Thomas Cromwell Is known as the architect of the English Reformation and legal advisor to King Henry VIII. However not many historians look into the life of Thomas Cromwell. Cromwell is notorious with the English Reformation. Every source on Cromwell speaks a little on the man himself, they focus on the part he played in the Kings “great matter”. Thomas Cromwell was a self taught man and struggled for everything he had. Cromwell began his journey to the Kings court in the most modest of ways. He left home at age fifteen because of a dispute with his father. His life before the reformation helped shape his decisions and his actions. Yet very few historians spend any real time looking at whom and what led Thomas Cromwell to become the Kings …show more content…
He was Henry VIII’s chief minister and advisor and helped the king in his annulment to Catherine of Aragon. Cromwell was both a religious man and statesman. It is hard to determine which of these traits caused the most tension during the Reformation period. What is known of Thomas Cromwell’s past can help to better understand the leader he became. He did not come from a noble background yet he became the right hand to the king. He worked hard for everything he had and he was a self taught man. Thomas Cromwell’s life though notable was also very tragic way before he became famous. By understanding his past one can understand the man he became and why he made the decisions he did. Thomas Cromwell was born in 1485 as most historians have come to believe; but are not completely certain; in Putney, Surrey to Walter and Catherine. Cromwell had two sisters who both married well, the eldest Catherine married a lawyer, and Elizabeth married a well do sheep farmer. His father Walter tried his hand at various odd jobs, a brewer, blacksmith, and fuller. Walter was also known for his temper and drunkenness. Thomas however did not have the benefits of his sisters. He left his unhappy home at age
Oliver Cromwell was a prominent leader during the civil war. Cromwell played a leading role in capturing Charles I to trial and execution. During the civil war, Cromwell’s military abilities commit highly to the parliamentary victory which made him appointed as the new model army leader. Also, the parliaments determined that he would end the civil war as the powerful man in England. In the selection, Edmund Ludlow criticize about the new models of government. Cromwell dislikes the idea of new models of government because he feel the new models of government would destroy the power. Also, Ludlow criticizes about Cromwell’s power is being abused too much, so he feels that the nation should governed by its own. Cromwell’s responded that the government
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After many failed attempts to obtain a divorce from his first wife Catherine of Aragon, King Henry VIII took momentous steps that led to "The Reformation," a significant occurrence in the history of religion. Prior to the reformation, all of England's inhabitants including King Henry VIII prescribed to Catholicism. In fact, King Henry VIII was such a strong supporter that he was given the title "Defender of the Faith" by the pope for his efforts in protecting Catholicism against the Protestants. However, all these changed upon the pope's denial of Henry's request for a divorce.
The claim that Thomas Cromwell carried out a revolution in Tudor government was generated by the historian Elton, the success of Cromwell as minister in his aims of sovereignty, Parliament and bureaucracy under King Henry VIII. Elton’s claims are met with many sceptic opponents such as Starkey and Guy, criticising that Cromwell’s work up to 1540 was anything but revolution, it was a mere pragmatic approach to fulfilling the king’s wishes which led to his escalation of power and a lucky set of consequential changes in government. The criticisms seem plausible when taking into consideration that Cromwell’s reformations within the Tudor government were not permanent, his work was quickly undone after his death. The work of Cromwell in government was hardly a revolutionary movement as it failed to deeply imprint itself upon England but it is undeniable that he made significant changes to England at the peak of his professional career.
A few bishops that had once made up a considerable part of parliament ( such as Bishop Fisher) were told to no longer attend, and Henry occasionally attended parliament, watching them as they voted, for example Henry attended debates in the Lords on 3 occasions and in 1532 he attended parliament for the passing of the 'Bill ... ... middle of paper ... ... fore it seems that a combination of tactics meant there was little opposition to the Henrician Reformation. Cromwell was an essential catalyst in making the reformation work; without his level of intelligence and ability to manipulate the reformation quite possibly may have encountered a great deal of opposition. The piecemeal and indeed relatively peaceful way in which the reformation occurred meant that people were rarely shocked by sudden change and that many would remain ignorant or unaffected by the changes that did occur.
After King Charles I’s execution in January 1649, Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 – 3 September 1658) became Lord Protector of the country. Oliver Cromwell was ruler of the country, with assistant of parliament from 25 December 1653, until his death, when his son Richard Cromwell took power. Cromwell wasn’t the king of the three kingdoms (England, Scotland and Ireland), but he had similar power. Over history it has been disputed whether he was a heroic, powerful saviour for the country, or an evil psychopath who took what they wanted. I have been looking at which one I believe that Cromwell was; a hero or a villain.
