Tudor Rebellions
The rebellions in Tudor England were caused by Religion.’
To what extent do you agree within the context of 1485-1603?
Tudor England from 1485 to 1602 saw rebellions which were, to a great extent, a product of religious discontent. For example, the Pilgrimage of Grace under Henry VIII and the Prayer Book rebellion under Edward VI were both significant uprisings which unsettled the Tudor monarchy significantly. Despite the notable factor of religion as a cause of the rebellions, Henry VII’s reign had multiple rebellions, none of which were a product of rebellion, but more so of succession and economic discontent; the Perkin Warbeck rebellion threatened Henry VII’s position of power and stemmed completely from succession crises as opposed to the factor of Religion, which was arguably not of significance until Henry VIII’s break from the Roman Catholic church. By the end of the time period in 1603, rebellions were much more a product of Regional grievances and succession, again as opposed to religion. Despite the opposing factors which would suggest the statements invalidity, religion was a cause of rebellion which was present through the majority of the period and acted as the indicative motive for major rebellions under monarch’s such as Henry VIII. The religiously motivated rebellions continued after Henry VIII and his son Edward VI and his daughters’ Mary and Elizabeth, all felt the strains of public discontent throughout each of their individual monarchies as a product of religion. For example, upon Edward VI’s deathbed, he declared his protestant cousin, Lady Jane Grey as his heir, because his sister Mary who was next in line to the throne was a strong Catholic, which infuriated the public.
Religion was a heavily influential cause of the Tudor rebellions as this era saw a huge intervention whereby King Henry VIII broke from the Roman Catholic church and introduced Protestantism which changed England immensely and caused reactions, both positive and negative, from the public. Arguably this break from Rome is the peak of religious grievance induced rebellions in Tudor England. Buenafe argued that religion was a ‘driving cause for rebellion’, and this can be credited by the rebellions such as The Pilgrimage of Grace and The Lady Jane Grey Plot. The Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536 was a religious uprising under Henry VIII’s break from Rome and arguably this rebellion is the reflects how religion as a cause was so heavily influential and an issue for masses of England’s population because 40,000 people participated in this rebellion. Henceforth, this would suggest that religion was the most influential factor as in this rebellion alone there was such a significant number of partakers. Reinforcing this, Davies (1985: 63) declared the Pilgrimage of Grace as the ‘most popular revolt’ in Tudor History and this declaration can be credited by Healey’s review of him on the History Today website who argues that ‘He wrote one of the best works of historical synthesis available’; Davies was an expert on Tudor England so his claim to religion as an influence of rebellion does reinforce the argument that it was a factor of major importance. Additionally, with the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion, it can be supported by the 5 wounds of Christ which was a recognisable emblem of the rebellion; it represented the people’s grievances with the break from Rome, suggesting that this widespread discontent was mostly a product of religious grievance. The Prayer Book rebellion of 1549 would also suggest that religion was a key influence of rebellions in the Tudor era. The influence of religion was mainly a factor of the rebellion because of the heightened radicalisation of Edward VI compared to his father and so when chantries abolished funds for priests it caused major dissatisfaction amongst the people. The impact of the loss of funds by chantries affected the public much further than religion as they also funded education and nursing for the middle class also. When Henry VIII died and Edward VI became king the people were already used to a modernistic religious structure following Henry’s break from Rome however Edwards revolt against Catholicism impacted the public hugely and triggered this controversial dispute between the two religions, henceforth triggering a rebellion which is arguably entirely a product of religious discontent. The impact of Henry VIII’s break from Rome is reinforced by the Lady Jane Grey Plot rebellion at the end of Edward VI’s reign; the dispute between Catholicism and Protestantism furthered when Edward wanted to avoid his sister, Mary, who was a strong catholic, to become Queen, because he wanted Protestantism to remain in the monastery for as long as possible. After naming a distant cousin whom was protestant, Lady Jane Grey, as his heir, Edwards strict religious preferences were the catalyst of the rebellion against this heir, causing revolt amongst the public as they knew Mary was rightfully Queen regardless of her Catholic views. Because there was a question of whether to remain loyal to Protestantism or whether to believe Mary was rightfully Queen, violent and intense public rebellions across the country occurred. Additionally, the pope was taken from his power within the church which also angered a lot of people during this rebellion and encouraged them to take part. Clearly religion was a heavy influence on the rebellions in Tudor England because following on from Henry VIII’s break from Rome and introduction of Protestantism, each monarch since him within the Tudor’s faced extreme outbreak of discontent as a result of religion. Despite the clear influence of religion, one could argue that religion was merely used by people as an excuse to rebel; many rebellions in Tudor England utilised religion as a scapegoat cause to cover up their underlying grievances towards the government, such as succession or regional grievances.
