The English Renaissance
The Tudors (1485-1603)
● Monarchs & Reigns
○ Henry VII (1485-1509)
■ Founder of the Tudor dynasty
■ Consolidated power after the Wars of the Roses
○ Henry VIII (1509-1547)
■ Passed the Act of Supremacy (1534) → declared himself head of the
Church of England
■ Separated from the Catholic Church
■ Dissolution of the Monasteries
● Confiscated church lands → sold to new Protestant aristocracy
■ Married six times to secure a male heir → led to national religious
upheaval
■ Reformer and autocrat → suppressed opponents including Thomas
More
○ Edward VI (1547-1553)
■ Protestant reforms intensified
● Book of Common Prayer
● Higher Calvinist influence
■ Catholic practices criminalized under his rule
○ Mary I (1553-1558)
■ Restored Catholicism → married Philip l of Spain
■ Reversed Edward's reforms → persecuted Protestants
■ Was given the name "Bloody Mary"
○ Elizabeth I (1558-1603)
■ Restored Protestantism but chose a "middle way" to avoid unrest:
● Combined moderate Protestant doctrine with traditional
practices
● Aimed for internal peace and national unity
● Religious & Political Impact
○ Reformation transformed the relationship with the Church
○ Created deep divisions in society → Protestants vs. Catholics
○ Religious persecution under alternating monarchs fueled long-term tensions
○ Promotion of English Humanism
■ Education, arts and literature
● International Affairs & Exploration
○ Naval expansion under Elizabeth I
■ Sponsored explorers (e.g., Francis Drake)
■ Defeated the Spanish Armada (1588)
● Turning point in national pride and Protestant security
○ Conflicts with Spain and France continued intermittently
The Tudors (1485-1603)
● Monarchs & Reigns
○ Henry VII (1485-1509)
■ Founder of the Tudor dynasty
■ Consolidated power after the Wars of the Roses
○ Henry VIII (1509-1547)
■ Passed the Act of Supremacy (1534) → declared himself head of the
Church of England
■ Separated from the Catholic Church
■ Dissolution of the Monasteries
● Confiscated church lands → sold to new Protestant aristocracy
■ Married six times to secure a male heir → led to national religious
upheaval
■ Reformer and autocrat → suppressed opponents including Thomas
More
○ Edward VI (1547-1553)
■ Protestant reforms intensified
● Book of Common Prayer
● Higher Calvinist influence
■ Catholic practices criminalized under his rule
○ Mary I (1553-1558)
■ Restored Catholicism → married Philip l of Spain
■ Reversed Edward's reforms → persecuted Protestants
■ Was given the name "Bloody Mary"
○ Elizabeth I (1558-1603)
■ Restored Protestantism but chose a "middle way" to avoid unrest:
● Combined moderate Protestant doctrine with traditional
practices
● Aimed for internal peace and national unity
● Religious & Political Impact
○ Reformation transformed the relationship with the Church
○ Created deep divisions in society → Protestants vs. Catholics
○ Religious persecution under alternating monarchs fueled long-term tensions
○ Promotion of English Humanism
■ Education, arts and literature
● International Affairs & Exploration
○ Naval expansion under Elizabeth I
■ Sponsored explorers (e.g., Francis Drake)
■ Defeated the Spanish Armada (1588)
● Turning point in national pride and Protestant security
○ Conflicts with Spain and France continued intermittently