That is not to say there was no opposition to the reformation, for it was rife and potentially serious. The opposition came from both the upper and lower classes, from the monks and nuns and from foreign European powers. This opposition however, was cleverly minimised from the outset, Cromwell’s master plan ensured court opposition was minimal and new acts, oaths and decrees prevented groups and individuals from publicly voicing their dissatisfaction. Those who continued to counter such policies were ruthlessly and swiftly dealt with, often by execution, and used as examples to discourage others. Henry’s desire for a nation free of foreign religious intervention, total sovereign independence, a yearning of church wealth and the desire for a divorce sewed the seeds for reform.
Oliver Cromwell came from humble beginnings. Although he ended up briefly ruling England, he was not born a noble. He was born on April 25, 1599, to Robert and Elizabeth Cromwell in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. He frequently visited his grandfather, who hosted parties that nobles and other important figures often attended. It is thought that these connections might have been what first landed Cromwell a spot in Parliament. He attended Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, which was very Puritan, but did not finish studying there as a result of the death of his father in 1617. He married a woman named Elisabeth Bourchier, with whom he had nine children.
There were several events that contributed to the Revolution of 1688. King Charles I attempted to create an absolute monarchy in 1630’s by dismissing the sitting Parliament. His actions resulted in the English Civil War, where Charles was easily overpowered by Parliament and was consequently captured by Cromwell and executed for treason. After the removal of Charles I, England entered a period of a “republic” where it was ruled by Oliver Cromwell, also known as the Lord Protector. Parliament offered Cromwell the position of king, but he refused in order to distance England from another monarchy. Soon after Oliver’s death, the Commonwealth attempted to name Cromwell’s son, Richard as his predecessor, but the people refused arguing that a theocracy would not be an improvement from the monarchial times. Charles II, the son of Charles was brought back from exile and appointed king in 1660.
Henry VIII was born in Greenwich, England on June 28, 1491. At the age of just two years old Henry was named Constable of Dover Castle, and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. When he was three years old he was created the Duke of York. As a child Henry VIII was an all around well mannered, respectful child. His parents were Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, and he was their second son. His siblings consisted of Arthur (1486-1502), Margaret (1489-1541), and Mary (1496-1533). He was an extremely studious student. He studied French, Spanish, Italian, and Latin, along with music, theology and math. Henry VIII’s education in his childhood was provided by his grandmother, Margaret Beaufort. He had many other tutors, which included John Skelton (rhetoric and literature teacher), Bernard Andre (Latin teacher), and Giles d’Ewes (French teacher) .
with his 95 Theses. A strict father who most likely did not accept “no” as an
Oliver Cromwell was a well known military dictator. He helped the Parliamentarians win the First Civil War and was named Lord Protector. He died in 1658 but many people still remember him as one of the best leaders in history although others believe he was a harsh tyrant and always wanted too much power for himself. Throughout the years, numerous historians have changed their views on whether he was a good leader or not. This work will look at three interpretations from different people on who Cromwell was and what he was like and compare them.
Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I may have been the English Reformation’s greatest benefactors, all because of self interest. Henry VIII was not originally Protestant, but after the pope denied him of his divorce, Henry VIII took things into his own hands. Due to the power kings had in the Middle Ages, Henry VIII was able to control Parliament and force it to do whatever he wanted. So in 1534, Henry VIII forced Parliament to pass a law he made known as the Act of Supremacy. The Act of Supremacy stated that the king ought to be the head of the Church of England. This law gave the king complete power over the Church of England, instead of the pope. However, the type of church and state relationship did not change. Rather all the Act of Supremacy did was take power from the pope and give it to the king. Surprisingly, the Catholics did not retaliate against this strong change. The pope had always been the head of the church, but now the king had taken his position. This serves as an example of nationalism. The Catholics did not think about how removing the pope could harm their religion in any way. However, instead the people blindly followed Henry VIII because he was the leader of the nation and they assumed he was right. Also, by imposing other laws that punished Protestants, Henry VIII did not give the people much of a choice. Fortunately, for Henry VII, nationalis...
During the reign of Charles I, the people of England were divided into two groups due to their opinions on how the country should be run: The Royalists, and the Parliamentarians. The Royalists were those people who supported Charles I and his successor, while the Parliamentarians were those who supported the idea that Parliament should have a larger role in government affairs. Milton was a Parliamentarian and was an outspoken enemy of Charles I, having written numerous essays and pamphlets regarding his ideas as to how the government should be run, and “In one very famous pamphlet, he actually defended Parliament's right to behead the king should the king be found inadequate.” Charles I was seen as a corrupt and incompetent ruler, and “the Parliamentarians were fed up with their king and wanted Parliament to play a more important role in English politics and government.” This belief was held because of the unethical and tyrannical behavior of ruler Charles I. During his reign, he violated the liberties of his people and acted with hypocrisy and a general disregard for his subjects. Examples of his abuse of power in...
Pettegree, Andrew. "The English Reformation." BBC History. BBC, 17 Feb 2011. Web. 1 Oct 2013.