Elizabeth I (also known as Elizabeth the Great, or the "Virgin Queen") was born in 1533 into a dangerous world of political intrigue. When she was only two years old, her father, King Henry VIII killed her mother, Ann Boleyn, because she had not yet produced a male heir. Henry's routine killing of her successive stepmothers every few years traumatized Elizabeth, who loved her father. Although Henry finally did father a son, Edward VI, the boy did not live long, dying at the age of sixteen after a six-year reign, and thus Elizabeth's older sister Mary I came to the throne in 1553. Meanwhile, the young Elizabeth showed exceptional intelligence, excelling at her studies well beyond any of the other royal children. A Catholic, Mary married the Hapsburg prince of Spain, the soon-to-be Philip II. Mary would come to be known as "Bloody Mary" for her harsh treatment of English Protestants in her attempt to restore Catholicism to England. When Sir Thomas Wyat the Younger's Rebellion threatened Mary's rule, she believed Elizabeth to have been involved in the plot and imprisoned her in the Tower of London. By a combination of luck and skillful persuasion on the part of her political allies, Elizabeth survived this ordeal and became queen when Mary died in 1558. Elizabeth quickly consolidated power and returned the country to Protestantism, passing the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity, although by Reformation standards Catholics fared well under these acts. Wi...
The Elizabethan Deliverance - Arthur Bryant Reformation and Revolution 1558-1660 - Robert Ashton Elizabeth and her Parliaments - J.E. Neales Elizabeth and her Reign - Richard Salter Elizabeth I and religion 1558-1603 - Susan Doran Tudor England - John Guy Elizabeth I - David Starkey
Elizabeth I, from Greenwich, England, is recognized as one of the great rulers of the Western world. Growing up, tutors were astonished at the fact that she could play music and speak numerous languages. At age 25, she became queen. Her father, eldest sister, and brother had all died, which left her next in line for the throne. Though many people predicted that her reign would not last long, Elizabeth quickly disproved their underestimations
With any new monarch’s ascension to the throne, there comes with it changes in the policies of the country. From Elizabeth’s new council, to Henry’s documented polices and even to William the Silent’s inaction in response to threats were all policies that needed to be worked out by the new rulers. This group of rulers all had something in common; they chose to let their people make their religious preference solely on their beliefs but they all differed in their ways of letting this come about. This was monumental for the time period in which they lived, but it was something that needed to be done to progress national unity.
Elizabeth I was born in 1533 to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Although she entertained many marriage proposals and flirted incessantly, she never married or had children.
People believed that Queen Elizabeth would restore the protestant faith after her sister, Mary destroyed it by persecuting all protestant people. The queen wished to follow this request, as she had grown up protestant and was raised to stay true to the lord. Although, she was dedicated to reestablishing her own beliefs, Elizabeth decided it was best to let Catholicism die out naturally rather than getting involved with the head of the church. Eventually, she succeeded, the majority of England’s population turned to Protestantism leaving very few Catholics. Despite the fact that Elizabeth wanted all of England to become followers of the protestant religion, she was extremely tolerant of all faiths and thought nobody deserved to be persecuted unless they were disturbing England’s peace. Queen Elizabeth I proclaimed the following, "There is only one Christ, Jesus, one faith" she exclaimed later in her reign, "all else is a dispute over trifles." She believed that as long as her fellow citizens followed the laws of the lord, they were allowed to practice whatever belief felt right to them. Elizabeth did not want the church to become a place of violence and disagreement, instead she ensured the church was welcoming to both Catholics and Protestants. People were willing to agree with the queen’s beliefs because she recognized that she was not a perfect protestant; however, Elizabeth prayed everyday hoping she would become a better follower of God. She shared her personal experiences with others, proving to them that she too was a normal person and made mistakes often. Overall, Queen Elizabeth I shaped the face of religion for England by allowing the people to follow the faith of their choosing and reestablishing Protestant
Mary was the daughter of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, (Master) “Mary I Queen of England” states that Mary was “the only child born to Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon to survive childhood.” Mary grew up as the center of attention for many many years and had a very good childhood as the young princess. although her childhood was good, her parents did get a divorce declaring her as a bastard child, taking away her royal title as princess. That didn't stop her though, she did restore her title and became the first queen of inheritance ever. (Master) Protestant propaganda has slandered the name of Mary, giving her the terrifying and misleading nickname “Bloody Mary”.