The argument that rebellions under Tudor England being solely a result of religious discontent is discredited by the evidence towards the impact of succession. Sadler argued that 'the rebellions split the family loyalties' which would validate the argument that Tudor rebellions were caused by succession. The 'History of Parliament online' website acknowledges how Sadler was discontented with his disposition on the Privy council after the succession crisis of 1553, which could suggest that he only spoke of the crisis being so impacting because of personal grievances. Despite this, his claim can be credited because of his first-hand witnessing as the crisis unfolded and his position of power, reinforcing the argument that succession was a big influence of rebellion. The Lady Jane Grey plot was a rebellion of which was caused by succession as many civilians were outraged with the fact Edward VI chose someone who was out of the line of succession as his heir, and believed Mary should've been heir regardless of her strong Catholicism. This shows the importance of succession as an influencing factor because people clearly cared more about the rightfulness to the throne as opposed to the religion occupied by the current monarchy. Additionally, Henry VIII wanted Mary to be Edwards heir regardless of the situation which further caused people to rebel over Edwards decision to label Lady Jane Grey as his heir. Prior to the 1553 succession crisis and Henry VIII's break from Rome, early Tudor rebellions under the likes of Henry VII were predominantly a result of succession also. The first Tudor rebellion, the Stafford and Lovell rebellion occurred due to their anger from the death of King Richard during the Battle of Bosworth. They took over troops in Yorkshire in attempt to overthrow the new monarch Henry VII. Macleod argued that 'if Henry VII could over throw Richard, then his enemies could overthrow him', suggesting that Henrys initial weak claim to the throne made him vulnerable to an attempted overthrow. The fact that the first rebellion under the Tudors was caused by succession reinforces the notion that succession was a probable cause overall. Henry VII had a weak claim to the throne because once he overthrew Richard III, Henry VII's name became a product of conspiracy and plots against him, despite his growing support. This weak claim to the throne also led to the Lambert Simnel rebellion and the Perkin Warbeck rebellion which clearly shows how the early Tudor rebellions were mainly a product of succession. Succession was clearly a significant factor in causing rebellions under Tudor England because it is a clear grievance held by people throughout the Tudor period, unlike religion which only becomes significant following Henry VIII's break from Rome.
Another pressing cause of rebellion in Tudor England was arguably the role of the economy; Kirwan (2015) argued that rebellions were a 'direct result of excessive taxation' which would suggest that the economic grievances was significant enough to cause public revolt. The Yorkshire Rebellion and the Cornish Rebellion under Henry VII was very much so a result of the struggling economy; Henry VII was increasing taxation in order to fund the army following the Perkin Warbeck rebellion. Arguably, economic rebellions were more significant in the Tudor era than reasons like succession or religion because the majority of the country were working class and felt the impact of the struggling Tudor economy. Similar to succession, economic rebellions were present and consistent throughout the entirety of the Tudor period which would suggest that it was more impacting than religion as religious rebellions only occurred following Henry VIII's break from Rome. Economic rebellions occurred frequently throughout Henry VIII's reign such as in the Lincolnshire Rising of 1536 where again there were fears of increasing taxation, which is clearly a significant trigger of rebellions from the working class. Rebellions of which were a result of the failing economy continued, such as the Kett's Rebellion, throughout the Tudor Era and became the only successful rebellions as the monarchy often listened to the grievances of the people and went on to try and resolve their issues. Additionally, whilst Edward VI was king, poverty and economic discontent arose due to the likes of the rising food prices, which resulted in national starvation. Even for people in work, the wages they earned never accounted for the rising prices of food and as a result the nation became angry towards the monarchy. The Kett's rebellion was caused by the catalyst that was the starvation amongst the working classes and rebels very easily grew in numbers. Because so many people were affected by poverty and hunger this gave them enough justification to rebel, even if they were people who liked the king. Economic rebellions persisted throughout the Tudor Era and as a result became a threat to multiple Tudor monarchs such as Edward VI and Henry VIII. Once the economic discontent from people caused them to rebel, masses of the public sought to revolt against their underlying grievances such as regional issues and discontent towards the gentry and the elites. Overall, the economy was the driving force for many rebellions which occurred frequently throughout the whole of the Tudor period and were usually the catalyst for further rebellions of which often regarded personal grievances; the reason that the economy was so influential is because it effected such a large amount of England's population and it was the only cause which depended on life or death. One could argue that the economy is more impacting than the latter because it was the only cause which was an issue resolved usually.
