The Tudors for Dummies (AvaxHome Download) Read Free Book Online

first Tudor, Henry VII. Alternatively, you can jump to Parts II or IV and

    dive into the fascinating reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, respectively.

    Each chapter of this book focuses on a specific topic or segment of Tudor

    history, so you can dive in anywhere. We include cross-references in each

    of the chapters, and so when something comes up that we mention in more

    detail elsewhere, you can turn to the appropriate chapter.

    Whatever way you choose to enjoy this book, we hope you find the journey

    fun and interesting.

Part I Encountering the
    Early Tudors In this part . . . E ngland was a mess before 1485. Bully boy barons

    with their castles and private armies had a go at each other, everybody kicked the peasants around and the Church was a law unto itself. It was a bit like Lord of the Flies � anarchy ruled until a shrewd cookie called Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, made his mark and kick-started modern history.

    To give you some idea of how Henry changed England, this part takes you on a whirlwind tour of 15th-century England, its ups and downs, its ins and outs, and looks at the politics, religion and general skulduggery of the period.

    First, though, we have a gallop through who the Tudors were and what they did in their 118 years on the throne of England. And remember, everything in their time hap- pened at the speed of a horse or slower. Get with the rhythm.

Chapter 1
    Touring the Time of the Tudors In This Chapter

    Seeing how the Tudors were, and how far their kingdom extended

    Governing the country

    Coping with the Church

    Living and dying

    Getting clued up on culture

    T he old history books will tell you that 1485 was the end of the Middle

    Ages and the start of the modern world. It wasn't quite like that. What

    happened was that the last king of the Plantagenet family (Richard III) was

    defeated at the Battle of Bosworth by the first king of the Tudor family (Henry

    VII), and the rest is history.

    The Tudors ruled England, Wales and Ireland for 118 years until Elizabeth I

    died in 1603. These years were a time of huge changes, many of them brought

    about by the Tudors themselves. For example:

    The nobility � rich, powerful, awkward � became a kind of civil service

    and worked for the king.

    Parliament got pushier.

    The Church changed from Catholic to Protestant.

    Trade took off and exploration increased.

    In this chapter we take a walk through the Tudor times, from the monarchs

    and their Courts through to religion, education, health and the arts. So make

    sure your breeches and codpiece are in place or lace up your corset, and

    enter the world of the Tudors.

10 Part I: Encountering the Early Tudors

    Looking at the Tudor Kingdom

    England had come to dominate the British Isles long before the Tudors

    arrived and, because of this, historians use the term `England' to include

    Wales and from time to time, Ireland. Wales was a principality (since the

    13th century, the eldest son of the king of England had always been Prince of

    Wales), but was regarded as part of England. Because of this, Welsh heraldry

    (featuring images of dragons, daffodils and so on) rarely appeared on coins.

    From 1536, the various regions of Wales were turned into counties based

    on the English pattern. Those counties have disappeared since, though, so

    don't try to find the Tudor county names in Wales today � Welsh place

    names are used again. The Tudor county names were quite quaint though;

    examples include Radnorshire, Merioneth, Flintshire, Carmarthen, Caerphilly

    and Gwent.

    Although England in the 16th century had more than its fair share of intrigue,

    excitement and blood and guts, across the water Ireland had plenty of drama

    of its own. The Tudors thought of Ireland as something that, with a bit of

    luck, would go away. The Irish thought equally little of their English over-

    lords and centuries of mistrust and misunderstanding were to lead to a run-

    ning sore that