The European scene (1485-1688)

National states and the Church

-corruption of the Church, organized a counter-reformation

-religious protest called Reformation

-Martin Luther against the roman Church 

Discoveries and explorations

-Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus(1492)

-explorations of new country by Magellan, Cortez, Pizarro led to the colonization;

- new vantage point of dominating

The Tudors (1485-1603)

Henry VII( 1485-1509):  financial and governmental stability to England;

Henry VIII( 1509-1547): -  defense of Roman Church against Luther's

Reformation(defensor Fidei);

- Act of Supremacy in 1534;

-Elizabeth I reestablished Protestantism in the form of Anglicanism; started a policy of colonization; colonized  of Ireland; she died a "Virgin queen" .

The Stuart (1603-1688)

-James Stuart( 1603-1625) tried to rule without the help of Parliament(absolute monarch, with "divine rights"); unified England and Scotland;

-Charles I( 1625- 1649)ruled the country as an absolute monarch causing great hostility in Parliament

- 1625: taxation without parliamentary consent 

-1628:Petition of Right

- 1642: Civil War broke out--> two sides: -Catholics, gentry and

aristocracy: Royalists

- 1645: win of the Parliament at Naseby, under the leadership of the

Puritan general Oliver Cromwell--> 1649: execution of Charles I

- 1649-1658: institution of the republic( Commonwealth), with Cromwell

as Lord Protector

-Charles II( 1660- 1685) Restoration of the supremacy of the Anglican Church

- two opposite groups in Parliament: Tories--> Conservative party, Whigs--> Liberal party

-James II( 1685-1688): imposed the Catholic religion on a nation that was Protestant

- hostility from Catholics;

- 1688: Bloodless Revolution--> deposition of the king without shedding

any blood.