Practical Work No.

2:The Reformation

Name and surname:

Retrivi Maria

Pedatella Florencia

Costa Evangelina

Humeres Lucrecia

Date:

Mark:
OBJECTIVES
● To promote collaborative work
● To analyse the religious, economic, social and political implications of the Reformation
● To understand that even though the Reformation was a religious revolution, it interacted with
other spheres of culture

ACTIVITY
After reading this week’s material and watching the uploaded video, you’ll work in groups to create a
single document summarizing the political, economic, social and religious consequences of the
Reformation.

METHODOLOGY
Each group will read the shared material on the platform, carry out some research on the topic and share
opinions and ideas via Google Docs, chat, email, etc.

WHAT TO SUBMIT?
Each group will create and submit 1 single document(.doc or pdf):
 - At the end of the document, include the names of all the active participants
- Save the document like this: vici_groupN°_PW2
- One member of the group will submit the document for correction

IF YOU CAN’T PARTICIPATE IN THIS PW, YOU MUST TELL THE OTHER MEMBERS AND
THE TUTOR IN ADVANCE.

In 1500, the population of England was about 3 million and London had around 60,000 people.
In order to frame the Tudor period, we could begin by saying that houses were closely packed
together in the crowded city. Noblemen were ontop of the social pyramid, just below the
monarch; actually, many nobels had blood ties to the crown. Placed in the middle of the
pyramid are the clergy and merchants; and lastly, the laborers. Bussimen and the clergy all
kept large establishments: monks owned tenements and lands all over England and merchants
resented the dominance of the church because there was a lack of premises from which to do
business. The monasteries were often community centres, they played a critical role for
society. Apart from being greatest land owners, these religious houses controlled abbeys and
convents as well as they were often quite wealthy and received donations from the people.
The monasteries took an active part in society. They provide healthcare as many of the larger
convents and monasteries had built hospitals for the sick, and they were often the only medical
help available to people during an epidemic. Terrible outbreaks of disease killed thousands of
Londoners between 1348 and 1665. Black Death, Great Plague and The English Sweat were
only three of nearly 40 diseases that London suffered. Most experts believe that the worst
plague that struck London was bubonic plague: 60–80% of those with the disease
died.Whereas nowadays rodents plague the poor, in those times, they were a feature of all
levels of society. Monks and nuns were often experienced healers and had a deep knowledge
of medicinal herbs. They offered hospitality for travelers, and made education available for
those with limited educational opportunities. Nuns dealt with the education of young women
and often provided the only possible formal education to many girls.
Many aspects of English life and its culture were altered with the suppression of the
monasteries. It caused immense social problems, and the poor and the ordinary people
suffered greatly; many social services disappeared, there were fewer schools, hospitals, and
less poor relief. Crime increased significantly and the English elite was worried about the rise
in the numbers of vagrants and the poor in general in society. In addition to this social context,
we should add that the landowners discovered they could make more money by enclosing
their land and devoting it raising sheep, which was less labor intensive, and there was no
longer a living on the farm for many people. Then, enclosing consolidated. During the Tudor
period, the land was under control of the farmers who were free to adopt the most convenient
practices and were often accompanied by a loss of common rights. As a result, few labourers
were required and entire villages were destroyed. The practice of enclosure was responsible
for many problems in England at the time: unemployment, impoverishment of rural workers
and their displacement to urban areas
While these transformations were going on in society, new ideas were coming about. As most
cathedral schools were closed during the reformation, they were replaced by new foundations.
Grammar schools were established, they were opened to all and offered free tuition to those
who could not pay fees. Apart from studying Language, Natural Science, History, Mathematics
and Geography, new subjects were added such as Greek and Hebrew. The nobels and
wealthy merchants used to set up grammar schools as charity.
Then, Humanists turned up. They brought their admiration of the Romans and Greek, the
defence of the human values , interests and dignity. Among its many principles, humanism
promoted the idea that man was the center of his own universe, and people should embrace
