and watched the battle unfold. Before they moved, they waited to gauge the winner. Richard explicitly threatened the Stanleys. He sent Lord Stanley a messenger to warn him that his son would die if the family failed to join him in the battle against Henry Tudor.

Henry Tudor’s army struggled to make it around the marsh. Tudor's army kept going until the armies met in moors. This is when the war became a brutal clash of steel, skin, and blood. The king ran straight into the fighting and even took on the six foot, eight inches tall John Cheney, the giant of Henry Tudor. Cheney was England's tallest soldier and one of the battlefield's most feared men. Richard III challenged him alone and knocked down the giant. Even with the numbers on their side, they quickly failed in the Battle of Bosworth under the blade of the Lancasters. Some men watched in horror as one of Richard’s soldiers, Percival Thirlwall, had his legs hacked in battle from under him.

Thirlwall tried to keep them inspired, clinging to the standard of his king, even though his limbs were torn from under him, but it wasn't enough. Panic swept the ranks of the York. The third part of the York army, the Stanleys and under the command of the Earl of Northumberland, had not yet entered the fray. Richard told Northumberland to defend his king and bring him victory in Bosworth's battle. But the Earl of Northumberland and thousands of men under his command were just standing back and watching until Northumberland ordered his men to leave the battlefield - and their king to his death. Richard III had nearly outnumbered his enemy three - to - one minute earlier. But the York men were panicked by this betrayal and ran from Bosworth Field for their lives. Richard now stared into the face of harsh, inevitable truth.

He would lose Bosworth's battle - and the war. Richard III’s army begged and pleaded for the king to flee the battlefield, but he refused. Henry Tudor hid in his army's back rows and Richard knew there was still an opportunity to win. Richard and his trusted men mounted their horses and tore through the army of Lancaster. They drove their charge to Henry himself directly. They plowed through the army until Richard's lance's tip was just over a foot away from his enemy. One by one, the men of Richard were cut, but the king fought, no matter how much blood he lost.

On the basis of the skeleton he left behind, historians believe that a halberd an ax-like weapon at the end of a six-foot pole came down on Richard's head and knocked off his helmet as he was thrown to the ground. But even Richard couldn't end. He fought, uncovered his head, and was repeatedly gouged into the skull by a dagger. Richard staggered to his feet with blood and lunged at Henry. The halberd fell again and crushed the unprotected head of the king. His skull's back was cleaned. Richard staggered for a second, still refusing to fall, and was terrified that nothing could kill a man's demon, another soldier thrust his sword through his skull's base until he lodged in his brain. Thus the king was finally dead. Richard and Henry fought it out for the throne. Henry ended up seizing the throne from King Richard III in a long battle. Richard was beaten and killed, everything was now Henry’s.

Richard Rose in a stirrup so that all might hear. ‘We ride to seek Henry Tudor.’ Their faces showed that they understood, and awaited only his command. He closed his visor. One of his squires put the battle-ax in his grip. He raised his gauntleted arm to signal his trumpeters. For the last time there sounded in the ears of men the battle call of the fierce and valiant Plantagenets… None of his Household remained at his side. He was beating about him against a thicket of spears and swords, rocked by blows he could not feel. And still on his helmet shown--through the dust, through the flailing steal--the golden circlet of his crown. ‘Treason!’ he shouted, swinging his ax----- A dozen weapons smashed through his armor in the midst of his foes, alone, he was beaten lifeless to the ground, leaving his kingdom in his fame to the hands of Henry Tudor.

The Battle of Bosworth Field was a long fought battle between the Lancasters and Yorks over the throne. The Lancasters, Henry VII, ended up defeating the Yorks, Richard III and took the throne. Richard III was killed in battle on August 22, 1485, making him the last monarch to ever been killed in battle. Richard III did a lot to keep the throne, but it was not enough. Henry and his 5,000 men defeated Richard and seized the throne.

The marriage of Henry VII occurred on October 30, 1485. Elizabeth was able to prove to be a successful Tudor wife as a male child was born nine months later. Their new son was Arthur Tudor, the Prince of Wales. During their marriage, Elizabeth and Henry have a total of eight children with only four surviving. That did not last very long, their eldest son, Arthur had died at the age of fifteen due to illness. This then brought Henry VIII to be the next Tudor monarch. Henry was seventeen years old when he took the horne and married Arthur’s wife, Catherine of Aragon. Henry had a lot of responsibility on him now that he was in line for the throne. His brother, Arthur, was an extremely smart person and accomplished many things at a young age.

Arthur’s tragic death transformed Henry’s condition - translating him from the dynastic and political limbo of the second son to the limelight of heir apparent, sweeping aside any plans there may have been for a career in the Church and bringing yet more honors upon him… By the time he was fifteen, so his mentor, the laureated poet Bernard Andre, wrote proudly, Arthur ‘had either committed to memory or read with his own eyes and leafed with his own fingers’ the standard works on grammar, a selection of Homer, Virgil, Ovi, Terence and others, a good deal of Cicero and a wide span of history, including works by Thucydides, Caesar, Livy and Tacitus.

