The Reformation and its impact | History for Year 6 PDF Download

Henry VIII's Religious Beliefs

• For much of his adult life, Henry VIII was a devout Catholic, regularly attending daily Mass and participating in Catholic pilgrimages, such as to the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in Norfolk. 
• In 1517, Martin Luther, a German priest and former monk, sparked the Protestant movement by criticizing the Catholic Church, initiating a new Christian branch called Protestantism. Henry, appalled by these developments, authored Assertio Septem Sacramentorum (Defence of the Seven Sacraments), a robust defense of Catholic principles, earning him the title Fidei Defensor (Defender of the Faith) from the Pope.

The Attempt to Get an Annulment

• In the 1520s, Henry sought to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, driven by his desire for a male heir, as their only surviving child was their daughter, Mary. 
• In June 1529, Pope Clement VII permitted a trial in England, overseen by Cardinal Campeggio. Both Henry and Catherine presented their cases, with Catherine opposing the annulment. Despite extensive debates involving legal and biblical experts, the court did not grant the annulment. 
• The Pope faced several obstacles: Henry argued his marriage was sinful as Catherine was his brother’s widow, yet the Bible (Deuteronomy) encouraged such unions; annulling the marriage would contradict a prior papal dispensation allowing Henry and Catherine’s marriage; and Catherine’s nephew, Charles V, who had imprisoned the Pope after the 1525 Battle of Pavia, wielded significant influence.

Causes of the Break from Rome and the Start of the Church of England

In 1534, Henry used Parliament to pass the Act of Supremacy, establishing himself as head of the Church of England and enabling him to annul his marriage to Catherine. Several factors drove this break with Rome:

• Desire to End His Marriage: After failing to secure an annulment by 1533, Henry sought alternative means to dissolve his marriage, leading to the creation of the Church of England.
• Influence of Anne Boleyn: By 1526, Henry became enamored with Anne Boleyn, a lady-in-waiting to Catherine who had been exposed to Protestant ideas in France. Anne, who supported reformist ideas, influenced Henry and refused to consummate their relationship without marriage.
• Rise of Protestantism: Before the break, secret groups in England embraced Protestant ideas, sharing smuggled texts. Anne’s influence helped elevate Protestant sympathizers like Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Cranmer at court.
• Wealth and Power: Protestant texts criticized the Pope’s authority, and in 1531, Henry commissioned works like Collectanea Satis Copiosa, arguing that a king could make religious decisions independently. Additionally, redirecting the Catholic Church’s wealth to the crown addressed Henry’s financial needs for military, naval, and construction projects.

Ending the Marriage to Catherine of Aragon

In 1533, Henry, confident in his support, passed an act through Parliament preventing Catherine from appealing to the Pope. He married Anne Boleyn and declared himself head of the Church of England. 

The 1534 Treasons Act made questioning Henry’s authority over the Church, or even harboring negative thoughts about him, punishable by death.

The Dissolution of the Monasteries

After Anne’s execution in 1536 for treason and other charges, Protestant figures like Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Cranmer continued advocating reform. Cromwell, critical of monastic wealth, sent inspectors to assess monasteries nationwide. 

Reports highlighted monks living luxuriously and creating fake relics for profit. Henry and Cromwell stripped monasteries of their treasures, establishing the Court of Augmentations to manage the sale of monastic lands to nobles and gentry, significantly enriching Henry and redistributing land ownership in England.

The Impact of the Reformation

Henry strengthened Tudor control over Ireland, where Catholic resistance, like the 1534–1535 Kildare Rebellion led by ‘Silken Thomas’ FitzGerald, was brutally suppressed, with executions in 1537. 

In 1535, Miles Coverdale published the first complete English Bible, followed by the authorized Great Bible in 1539, used in Church of England services. The 1536 Act of the Ten Articles, likely authored by Thomas Cranmer, incorporated Protestant ideas, rejecting Catholic concepts like purgatory and criticizing relics. The Lord’s Prayer began being recited in English during services.

Opposition to the Reformation

England was predominantly Catholic before the Reformation, making Henry’s break with Rome deeply unsettling for many. Defiance was risky under the 1534 Treasons Act. Notable opponents included:

• Sir Thomas More, a friend of Henry, who refused to swear an oath recognizing Henry as head of the Church and was executed.
• Elizabeth Barton, a nun claiming visions that predicted Henry’s death and damnation if he remarried, was executed, and her head displayed on London Bridge.
• Carthusian Monks, 18 of whom were executed for rejecting Henry’s annulment and authority over the Church.
• Pilgrimage of Grace (1536), a massive uprising in northern England against the Church of England, led by Robert Aske, who was brutally executed.

Long-Term Impact of the Reformation

After Henry’s death in 1547, the Reformation’s effects persisted. Under Edward VI, raised by Protestant uncles, England became more Protestant, sparking the 1549 Prayer Book Rebellion against religious changes. 

Mary I, Catherine’s Catholic daughter, restored Catholicism, persecuting Protestants (around 300 executions), earning her the nickname ‘Bloody Mary.’ Elizabeth I, Anne Boleyn’s daughter, established a moderate Protestantism via the Religious Settlement, facing opposition from both Catholics and reformist Protestants. 

Catholic rebellions in England and Ireland persisted, and subsequent monarchs, starting with James I, enacted laws marginalizing Catholics, particularly in Ireland, where they were excluded from political influence and land ownership. Henry’s actions triggered profound and lasting religious and political changes.

Key points

• In his early years, Henry VIII was a devout Catholic and defended the Pope against Martin Luther’s Protestant ideas.
• In 1534, Henry VIII declared himself the head of the Church in England, breaking away from the Pope’s authority, initiating the English Reformation.
• This separation from Rome set England on a path to becoming a Protestant nation.
• The Reformation led to significant consequences, including the Dissolution of the Monasteries and numerous rebellions.