Rebellions in Tudor England have been credited to be caused by other factors which are underlying grievances of the people which caused them to rebel. Commentators of the Northern Rebellion of 1569 Marcombe and S.E. Taylor 'emphasise the regional crisis which lay behind it', suggesting that the rebellion was very much a cause of regional issues as opposed to succession or religion. The northern nobility felt a justifiable insecurity towards the idea of the Duke of Norfolk to marry Mary Queen of Scots and this is what triggered the Northern Rebellion as the nobles in the north believed it would influence Elizabeth to name Mary, Queen of Scots as her heir. The Northern Earls such as Northumberland were pressured into rebellion as they believed William Cecil had far too much influence and henceforth caused a Northern revolt encouraged by the dissatisfied nobles. Rebellions which were arguably a product of regional crises are significant as the likes of the Western Rising sought to resolve their localised grievances towards the monarchy; these revolts were often ended quickly as the rebels never amounted to the amount of the monarchy's army. Despite this it was rare for a regional rebellion to ever be of success because they often lacked participation and struggled to become big enough to actually have an impact on the monarchy.
Another key cause of rebellion in Tudor England is the role of the gentry and advisors within the monarchy, and Marcombe (1987) argued that the 'gentry and the grievances towards them dominated' rebellions; this often became a cause for rebellion because there was a colossal divide between the elite and the working class during the entirety of the Tudor era, thus creating an ongoing motive to revolt throughout the period. The poor often became resentful of the gentry and elite, such as in the Prayer Book Rebellion, due to the fact they were living lives of luxury whilst the majority of the population lived in squalor. Guy argues that the Kett's rebellion was 'the closest thing to a class war'. The Independent acknowledges Guy as an 'influential academic' of Tudor history, which would reinforce his claim suggesting that the gentry was a huge factor in regards to the causes of rebellions. During Edward VI's reign, the public felt anger towards the fact the monarchy was so heavily reliant upon Edward's advisors making decisions for the king. The factor, although not one of major significance, definitely impacted the rebellions in Tudor England and came to be a common occurrence of rebellion under multiple monarchs.
One can conclude that throughout the Tudor period of 1485-1603, the most dominant cause for rebellion was the economy as it was a grievance held by the public most frequently during the era and was the only cause of rebellion which grew to be big enough to actually be successful. The failing economy and the uprising of the working class revolt was significant under multiple monarchs such as Henry VIII and Edward VI; these rebellions such as the Cornish rebellion did actually receive gratitude from the monarchy and an attempted resolution, unlike opposing factors. Despite the significance of the Economy as a cause, the role of succession is also a major factor as it is also present throughout the periods entirety and is arguably more significant than religion as a cause because religion only really became significant after Henry VIII's break from Rome. At the beginning of the Tudor period I would argue that succession was the most impacting cause of rebellion due to the revolts such as the Perkin Warbeck rebellion or the Lambert and Simnel rebellion, but despite it being a common cause at the beginning of the period these rebellions rarely became anywhere close to success and didn't really oppose that much threat to the economy. Religion was of great significance following the break from Rome under Henry VIII due to the Pilgrimage of Grace and the Prayer Book rebellion, as well as the Lady Jane Grey Plot, because these rebellions show that during Henry VIII and Edward VI's reign, people cared about religion significantly and felt like it was a justifiable reason to rebel. Despite religions influence it held weak rebellions which rarely threatened the monarchy and often ended in execution of partakers. Religion as a factor cannot be discredited as it was of major significance however one can argue that economic grievances were the one cause that most civilised people were willing to revolt over, purely because it was a matter of survival. Consequently, the statement arguing religion as the most influential cause for rebellion is discredited by the significance of opposing factors such as succession and economy.
Another pressing cause of rebellion in Tudor England was arguably the role of the economy; Kirwan (2015) argued that rebellions were a 'direct result of excessive taxation' which would suggest that the economic grievances was significant enough to cause public revolt. The Yorkshire Rebellion and the Cornish Rebellion under Henry VII was very much so a result of the struggling economy; Henry VII was increasing taxation in order to fund the army following the Perkin Warbeck rebellion. Arguably, economic rebellions were more significant in the Tudor era than reasons like succession or religion because the majority of the country were working class and felt the impact of the struggling Tudor economy. Similar to succession, economic rebellions were present and consistent throughout the entirety of the Tudor period which would suggest that it was more impacting than religion as religious rebellions only occurred following Henry VIII's break from Rome. Economic rebellions occurred frequently throughout Henry VIII's reign such as in the Lincolnshire Rising of 1536 where again there were fears of increasing taxation, which is clearly a significant trigger of rebellions from the working class. Rebellions of which were a result of the failing economy continued, such as the Kett's Rebellion, throughout the Tudor Era and became the only successful rebellions as the monarchy often listened to the grievances of the people and went on to try and resolve their issues. Additionally, whilst Edward VI was king, poverty and economic discontent arose due to the likes of the rising food prices, which resulted in national starvation. Even for people in work, the wages they earned never accounted for the rising prices of food and as a result the nation became angry towards the monarchy. The Kett's rebellion was caused by the catalyst that was the starvation amongst the working classes and rebels very easily grew in numbers. Because so many people were affected by poverty and hunger this gave them enough justification to rebel, even if they were people who liked the king. Economic rebellions persisted throughout the Tudor Era and as a result became a threat to multiple Tudor monarchs such as Edward VI and Henry VIII. Once the economic discontent from people caused them to rebel, masses of the public sought to revolt against their underlying grievances such as regional issues and discontent towards the gentry and the elites. Overall, the economy was the driving force for many rebellions which occurred frequently throughout the whole of the Tudor period and were usually the catalyst for further rebellions of which often regarded personal grievances; the reason that the economy was so influential is because it effected such a large amount of England's population and it was the only cause which depended on life or death. One could argue that the economy is more impacting than the latter because it was the only cause which was an issue resolved usually.
