Overview of Tudors induction booklet

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  • Tudors Induction booklet
    • Henry VII's position in 1485
      • Claim to the throne
        • Father side - Married Widow of Henry V - no blood relation
        • Mothers side - direct decendent of John of Gaunt (third son of Edward III) and his third wife - third wife so no claim to the throne.
          • Henry's claim is very bad, only has right to rule by conquest.
            • Father side - Married Widow of Henry V - no blood relation
      • Strengths
        • No family other than his Mother- no completion for throne from brothers.
        • Has financial backing of the French.
        • Civil war and decades of instability mean the people are likely to accept even an illegitimate King, if it means stability.
      • Weaknesses
        • He's welsh, so traditionally disliked by the English.
        • Lords hold private armies, and could challenge his authority.
        • Has spent most of his life in Brittany, so may be viewed as a foreign invader.
        • His claim to the throne is very weak, and four other male heirs from the Yorkist side are still alive.
    • England in 1485
      • System of government
        • The King- rules and makes main decisions.
          • Informal
            • Royal Household - Members of court who acted as kings servants.
              • Privy chamber - People hand chosen by the king to serve and entertain the King in his private chambers. had the closest access to the king and thus the most opportunity to influence him.
                • Groom of the Stool - knows the king the most intemately
            • The Court - A group of aristocrats who ove from place to place with the king. entertain the king, provide good company and good advertisement for him, especially when receiving foreign guests.
          • Formal
            • The Privy council - Group of adviser chosen by the king (nobility, Clergy, Lawyers and royal household officers) central administrative body and acted as a court for dealing with grievances directed at the king.
            • Justices of the Peace - Responsible for keeping law and order in the localities.
              • Parliament - Called to meet for specific reasons, such as the king needing to raise extra money.
      • Organisation of society
        • King
          • Nobility
            • Gentry
              • commoners
                • Some were wealthy merchants or Land owning farmers (Yeoman)
                • Majority are landless Peasants
              • Lesser Landowners, bought land from nobles.
                • MPs, Administrators, Lawyers.
            • 50 total, own large areas of land old hold power in localities on behalf of the King.
              • Lords, Earls, Barons
      • General stats:
        • 3 million total population, 90% living in small rural communities. Towns were small- London the largest with 60,000 residents.
        • Most people Arable Farmers, subsistence forming on village commons.
        • some farms were enclosed, operated by yeoman for profit.
    • Europe in 1485
      • France is most powerful country- Largest professional army in Europe and largest population. also very rich.
      • Spain- only just unified two states of Aragon and castile, armies soon to command Europe wide respect.
      • Holy Roman emopire - federation of states, population of 20 million. very large, militarily strong and very expansionist.
      • Italy- A number of wealthy competeing states- Milam, Venice,Florence, Naples and the Papal states. Weak and divided so vulnerable to invasion.
      • Burgundy - Collection of towns and states created through war and diplomacy. they are Englands most important trading partner for cloth.
      • Scotland - Thorn in the side of the English. 400,000 people inhabiting a vast inaccessible land threating raids against the English boarder towns. traditionally ally with the French to appose the English. the King is utterly reliant on the loyalty of the nobility, so is vulnerable to violent usurpation.
      • Ireland - Governed by independent chiefs ( apart from the pale- controlled by the English.) Provides a spring board for invasion into England and hold yorkist sympathies.
    • The catholic church
      • Immensly wealthy, powerful and influential
      • Dominate peoples lives.
      • Have their own courts and legal system.
      • Organisation
        • Pope
          • Cardinals
            • Archbishops and Bishops.
              • Parish Priests

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