English Reformation

Puritanism was first developed in the late 16th century when a reform was put on the Church of England. Those who practiced Puritanism were known as Puritans and sought to purify the Church of England. The Puritans felt that the reformation had not gone far enough and that the church still had Catholic influence and was corrupt. They felt as if the church’s doctrine was incorrect and not what God wanted. As the Puritans tried to ask for more reforms to be made, King James I was becoming…

King Henry VIII is commonly remembered as the English monarch who broke with the Roman Church. When King Henry VIII became the king of England in 1509, he started his reign with a lot of money and motivation to be one of the greatest kings in England. During his rule he declared himself the Head of the Church of England (Anglican Church), in effect, replacing the Pope. He quickly closed down monasteries and took all of their money. This caused a rebellion, but Henry stopped it as he became more…

It all started with an enormous debt, an “illegitimate” wife, a King who needed more power than he had, and a lack of a son. Henry VIII broke away from the Pope and Rome due to his greed for a successor, power, and money. Henry VIII initial break from the Pope began with the belief that he and his wife Katherine’s marriage was illegitimate. At the time it was believed that if a marriage was illegitimate the couple could not conceive a child. During his marriage with Katherine she had three…

clear dogma. Edward VI worked with Thomas Cromwell to create a perfect Protestant England. Edward redefined Christianity much more than his father did, subscribing to actual Protestant beliefs and making policies to implement them in the common English way of life. These protestant beliefs included: all human sins,past and present, being forgiven as a result to Jesus’ sacrifice-- the slate was wiped clean, baptism and other sacraments, such as worshiping saints, was deemed blasphemous, and the…

No matter the time period, history has always held religious differences among people. Every once in a while, this resulted in conflict (some minor, some catastrophic). That’s exactly what happened in the 17th century, when Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand II, attempted to force Roman Catholicism upon everyone within his domain. Not only was he unsuccessful, he lost favor with his people and caused a slew of repercussions in Europe. The 17th century Wars of Religion (specifically the Thirty Years’…

History is ripe with tales of traitors and treason, especially when one group is unhappy with another. Take, for example, John Brown’s three day raid on Harper’s Ferry in Virginia. Angry with the lack of progress in the abolition movement, Brown planned to take the military’s stockpiled arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia and use it to free slaves across the south (“John Brown’s”). Or maybe think about the more realistic 20 July Plot during World War II. Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg and some…

The Renaissance is known as the transition from the medieval times to the early modern world. It pushed everyone towards a new generation. Along with the Renaissance came new aspects, and the ability to question one’s authority. This was good for the present day people, as they became wise and better able to comprehend the power they had. Nonetheless, the Renaissance had negatively affected the Catholic Church. As more people became aware of the faulty jurisdiction of the Catholic Church, the…

The Age of Enlightenment began from 1685 to 1815. This long age began with the newly instituted License Act of 1695 that stopped censorship of the press. Because of this, political literature was very popular for the first twenty years, which is why pamphlets were still being used to persuade deciding voters to vote for candidates in office. Also, journalism gained even more traction, and now there were businesses devout to this practice just like we see today. British thinkers began…

Henry's move to reform the Church in England began with his desire to divorce Queen Catherine, who had not borne him any surviving male children. Henry wished to remarry with the young Anne Boleyn, but to do that he needed a dispensation from the Pope to declare the marriage with Catherine null and void. Since Henry had received a dispensation to marry Catherine in the first place–she had been his brother Arthur's widow, and therefore needed special permission to marry Henry–Pope Clement VII was…

The research topic I chose is Henry of Blois (Winchester) the brother of King Stephen of England. He was born around 1098/9 and was a very influential man during his time. He was in a sensitive position by being a bishop. He had a great influence with the building of castles and art. Henry of Winchester would also become one of the richest men in England as well, which brings in my specific research topic. Is Henry of Blois based off self-preservation? In other words, was he always looking after…