Countries of Europe Series:
England, Part 1
Segment descriptions
Sampler – Countries of Europe Series
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England, Part 1:
3’ (58’ lecture)
How do the views of some historians contrast with
Shakespeare’s depiction of Richard III as a
monstrous villain?.
play sampler
Formative Periods
1
Tribal England. Life of bare existence.
Roman invasion. Brutal treatment of the
native population. "They make a desert and
call it peace." The Roman Empire declines.
Series of conquests of England by the
Vikings and Anglo-Saxons. William the
Conqueror wins the Battle of Hastings, 1056
A.D. Norman control lasts for centuries through
dynastic rule, but with incessant fighting.
2
War of the Roses in the 1400s between
Richard III's House of York and the Henry VII's
House of Lancaster. Henry VII wins, begins the
Tudor Dynasty. Question of whether Richard III
is the villain Shakespeare makes him out to be.
3
Absolute divine right monarchy of Henry VIII,
a powerful tool for control over peasants. He
has an immense ego and size, acquires 6
wives.
4
Protestant Reformation. The Pope rejects
divorce and annulment, threatening the status
of Henry VIII's heir. He founds the Anglican
Church, keeps most of the Catholic doctrine,
except adds the right to divorce, with himself,
the King of England, as the chief authority. His
friend, Thomas Moore, opposes his break with
the Catholic Church, is executed. Henry VIII is
succeeded by Mary, daughter of his first wife,
who tries to restore the Catholic Church.
5
Elizabeth I, Henry VIII's first wife's 2nd
daughter, becomes Queen of England, rules
Countries of Europe Series:
England, Part 1
Segment descriptions
from 1558 until her death in 1603. She resists
the pressure to produce an heir, maintains her
independent power, entrenches the supremacy
of the Anglican Church. After plotting against
Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots is
executed. England defeats the Spanish
armada attempting an invasion, making
England a major world power and naval power.
Emergence of Capitalism
6
The emphasis on foreign trade for acquisition
of wealth makes England more powerful than
Spain which emphasizes storage of gold.
Elizabeth's capability against the gender bias of
others.
7
The outpouring of culture including
Shakespeare's plays which follow the political
lives of the Tudors.
8
The Stewart Dynasty lasts from 1600
to1900. Scotland is still independent. King
James I is invited to rule after Elizabeth's death
in 1603. England is still medieval. The
aristocratic class resists capitalism, holding on
to the old, the king on to absolutism. The
English translation of the bible is called the King
James Bible. James I is succeeded in 1625 by
Charles 1 who is not very bright but is an
absolutist. The Catholic versus Protestant
conflict continues.
9
Growth of capitalism threatens the aristocracy
and absolutism which resist it as a threat.
Parliament is centuries old, since the 13th
century, is not democratic. has no written laws,
only precedents. Although it is a rubber stamp
for the king, he still has to go through
it. Capitalist voices are raised in Parliament
Puritanism is the English form of
10
play Calvinism. They believe in a one-on-one
relationship with God, have simplified
ceremonies and church structures. Puritans
clash with Anglicans. Puritans are capitalists
and promote modernism. The alliance of
Parliament, Puritans and capitalists.
Countries of Europe Series:
England, Part 1
Segment descriptions
11
Parliament becomes independent. King
Charles I agrees to let Parliament become an
independent power in exchange for its approval
of the tax money he needs. In 1642, for the first
time, it passes a law with no precedent.
English Civil War
The civil war begins in 1642. The aristocracy
and the king against the Parliament, Puritans,
and capitalists. Oliver Cromwell mobilizes the
peasants and middle class with promises of
more political and economic equality. The king
loses in 1649, is captured and executed.
13
14
15
Oliver Cromwell as ruler. Promises are
reneged. The Irish uprising is put down
ruthlessly.
Restoration period. Cromwell dies in 1668
and is succeed by his son, Richard, who
restores the English monarchy with Charles II,
the son of Charles I, as king. The political
system is absolute divine right monarchy, but
also capitalism with Parliamentary power. The
king is seen as a force for stability in the minds
of the peasants. Libertine attitudes thrive.
The Glorious Revolution of 1688. Charles II
is succeeded by his brother, James II, in 1685,
who makes the mistake of announcing he will
raise his son, the heir, as Catholic. The
revolution throws him out of the country. John
Locke writes that if a sovereign breaks the
contract theory of government between the
sovereign and those ruled, then citizens have a
right to overthrow him. Thomas Jefferson uses
this same argument in the American
Revolution.