Arthur had a good reputation and lots of people were able to see this. Henry had a big spot to fill now that his brother has died. Henry faced the problem of succession by the mid-1520s. By his wife, he had no son, only a daughter. Although successful women rulers had existed in other countries, notably the mother of his own wife, Isabel of Castile, Henry was concerned about the risks of a female succession: the Wars of the Roses scars were not healed for long. Now Queen Catherine was unable to have children, and his only son was illegitimate. It is clear that he was torn between accepting his daughter as his heir during the 1520s, sending her to Wales.

Henry VIII fell spectacularly in love with Queen Catherine's attendant Anne Boleyn and, foiled in his attempts to make her his mistress. He decided to get his marriage annulled and marry Anne, this would also give him another chance to have a son. Kings had previously obtained annulments on very flimsy excuses, and Henry had a pretty robust case to put to the Pope, demonstrating that his marriage was illegal. Catherine was the wife of his brother before. This was allowed because of Leviticus 20:21, “If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity; he has dishonored his brother. They will be childless.” The Pope was agonizing about the decision.

He wanted to please Henry, who was the Papacy's firm supporter, but the troops of Charles had sacked Rome and kept the Pope captive, limiting his choices. A compromise would have been exceeded in any other period before the 1520s, but by this time the cry for reform of a profoundly corrupt church was ringing throughout Europe. The Pope and the Emperor were unable to admit that a previous Pope, who had given a dispensation for Henry and Catherine’s marriage, might have been wrong or exceeded his powers.

Ultimately, Henry lost patience in finding accommodation with the Pope and was encouraged by Anne, who was strongly in favor of reforming the church, he threw away the Pope's authority and persuaded the House to declare him Supreme Head of the Church in England. It was not the intention to adopt the budding Lutheran faith, but simply to reduce the church to discipline to the King. The new Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, granted his annulment in 1533, and Henry married Anne who soon became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth. After all that, about three years later, Henry and Anne Boleyn fell off and got divorced. Henry was finally able to have a boy with his third wife Jane Seymour. Because of this succession of Henry not being able to have a son is what started the English Reformation and found the Church of England. The Succession Act of 1534 enabled Henry VIII to divorce Catherine and marry Anne Boelyn. A commitment to swear the oath of this act was important and treason was enabled if not followed.

To ensure the success of this Act, people shall swear an oath to truly, firmly, and constantly observe, fulfill, maintain, and defend this Act. And any person who refuses to take the Oath shall be considered guilty of high treason; and shall suffer such pains and imprisonment, losses and forfeitures, and also lose privileges of sanctuaries, in like manner and form as is above mentioned for the misprisions of treasons afore limited by this Act. The Succession Act enabled Henry VIII to marry and make Anne Boleyn queen. Henry VIII used this act to ensure that everyone gave Henry and his majesty a sermon and if they did not, they should receive treason. Disrespecting this Law of Succession, Henry and Anne could lead to suffering and death. Henry and Anne's marriage allowed their children to spend the generations and take over the throne.

The Act of Supremacy in 1534 gave Henry VIII power in the church and the church's supreme leader of the Church of England. In the Act of Supremacy, Henry completely abandoned Rome. He and his successors appointed himself the highest rulers of the English Church.

The King's Majesty justly and rightfully is and ought to be the supreme head of the Church of England, and so is recognized by the clergy of this realm. By the authority of this Parliament, the king, his heirs, and successors, shall be taken, accepted, and reputed the only supreme head in earth of the Church of England, called Anglicans Ecclesia.”

Henry VIII separated from the church and assumed religious power from the Roman Catholic Church, leaving the pope without jurisdiction over the English Church. Henry became the church's supreme leader and gave power to all his heirs and family. The poor relationship between Henry and the conflict between the pope allowed him and his heirs to take over the power of the English Church.

Henry VIII’s reign caused many changes in Europe, Henry VIII was the first person to start the Protestant Reformation and it is now the most valued religion in Europe. It was against the Roman Catholic Church to divorce and remarry, but that did not stop him when his first wife would not produce a male heir. He was forced to renounce from the Catholic Church and created a new church where people could divorce and remarry. He started this reformation and changed Europe.

During the reign of Henry VIII, 1509 to 1547, tens of thousands of people lost their heads. Although it was a violent time period, Henry VIII was different. He executed between 57,000 and 72,000 people during his 36-year reign. The reason he may have killed so many people may have been the controversy between The Church of England and the Catholic Church. This controversy started when he tried to divorce his wife Catherine because of the need for a male heir. Most men and women he got killed were people who went against the English Reformation. But, as the King, these people were not just executed for going against his beliefs. There was a wide variety of reasons violence occurred during the reign of Henry the VIII.

