Henry VII and the Tudor Dynasty

Study Notes

Henry Tudor, a refugee and fugitive, landed in Wales with a small fleet to claim the throne of England
Invaded England to depose Richard III and create the Tudor dynasty
Henry's army was a ragtag bunch of political dissidents and foreign mercenaries
Invaded Wales to gather support in his homeland before facing Richard's larger army
Stanley, a powerful noble, kept his options open and only backed Henry when it seemed he would win
Henry's forces were outnumbered, but he knew Richard's army was close and had no choice but to fight
Henry and Richard fought nose-to-nose during the Battle of Bosworth, and Henry's standard-bearer was cut down
At the crucial moment, Stanley's army joined Henry's side, turning the tide of the battle
Richard III was killed, and Henry's men relieved the dead and dying of their valuables
Henry was crowned on the spot where every English king and queen had been crowned since 1385
Henry's claim to the throne was precarious due to his illegitimate Lancastrian lineage
Parliament met and Henry used it to rewrite history to make himself the rightful king
Henry married Elizabeth of York to reconcile a divided England and link his new dynasty with the English crown
Henry's enemies believed they were the rightful kings and instigated rebellions against him
Henry created the first pound coin to spread his message and show his power and authority
Henry was paranoid and embedded spies in suspects' households and interviewed their confessors
Discovered a plot to impersonate one of the princes in the tower and uncovered a traitor in his Lord Chamberlain's household
Built a dense network of spies and informers to keep a close eye on his enemies
The Yorkist pretender was captured and executed, and Henry felt safe after 15 years on the throne
Arranged a royal marriage between his eldest son and Catherine of Aragon to set the seal on his dynastic ambitions.- George, Prince of Wales, was laid to rest at Worcester Cathedral in a grand funeral ceremony.
The funeral was attended by crowds of mourners, with Arthur's coat of arms, sword, and shield on display.
Arthur's death had significant political consequences, with the Tudor dynasty's future resting on Prince Henry, Elizabeth's younger brother.
Elizabeth, who was pregnant at the time of Arthur's death, went into labor prematurely and died during childbirth, leaving Henry without both his wife and heir.
Henry's reign was marked by fear and suspicion, with a system of repression enforced by the Council Learned in the Law, a shadowy tribunal answerable only to the king.
Edmund Dudley, a lawyer, was a key figure in Henry's reign, using long-forgotten laws to impose crushing financial penalties on subjects.
One notorious case involved the falsely accused murder of a newborn child by Thomas Sinneth, who was eventually forced to pay a large fine for a pardon.
Henry received a stroke of luck when Philip of Burgundy, who was sheltering the Earl of Suffolk, was shipwrecked and agreed to hand him over.
Prince Henry, who was growing up under his father's control, was an athletic and brilliant teenager who was eager to form bonds in the jousting arena.
Henry the Seventh's health began to fail, and he died in 1509, leaving behind a legacy of architectural wonders, including Westminster Abbey, where he was laid to rest.
Henry's reign was marked by fear and repression, but also achieved political unity and the creation of the Tudor dynasty.
After Henry's death, Edmund Dudley, who had become unpopular, was charged with treason and executed.
Henry VIII, Henry's son, was proclaimed king and sought to reform the old regime and bring about a new era of joy and freedom.