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The Tudors: The Wars of The Roses

The Tudor period began in 1485 when Henry VII became king after defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, ending the Wars of the Roses between the Houses of Lancaster and York. Henry VII strengthened the monarchy and centralized power. His son, Henry VIII, broke from the Catholic Church after the Pope refused to annul his marriage, establishing the Church of England with himself as its head. Protestant reforms spread further during the reigns of Edward VI and Elizabeth I, though Catholic Mary I persecuted Protestants during her short rule.

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37 views2 pages

The Tudors: The Wars of The Roses

The Tudor period began in 1485 when Henry VII became king after defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, ending the Wars of the Roses between the Houses of Lancaster and York. Henry VII strengthened the monarchy and centralized power. His son, Henry VIII, broke from the Catholic Church after the Pope refused to annul his marriage, establishing the Church of England with himself as its head. Protestant reforms spread further during the reigns of Edward VI and Elizabeth I, though Catholic Mary I persecuted Protestants during her short rule.

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Ibba_m
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The Tudors

The Tudor period of history began in the year 1485 when King Henry VII became king. Learn
about Henry VlI, his son Henry VIII and other kings and queens from the Tudor period as you
complete these activities.
The Wars of the Roses
In 1455, a civil war was begun to decide who should be king of England. It was fought between
the supporters of two families: the House of Lancaster and the House of York. This war was
called the Wars of the Roses, because the symbol of Lancaster was a red rose and the symbol of
York was a white rose. The war ended with the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. King Richard lll
of the House of York was killed in the battle and Henry Tudor, the leader of the House of
Lancaster, became King Henry Vll. Henry then married King Richards niece, Elizabeth of York,
and united the two families. Henry was the first king of the House of Tudor. The symbol of the
House of Tudor was a red rose with a white rose inside it as a sign that the Houses of York and
Lancaster were now allies.
Religious conflicts
After his victory in the Wars of the Roses, Henry Vll wanted to make sure that England remained
peaceful and that his position as king was secure. He deliberately strengthened the central
administration of England and reduced the power of the nobles. He was thrifty and built up the
monarchys financial reserves. When he died, his son Henry Vlll continued the policy of
centralising power.
Henry Vlll was most famous for breaking away from the Church of Rome and marrying six times.
To divorce his first wife, Henry needed the approval of the Pope. When the Pope refused, Henry
established the Church of England. In this new Church, the king, not the Pope, would have the
power to appoint bishops and order how people should worship.
At the same time the Reformation was happening across Europe. This was a movement against
the authority of the Pope and the ideas and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. The
Protestants formed their own churches. They read the Bible in their own languages instead of in
Latin; they did not pray to saints or at shrines; and they believed that a persons own
relationship with God was more important than submitting to the authority of the Church.
Protestant ideas gradually gained strength in England, Wales and Scotland during the 16th
century.
In Ireland, however, attempts by the English to impose Protestantism (alongside efforts to
introduce the English system of laws about the inheritance of land) led to rebellion from the Irish
chieftains, and much brutal fighting followed.
During the reign of Henry Vlll, Wales became formally united with England by the Act for the
Government of Wales. The Welsh sent representatives to the House of Commons and the Welsh
legal system was reformed.
Henry Vlll was succeeded by his son Edward Vl, who was strongly Protestant. During his reign,
the Book of Common Prayer was written to be used in the Church of England. A version of this
book is still used in some churches today. Edward died at the age of 15 after ruling for just over
six years, and his half-sister Mary became queen. Mary was a devout Catholic and persecuted
Protestants (for this reason, she became known as Bloody Mary). Mary also died after a short
reign and the next monarch was her half-sister, Elizabeth, the daughter of Henry Vlll and Anne
Boleyn.
Glossary:
thrifty: being careful of your money and how you spend it;
to worship: the act of showing respect and love for a god; to honor (someone or something) as
a god;
shrines: a holy or sacred place, or a place known as the site of a religious occurrence or a
historical event.
chieftain: a leader especially of a band, tribe, or clan;

Read the text called 'The Tudors'. Put these sentences into the correct order, according to
when they happened

King Richard III of the House of York was killed.


Henry VIII broke away from the Church of Rome because the Pope didn't let him divorce his first wife.
The House of Lancaster won the Wars of the Roses. Henry Tudor became King Henry VII.
Edward VI ruled for just over six years.
The Wars of the Roses began in 1455.
Wales became united with England by the Act for the Government of Wales.
The Houses of York and Lancaster became united when King Henry VII married Elizabeth of York.
In Ireland, the Irish chieftains fought against the Protestants.
The Reformation was happening across Europe and Protestant ideas gradually gained strength in
England, Wales and Scotland.
King Edward's half-sister, Mary, became queen.

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