During the reign of Henry VIII, not everyone agreed with his ideas and the way he did things. An English lawyer, Thomas More, opposed the Protestant Reformation and refused to acknowledge Henry VIII as Head of the Church of England. When Thomas More refused the Oath of Supremacy, he was convicted of treason and was considered disloyal to England and was executed. Right before Thomas More was being executed, it was believed he said, “I die the king's faithful servant, but God's first.” Thomas More did not believe in the way Henry VIII did things as King, and he had to suffer because of this. This happened to many people during the reign of Henry VIII, if someone did not believe in the same things as the King, they would be killed.

A lot like Thomas Moore, John Fisher also was executed for refusing to accept Henry VIII as Supreme Head of the Church of England. John Fisher was an English Catholic cardinal, bishop, and theologian. Also, an academic, Fisher served as the University of Cambridge's chancellor. He was named a cardinal shortly before he was killed and is considered a saint by the Catholic Church.

The Pilgrimage of Grace was Henry VIII's worst uprising of his reign. It was a direct result of monastery dissolution, a policy that made most Englishmen confused and angry. The original rebellion started in early October 1536 at Louth in Lincolnshire. The spark was the presence of a royal commission; it was encouraged to flame by the local clergy. The rebellion in Lincolnshire lasted only a short period of time, but next was Yorkshire – led by Robert Aske, the lawyer. The rebellion spread rapidly with the charismatic Aske as their leader. While many men of England were dissatisfied with the King’s policies, an army of 30,000 men gathered up north. The King tried to respond but there was no standing army in England. The King brought an army together but they were enormously outnumbered, they also did not have the correct weapons to fight in a war. As a result of this, the King turned to diplomacy but the rebels did not seek to overthrow him.

Their primary wish was to restore the dissolved monasteries. They also criticized the ' low - born ' counselors of the king, especially Thomas Cromwell. His policies of high taxation and forced enclosures had worsened poverty throughout northern England; as Norfolk told the king, it was already 'the most barren country in the realm.’ Through Norfolk, the King negotiated peace by promising a free pardon to all rebels who dispersed and conceded their demands. It would restore monastic lands and call for a new parliament to address their concerns. The rebels were dispersed accordingly. And then Henry broke his word on the slightest pretext; martial law was declared, rebel leaders were charged and brought to trial. Several hundred rebels have been executed, including Aske. King Henry VIII wrote to the Duke of Suffolk, Charles Brandon, on 19 October 1536 concerning the pilgrimage of the Grace rebels he wrote;

You are to use all dexterity in getting the harness and weapons of the said rebels brought in to Lincoln or other sure places, and cause all the boats on the Humber or means of passage into Yorkshire to be taken up. After this, if it appear to you by due proof that the rebels have since their retires from Lincoln attempted any new rebellion, you shall, with your forces run upon them and with all extremity ‘destroy, burn, and kill man, woman, and child the terrible example of all others, and specially the town of Louth because to this rebellion took his beginning in the same.’ We have sent you this day a good sum of money and will send more as required.

Henry VIII was bribing people to kill these innocent peasants. This letter shows how violent Henry VIII was during his reign, not only did he want things to go his way, he made things go his way.

After the death of Henry VIII, his only surviving son Edward VI took over the throne. Henry VIII died when Edward was only nine years old, Edward’s uncle, Duke of Somerset took over the power and called himself the protector. Somerset and Canterbury's archbishop, Thomas Cranmer, were determined to make England a truly Protestant state, backed by the young king. An English Prayer Book with a Uniformity Act to enforce it was issued in 1549. In the summer of 1549, the West Country peasants rebelled against the Prayer Book in protest. In Norfolk, Kett's rebellion focused on economic and social injustices.

At the same time, England was declared war by the French. John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, suppressed the Norfolk rebellion. Dudley exploited his success in the atmosphere of uncertainty by bringing about Somerset's downfall, who was arrested and later executed. Protestant reform was stepped up-avowedly Protestant was the new Prayer Book of 1552. Altars were transformed into tables, religious imagery was destroyed, and a new and more stringent Uniformity Act enforced religious orthodoxy. Edward VI became sick and he would not live long. Northumberland was determined not to undo his religious reforms, so he persuaded Edward to approve a new succession order. This declared Mary unlawful and passed the throne to the daughter-in-law of Northumberland, Lady Jane Grey, who was Henry VIII's more distant descendant. Edward died on July 6, 1553. Jane, however, was only a queen for a couple of days until Mary took the throne with overwhelming popular support. With Mary on the throne, she wanted to completely reverse the English Reformation. Henry VIII’s whole reign and what he was doing to make England a Protestant country was completely reversed by his own daughter.