The reformation

The church was very important&powerful.

Henry VIII was bankrupt from fighting lots of expensive wars with Europe&the monasteries were very rich, so he thought that if he took over the monasteries he would become rich as well.

Henry was married to Catherine of Aragon but had only one daughter, Henry wanted a son&she didn't give him any sons so he wanted a divorce but the Pope would not give him one. In order for him to get a divorce so he could marry Anne Boylen who was already pregnant with his child he created a new branch of Christianity, Protestantism/Church of England. 

Henry wanted to control the church but the monasteries who were very powerful &loyal to the Pope would not change and Henry did not want and outsider to be a big part of English life.

Henry closed all of the monastries because they were loyal to the Pope and would not convert to Protestantism, so Henry sent inspectors round the monastries and they reported that the monastries were terrible and had to be shut down.

Protesantism took full effect during King Edward VI's regin, churches were very simple, they had a prayer book, a pulpit for preaching, wine&bread for communion and simple tiled flooring.

Queen Mary tried to convert England back to Catholism but Engkand had been Potestant for six years and people were reluctant to to change. In order for people to convert she burnt them at the stake, she burnt around 243 people at the stake.