Bloody Mary Mary I, Queen of England was a very prominent figure in European history. Her reign as queen was filled with many trials and tribulations that were not accepted by most of England. Many of Mary’s rash decisions were most likely do to her upbringing and her lack of will power. Whether it is being declared a bastard as a young child by her tyrannical father, Henry VIII, or her marriage to Phillip of Spain, Mary was easily influenced by others and it showed as she grew older and took over the thrown. Mary was born the daughter of Henry VIII and Katherine.
Queen Elizabeth came in to rule during a major and intense religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants. She was able to successfully fix the divide which greatly benefitted England. The tension between the sects were at a breaking point and it caused lots of problem. Elizabeth enacted policies to fix this device. She first initiated the Act of Uniformity which made England have one one prayer book. This prayer book was a protestant one. One of Elizabeth's main goal was to make England Protestant and her reforms reflected that. Elizabeth also issued the Act of Supremacy which made Elizabeth the religious and political absolute ruler. All of these reforms went to the overall stability of England. Even with all of the harsh changes she still was moderate in making religious reforms. She once said “There is one Jesus Christ,” meaning she wants unity. Although Elizabeth tried to be peaceful with the Catholics were will killed and persecuted. Pope Pius V eventually excommunicated her. People
Elizabeth I was born on the seventh of September 1533 at the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich, England. She was the daughter of King Henry VIII (1491-1547) and his second wife who was once his mistress, Anne Boleyn (1507-1536). However after speculation of adultery, incest, and high treason, Anne’s marriage to the king was annulled and she was executed. This ultimately declared the young Elizabeth illegitimate. Her father remarried to Jane Seymour (1508-1537), who gave birth to a male heir named Edward VI (1537-1553). Edward succeeded to the throne after the death of Henry VIII by the age of nine, however he became ill at the age of fifteen. He named Lady Jane Dudley; his first cousin once removed the successor of his kingdom, disregarding
Roper, H. R.. The crisis of the seventeenth century; religion, the Reformation, and social change. [1st U.S. ed. New York: Harper & Row, 19681967. Print.
Queen Elizabeth I was an influential person in England’s history. According to Heather Sharnette, Elizabeth Tudor was born on September 7, 1533 to King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn at Greenwich Place. Elizabeth was supposed to be a boy, as Henry had divorced his former wife Katherine to try and get a son. Sharnette laters describes how Elizabeth was declared illegitimate like her sister Mary when Anne’s marriage to the King was declared void and she was beheaded. Elizabeth eventually reclaimed her right to the throne when Henry decided that even though they were illegitimate they could be reinstated in the succession. Heather Sharnette also described that Elizabeth was second in line, after Mary, who would be the successor to the boy king Edward.
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...
Mary's father, Henry VIII, and her mother, Catherine of Argon, (“Mary Tudor”) had been trying to have children for years. Through several miscarriages, still-borns, and child deaths (“Childhood”), they finally gave birth to a precious baby girl on February 18, 1516 (“Mary Tudor”). She had a very fair complexion with grey eyes and red hair (Childhood). Henry VIII decided to name her Mary after his younger sister (“Childhood”). When Mary was born, she was quickly baptized catholic (“Mary Tudor”). As a child, Mary was outstanding. She was polite, charming, modest, affectionate, kindly, and exceedingly smart (Thurston). She learned to speak Latin, French, Spanish, and some Italian (“Childhood”). In 1525, her father sent her to live on the border of Wales, while he attempted to negotiate a marriage for her (“Mary Tudor”).
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King Henry VIII didn’t even claim Queen Elizabeth I until she made it obvious that she was respectable at everything she did and was very intelligent to be so young. On top of all her knowledge, she was a girl and in that time period girls weren’t respected like they are today. Because Elizabeth’s mother, Anne, could not provide the King with a son she was executed on false charges of incest and adultery in 1536 on May nineteenth (“Queen Elizabeth I Biography”). Elizabeth was only three years old when her mother was accused of such actions. Following her mother’s death, Elizabeth went through countless step mothers. One of which giving the King his longed for son, King Edward VI (“Queen Elizabeth I Biography”). King Henry VIII married Jane Seymour twelve days after Elizabeth’s mothers’ execution. However, Jane passed away due to childbed fever ("Queen Elizabeth I: Biography, Portraits, Primary Sources."). It was Henry 's sixth and final wife, Katharine Parr, who had the greatest impact upon Elizabeth 's life. A kind woman who believed passionately in education and religious reform, it seemed as if Katharine was a devoted stepmother and took pride in helping Elizabeth further her