Rebellions in Tudor England have been credited to be caused by other factors which are underlying grievances of the people which caused them to rebel. Commentators of the Northern Rebellion of 1569 Marcombe and S.E. Taylor 'emphasise the regional crisis which lay behind it', suggesting that the rebellion was very much a cause of regional issues as opposed to succession or religion. The northern nobility felt a justifiable insecurity towards the idea of the Duke of Norfolk to marry Mary Queen of Scots and this is what triggered the Northern Rebellion as the nobles in the north believed it would influence Elizabeth to name Mary, Queen of Scots as her heir. The Northern Earls such as Northumberland were pressured into rebellion as they believed William Cecil had far too much influence and henceforth caused a Northern revolt encouraged by the dissatisfied nobles. Rebellions which were arguably a product of regional crises are significant as the likes of the Western Rising sought to resolve their localised grievances towards the monarchy; these revolts were often ended quickly as the rebels never amounted to the amount of the monarchy's army. Despite this it was rare for a regional rebellion to ever be of success because they often lacked participation and struggled to become big enough to actually have an impact on the monarchy.
Another key cause of rebellion in Tudor England is the role of the gentry and advisors within the monarchy, and Marcombe (1987) argued that the 'gentry and the grievances towards them dominated' rebellions; this often became a cause for rebellion because there was a colossal divide between the elite and the working class during the entirety of the Tudor era, thus creating an ongoing motive to revolt throughout the period. The poor often became resentful of the gentry and elite, such as in the Prayer Book Rebellion, due to the fact they were living lives of luxury whilst the majority of the population lived in squalor. Guy argues that the Kett's rebellion was 'the closest thing to a class war'. The Independent acknowledges Guy as an 'influential academic' of Tudor history, which would reinforce his claim suggesting that the gentry was a huge factor in regards to the causes of rebellions. During Edward VI's reign, the public felt anger towards the fact the monarchy was so heavily reliant upon Edward's advisors making decisions for the king. The factor, although not one of major significance, definitely impacted the rebellions in Tudor England and came to be a common occurrence of rebellion under multiple monarchs.
One can conclude that throughout the Tudor period of 1485-1603, the most dominant cause for rebellion was the economy as it was a grievance held by the public most frequently during the era and was the only cause of rebellion which grew to be big enough to actually be successful. The failing economy and the uprising of the working class revolt was significant under multiple monarchs such as Henry VIII and Edward VI; these rebellions such as the Cornish rebellion did actually receive gratitude from the monarchy and an attempted resolution, unlike opposing factors. Despite the significance of the Economy as a cause, the role of succession is also a major factor as it is also present throughout the periods entirety and is arguably more significant than religion as a cause because religion only really became significant after Henry VIII's break from Rome. At the beginning of the Tudor period I would argue that succession was the most impacting cause of rebellion due to the revolts such as the Perkin Warbeck rebellion or the Lambert and Simnel rebellion, but despite it being a common cause at the beginning of the period these rebellions rarely became anywhere close to success and didn't really oppose that much threat to the economy. Religion was of great significance following the break from Rome under Henry VIII due to the Pilgrimage of Grace and the Prayer Book rebellion, as well as the Lady Jane Grey Plot, because these rebellions show that during Henry VIII and Edward VI's reign, people cared about religion significantly and felt like it was a justifiable reason to rebel. Despite religions influence it held weak rebellions which rarely threatened the monarchy and often ended in execution of partakers. Religion as a factor cannot be discredited as it was of major significance however one can argue that economic grievances were the one cause that most civilised people were willing to revolt over, purely because it was a matter of survival. Consequently, the statement arguing religion as the most influential cause for rebellion is discredited by the significance of opposing factors such as succession and economy.
Bibliography
https://www.historytoday.com/
http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/sadler-sir-ralph-1507-87
https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Tudor-Rebellions
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/tudor-terror-john-guy-is-on-a-mission-to-bring-history-to-the-masses-876441.html
http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1558-1603/member/sadler-sir-ralph-1507-87
https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Tudor-Rebellions
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/tudor-terror-john-guy-is-on-a-mission-to-bring-history-to-the-masses-876441.html
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