human achievements in education, classical arts, literature and science. During this
Renaissance period, scientific discoveries led to major shifts in thinking.
Henry VII was the king of England and Lord of Ireland and the first monarch of the House of
Tudors. He had four children.The first of them would have succeeded to the throne, but he had
died after his marriage, leaving Henry VIII as heir. Henry VIII (Duke of Richmond) had inherit
the throne by succeeding his father Henry VII.
Through his life, he had married several times with the hope of having a male child to succeed
him.
At the beginning, he was seen as a kind king and not very interested in ruling England. He
preferred sports and free time. At first, he let the ruling in other people’s hands for the first
years, but then he began to be involved in ruling his throne.
In 1509 he married Catherine of Aragon of Spain (his sister-in-law). She gave birth to a
daughter, Mary and no sons. So,his Tudor Dynasty was in danger and began being desperate
for having a male child.
Therefore, he tried to divorce her, but it was not so easy to carry out.
Catherine was supported by the Holy Roman Empire, so the Pope refused to accept the
divorce. Henry´s concern about having an heir and secure his lineage prompted him to ask for
the divorce whenever possible. As he was not allow to divorce his wife, the English Parliament
established laws breaking ties with Rome. In this way, the king was declared Supreme
Governor of the Church of England and separated from the Catholic Church.
In the first years of his reign, in the sixteenth century, Henry VIII did defend the Church against
Luther´s ideas and belief. Luther was a German professor of Christian theology, composer,
priest, monk, and a seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation. He rejected several
teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church; in particular, he questioned the view
on indulgences. Luther proposed an academic discussion of the practice and efficacy of
indulgences in 1517. His refusal to renounce all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in
1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at an assembly in 1521, resulted in his
excommunication by the Pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the Holy Roman Emperor.
The Pope was very grateful for this initiative and gave Henry VIII the title of Defender of the
Faith.
But, as Henry was starting to realized that his wife, Elizabeth of York, due to her advanced age
to reproduce, was not going to be able to give him a male heir to continue his dynasty, the
King decided that it was high time to divorce from her so he could get married again, and
therefore have a son to rule after him.
In order to achieve this, in 1532, the Parliament rapidly approved some laws curbing the
influence of the papacy in England and appointing the King Henry VIII as Supreme Head of the
Church.
Once he was divorced from Catherine of Aragon, by the year 1536, the King took control over
much of the Church's property through the Dissolution of the Monasteries, also made them
demolish for building materials, sold them off, or they were reclaimed as Anglican Churches.
There are two reasons for this dissolution: the monasteries reminded the King and the people
to the Christian Church, and the monasteries were the wealthiest institutions in the country,
and Henry’s lifestyle, along with his wars, had led to a lack of money. By destroying them
Henry could acquire all its wealth and property and, at the same time, remove the Pope
influence. So, small monasteries with an income of less than £200 a year were closed and
their buildings, land, money, gold and silver plates taken by the Crown. It is said that the King’s
own treasury profited by about one and a half million pounds. However a great amount of the
wealth Henry acquired through the Dissolution was spent on his wars against France and
Scotland.
Besides, these institutions owned over a quarter of all the cultivated land in England. Those
pieces of land and buildings were confiscated and sold off to families who sympathized with
Henry’s idea of breaking from Rome. After the disposal of their monastic lands and buildings,
the majority of monks, friars and nuns were given money or pensions. However, there were
some abbots and religious house leaders who refused to comply. They were executed and
their monasteries destroyed. Thousands of monastic servants suddenly found themselves
without employment.
Also, many people, particularly in the North of England, were against the Dissolution. In this
region, the old Catholic faith remained especially strong. A large rebel army of over 30,000
people marched to York and demanded that the monasteries should be reopened. The rebels
were promised a pardon and a Parliament in York to discuss their demands, and they
disbanded. However they had been tricked; Henry gave orders that the leaders of the rebellion
should be arrested and around 200 people were executed.

