He debased coinage, inflation rose, rising population, poor harvest in 1548, the price in food rose dramatically, value of wages rose by 50% between 1540 and 1550, Somerset appointed Commissioners to investigate enclosure, he introduced a tax upon sheep in 1548 in an attempt to curb enclosure
What is foreign policy under Somerset?
isolate Scotland, sign a defensive agreement with France, Henry II sent 4,000 troops to Scotland so Somerset led an attack against Scotland which he won at the Battle of Pinkie, 1547. Somerset had to rely on garrisons to control Scotland which were often attacked by the Scots & he ignored pleas for help from the commanders. Relations between Scotland & France soured by 1549, Somerset was too broke to fight the war
What was religious reform under Somerset?
denunciation of images 1547, the treason act of 1547 allowed religious issues to be discussed in the open, royal injunctions 1547, attacked the practices of Catholicism such as the use of candles, stained glass, the act of uniformity 1548, Catholicism remained in the North and South West
What was foreign policy under Northumberland?
brought an end to wars with Scotland and France by agreeing to the Treaty of Boulogne, Dudley negotiated a marriage treaty with France - Edward VI would marry Elizabeth, marriage treaty angered Charles V (HRE), Dudley had success in Scotland in 1552
What was social policy under Northumberland?
By 1551, Northumberland had taken actions to control stocks of grain to relieve the crisis caused by the harvest failures, Northumberland used Lord Lieutenants & retainers of trusted nobles to keep law and order, poor people was increasing and food prices increased by 10%, bad harvests in 1550 and 1551.
What was economy and trade under Northumberland?
reduced crown expenditure & raised £133,333 following the sale of Boulogne, by 1553, royal debt had been reduced to £180,000, successfully passed legislation to increase tax, cloth trade in Antwerp collapsed as foreigners fled Charles V's Catholic Inquisition in the Netherlands
What was Northumberland's government?
he utilised factions to help him get into power, he ruled collectively via a Privy Council, Northumberland used the dry stamp to let him rule alone, he became increasingly unpopular.
Coming between 2 strong rulers, Henry VIII & Elizabeth I, it is easy to exaggerate the weaknesses of the government that lay in-between
The idea of a mid-Tudor crisis is the traditional view of historians that, during Edward's and Mary's reigns, English government and society were on the verge of collapse
This was the result of weak rulers, economic pressure, rebellions & religious upheaval
Revisionist historians have turned around the idea of a mid-Tudor crisis by asking why was the Tudor state so strong during this period that it avoided disaster
Over-ambitious foreign policy based on a jealous rivalry with France had resulted in debasement of the coinage & the sale of crown lands which threatened financial stability
1547 was not the first time that England had been ruled by a minor
Henry VIII's will provided instructions that England should be ruled via a council of sixteen men
At the time of Henry VIII's death, England was struggling with poverty, rising prices & population
To be secure, Edward needed to have a good Lord Protector as regent looking out for his best interests as well as staying alive so he could rule as an adult
Sadly, neither of these happened & Edward died at the age of 15 from septicemia having made the church more Protestant but without solving any of the issues from his father's reign
2. The Treason Act of 1547 allowed religious issues to be discussed in the open & it removed censorship
3. Royal Injunctions, 1547, attacked the practices of Catholicism such as the use of candles, images, stained glass, processions & rituals linked celebrations like Palm Sunday
4. Dissolution of the Chantries 1547
5. The Act of Uniformity 1548
6. Influx of religious radicals from Europe to spread their ideas via pamphlets
7. The South & South East became more protestant & Catholicism remained in rural areas in the North & South West
8. Between 1547 -1548, parish churches were allowed to function as they pleased, leading to massive differences across the country
9. Somerset introduced the Book of Common Prayer in May 1549 which sparked off the Western rebellion both in protestant East Anglia & catholic Devon & Cornwall
He ignored warnings that debasement would ruin the economy & economic issues led to widespread rebellion which created more problems at a time when England already had many