Tudor period
In the year 1485, Henry VII defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field to seize the English throne. This victory ended decades of civil war known as the Wars of the Roses and established the House of Tudor. The new king spent much of his reign stabilizing a fractured economy and enforcing laws against powerful nobles. He created a special royal council called the Court of Star Chamber to manipulate English laws for the crown's advantage. His fiscal policies were viewed as oppressive by the wealthy but focused on enforcement rather than taxing the poor. By returning lands distributed during prior reigns, he brought the Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster under direct royal control. These actions generated significant funds that tripled the crown's income within his lifetime. A balanced budget was achieved, paving the way for an emerging middle class in England.
The five sovereigns who ruled between 1485 and 1603 held entirely different approaches to religion. Henry VIII replaced the Pope as head of the Church of England while maintaining Catholic doctrines. Edward VI imposed strict Protestantism upon the realm. Mary I attempted to reinstate Catholicism after her brother's death. Elizabeth I arrived at a compromise position that defined the not-quite-Protestant Church of England. The Reformation began with Henry VIII's insistent demands for an annulment of his marriage. Pope Clement VII refused to grant this request, triggering a break from Rome. Cardinal Wolsey dominated civic affairs and foreign policy between 1515 and 1529 before failing to secure the divorce. Thomas Cromwell removed control of the church from papal hands and transformed England into a modern bureaucratic state. The Act of Supremacy in 1534 made the king the protector and only supreme head of the church. Bishop Fisher and Chancellor Thomas More were executed for their refusal to accept this new order. The monasteries operating religious institutions were closed and their lands sold to friends of the King. This process produced a large wealthy gentry class that supported Henry VIII.
Thomas Cromwell served as Henry VIII's chief minister from 1532 until his execution in 1540. He replaced medieval government-as-household-management with a modern administrative system. Before Cromwell, the realm was viewed as the King's private estate where most administration was done by household servants. He introduced reforms that delineated the King's household from the state itself. Parliament proved highly supportive during these changes with little dissent. Cromwell injected Tudor power into the darker corners of the realm and radically altered the role of Parliament. His new financial system managed revenue with far less corruption or secret payoffs than before. Between 1536 and Henry's death, the government collected £1.3 million through the dissolution of monasteries. This huge influx of money caused Cromwell to create a new department called the Court of Augmentations. The multiplication of departments meant a growing number of officials who required management. His fall caused confusion and uncertainty which led to even greater reliance on bureaucratic institutions like the Privy Council. William Paulet later simplified arrangements by uniting most crown finance under the exchequer.
Following the Black Death of 1348, England's population began to increase significantly. In 1520, the population stood at around 2.3 million people. By 1600, it had almost doubled to reach 4 million souls. The growing population stimulated economic growth and accelerated the commercialization of agriculture. Production and export of wool increased while trade expanded and London grew rapidly. High wages and abundant land seen in the late 15th century were replaced by low wages and land shortages. Various inflationary pressures set the stage for social upheaval as the gap between rich and poor widened. Manorial lords began enclosing village lands that previously had been open to everyone. Kett's Rebellion started in 1549 in Norfolk as a demonstration against these enclosures of common land. Robert Kett was executed for treason after leading this uprising. The Prayer Book Rebellion or Western Rising occurred in Devon and Cornwall in 1549 due to religious changes. Standard English was unpopular in areas where Catholic loyalty remained strong. The Pilgrimage of Grace disrupted the North of England in 1536 protesting religious reforms and monastic dissolution. These popular uprisings were all suppressed by royal authorities.
Numerous popular uprisings occurred throughout the Tudor period but all were suppressed by royal authorities. The largest rebellion was the Pilgrimage of Grace which disrupted northern England in 1536. The Prayer Book Rebellion or Western Rising took place in Devon and Cornwall in 1549. Kett's Rebellion began in Norfolk in 1549 before Robert Kett was executed for treason. Wyatt's rebellion in 1554 opposed Queen Mary I's determination to marry Philip of Spain. The Northern Rebellion of 1569-70 failed as Catholic nobles tried to depose Elizabeth I. Local officials operated at the county level through sheriffs and justices of the peace. A sheriff held court every month to deal with civil and criminal cases. He supervised elections and ran the local jail while meting out punishments. Justices of the peace handled routine police administrative functions paid through modest fees. The day-to-day business involved a great deal of paperwork primarily written in Latin. Fifty-five justices of the peace held office in Devonshire in 1592 including Sir Francis Drake. Twenty-eight of these men had been high-sheriffs of the county at some point.
The cultural achievements of the Elizabethan era have long attracted scholars conducting intensive research since the 1960s. Main subjects within Tudor social history include courtship, marriage, food consumption, and clothing choices. Common misconceptions about Tudor elites being unclean were debunked by modern historians. People adhered to Humorism but took care of their cleanliness through daily regimes. Baths were taken to purify the body and oral hygiene was practiced regularly. No fewer than 23 medical treatises were written on plague along with hundreds of medicine recipes. British historian Miranda Kaufmann researched lives of around 360 persons of Black African heritage between 1500 and 1640. Jews fleeing persecution from the Inquisition began developing a small community in London during this time. Hector Nunez and Roderigo Lopez served as leading physicians during the 1570s and 1580s. The first written records of Romani people in England appear around 1513 or 1514. William Byrd composed influential religious music while John Bull led organ performances. The English Madrigal School flourished producing popular a cappella compositions influenced by Italian models.
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Common questions
When did the Tudor period begin and end?
The Tudor period began in 1485 when Henry VII defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. The era ended in 1603 after the death of Elizabeth I.
What caused the break from Rome during the Tudor period?
Henry VIII demanded an annulment of his marriage which Pope Clement VII refused to grant. This refusal triggered a break from Rome that led to the Act of Supremacy in 1534 making the king the supreme head of the church.
How much money did the government collect through the dissolution of monasteries between 1536 and Henry's death?
Between 1536 and Henry's death, the government collected £1.3 million through the dissolution of monasteries. Thomas Cromwell created the Court of Augmentations to manage this huge influx of money.
Which rebellion started in Norfolk in 1549 before Robert Kett was executed for treason?
Kett's Rebellion started in 1549 in Norfolk as a demonstration against enclosures of common land. Robert Kett was executed for treason after leading this uprising.
When did England's population reach 4 million people during the Tudor period?
England's population reached 4 million souls by 1600 after starting at around 2.3 million people in 1520. The growing population stimulated economic growth and accelerated the commercialization of agriculture.