In 1500, the population of England was about 3 million and London had around 60,000 people.
During the Tudors period, houses were closely packed together in the crowded city. Below the
monarch, there were the Noblemen which had blood ties to the crown. In the middle of the
pyramid, there were the clergy and merchants. Lastly, the labourers. Businessman and the
clergy kept large establishments: monks owned tenements and lands all over England and
merchants resented the dominance of the church because there was a lack of premises from
which to do business.
The first monarch of the House of Tudor was Henry VII, king of England and Lord of Ireland.
He had four children. The first of them would have succeeded to the throne, but he died after
his marriage. Thus, Henry VIII (Duke of Richmond) inherited the throne by succeeding his
father.
At the beginning, Henry was seen as a kind king, not very interested in ruling England and
letting the job in other people’s hands. He preferred sports and free time. But then, he began
to be involved in ruling his throne. In 1509, he married Catherine of Aragon of Spain (his
sister-in-law). She gave birth to a daughter, Mary, but no sons.
In the first years of his reign, Henry VIII did defend the Church against Luther's ideas and
beliefs. Luther was a German professor of Christian theology, composer, priest, monk, and a
seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation. He rejected several teachings and practices of
the Roman Catholic Church. In particular, he questioned the view on indulgences. Luther
proposed an academic discussion of the practice and efficacy of indulgences in 1517. Later, in
1520, his refusal to renounce all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X and the Holy
Roman Emperor Charles V, at an assembly, resulted in his excommunication and
condemnation as an outlaw by the Holy Roman Emperor. Henry VIII wrote a pamphlet called
“Declaration of the Seven Sacraments against Martin Luther”, defending the sacraments. The
Pope was very grateful for this initiative and gave Henry VIII the title of Defender of the Faith in
1521.
Once titled Defender of Faith, Henry’s situation began to change. By 1527, Henry was in
despair because his marriage failed to produce a male heir and his Tudor Dynasty was in
danger. Henry asked the Pope to grant him a divorce, arguing that his marriage was against
God’s will because Catherine had been married to his brother, Arthur. But it was not so easy to
carry out because Catherine was supported by the Holy Roman Empire and the Pope refused
to accept the divorce.
Henry´s concern about having an heir and secure his lineage prompted him to ask for the
divorce whenever possible. Since the Catholic Church did not allow him to divorce Catherine,
he appointed a new Archbishop of Canterbury that granted him the divorce and believed that
the King should not be subject of the Pope’s jurisdiction. In 1534, the English Parliament
passed the Act of Supremacy, which broke ties with Rome and appointed the King as the
Supreme Head of Church.
Once he was divorced from Catherine of Aragon, by the year 1536, the King took control over
much of the Church's property through the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The reasons for
carrying out the process were two. First, Henry would not be able to face an invasion without
the economic support of the Catholic Church. As his lifestyle and the wars contributed to the
lack of money, he needed a source of income. Second, the monasteries reminded the King
and the people to the Catholic Church. By destroying them, Henry could remove the influence
of Catholicism in England.
The Catholic Church was the greatest landowner of England, owning over a quarter of all the
cultivated land; and the monasteries were the wealthiest institutions in the country. The
monasteries were often community centres and they played a critical role for society. Apart
from being greatest land owners, these religious houses controlled abbeys and convents and
received donations from the people. The monasteries took an active part in society: they
provide healthcare as many of the larger convents and monasteries had built hospitals for the
sick and they were often the only medical help available to people during an epidemic. Monks
and nuns were often experienced healers and had a deep knowledge of medicinal herbs. They
offered hospitality for travellers and made education available for those with limited
opportunities. Nuns dealt with the education of young women and often provided the only
possible formal education to many girls.
By the Dissolution, Henry transferred the monasteries’ wealth, properties and clerical taxation
to the Crown. In 1536, the Act of Suppression was passed and closed the small monasteries
with an income of less than £200 a year. Their buildings, land, money, gold and silver plates
were taken by the Crown. The Second Suppression Act of 1539 allowed the dissolution of the
larger monasteries and religious houses. Land and buildings were confiscated and sold off to
families who sympathized with Henry’s idea of breaking from Rome. It is said that the King’s
own treasury profited by about one and a half million pounds. However, a great amount of the
wealth Henry acquired through the Dissolution was spent on his wars against France and
Scotland.
After the disposal of their monastic lands and buildings, the majority of monks, friars and nuns
were given money or pensions. However, there were some abbots and religious house leaders
who refused to comply. They were executed and their monasteries destroyed. Thousands of
monastic servants suddenly found themselves without employment.
Many people, particularly in the North of England, were against the Dissolution. In this region,
the old Catholic faith remained especially strong. A large rebel army of over 30,000 people
marched to York and demanded that the monasteries should be reopened. The rebels were
promised a pardon and a Parliament in York to discuss their demands, and they disbanded.
However, they had been tricked; Henry gave orders that the leaders of the rebellion should be
arrested and around 200 people were executed.
Many aspects of English life and its culture were altered with the suppression of the
monasteries. It caused immense social problems and the poor and ordinary people suffered
greatly; many social services disappeared, there were fewer schools, hospitals and less poor
relief. Crime increased significantly and the English elite were worried about the rise in the
numbers of vagrants and the poor in general in society.
As most cathedral schools were closed during the Reformation, they were replaced by new
foundations. Grammar schools were established; opened to all and offered free tuition to those
who could not pay fees. Apart from studying Language, Natural Science, History, Mathematics
and Geography, new subjects were added such as Greek and Hebrew. The nobles and
wealthy merchants used to set up grammar schools as charity.
Then, Humanists turned up. They brought their admiration of the Romans and Greek, the
defence of the human values, interests and dignity. Among its many principles, humanism
promoted the idea that man was the center of his own universe, and people should embrace
human achievements in education, classical arts, literature and science. During this
Renaissance period, scientific discoveries led to major shifts in thinking.

Sources:

Tudorhistory.Org. (2012).The Tudor Monarchs. Recuperado de https://tudorhistory.org/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com.es/personajes/tudor

https://www.britannica.com/topic/House-of-Tudor

https://www.thoughtco.com/tudors-introduction-to-a-royal-dynasty-1222009

https://www.bbc.com/timelines/zxnbr82

https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-tudor-dynasty-family-tree-timeline-quiz.html
Miller, H., (1951). The English Nobility in the Reign of Henrry XIII. Grove Press. Reprint edition.

Loades, D., (noviembre de 1999). Enrique XIII y sus Reinas. Barcelona: Plaza y Janés
Editores.