The Early Tudors 1485 - 1558 - Weekly Outline

Weekly Topics (this course is completed entirely online):

Orientation Week:

Purpose/Learning outcomes: By studying this week the students should have:

" Become familiar with navigating around the VLE and from VLE to links and back
" Tested their ability to access files and the web conferencing software and sorted out any problems with the help of the eLearning team
" Learnt how to look for, assess and reference internet resources
" Used Quickmail to introduce themselves to other students
" Contributed to a discussion forum to introduce themselves to other students and discuss why they are interested in the course, what they hope to get out of their studies and also to respond to News items sent out on behalf of tutor

Teaching Weeks:

Week 1 Henry VII and the origins of the Tudor Dynasty

Purpose:

To study the origins of the Tudor dynasty in the Wars of the Roses. Where the Tudors came from, why they emerged as the leading Lancastrian claimants, the importance of Lady Margaret Beaufort in the career of Henry Tudor. To understand the invasion of England by Henry Tudor in the summer of 1485 and the Battle of Bosworth, at which Richard III was defeated and killed and Henry acclaimed king. To study the ways in which Henry consolidated his rule. The threat posed by the pretenders Perkin Warbeck and Lambert Simnel. By studying this week, students should have an understanding of:

" How Henry Tudor survived the Wars of the Roses and emerged victorious in 1485
" How he established his rule
" How he dealt with rivals and pretenders to his throne

Week 2 Marriages, Annulments and Reformations

Purpose:

To understand the first half of the reign of Henry VIII, his marriage to Katherine of Aragon, his early wars against France and his championing of Catholic orthodoxy against the teachings of Martin Luther. From there we will look at the career of Thomas Wolsey and the growing concerns over the succession due to Katherine's failure to produce a male heir and the way the king's 'great matter' came to dominate the reign in the 1520s. We will then consider the events of the early 1530s, the break with Rome, the dissolution of the monasteries and Henry's marriage to Anne Boleyn. Apart from Wolsey, we will also consider the careers of Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Cranmer and their role in the Reformation. We will also consider some of the victims of the Reformation, such as John Fisher and Thomas More. By studying this week the students should have an understanding of:

" The early years of the reign of Henry VIII
" Why he sought to annul his marriage to Katherine of Aragon
" Why this precipitated the break with Rome and the dissolution of the monasteries, etc.
" The importance of such figures as Wolsey, Cromwell, Cranmer, More and Fisher in this process

Week 3 Henry VIII - Supreme Head in Earth

Purpose: This unit will consider the later part of Henry's reign, from his proclamation of the Royal Supremacy to his death in 1547. We will consider further the careers of Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Cranmer in the creation of the Church of England and the publication of an English Bible in 1540. We will also examine the increasingly conservative thrust of Henry's religious policies in the final years of his reign and the faction fighting at court between conservatives and radicals for the king's patronage. By studying this week the students should have an understanding of:

" Why Henry proclaimed himself the Supreme Head of the Church of England
" Why Henry's religious policies became more conservative after 1540
" The implications of the faction fighting at court

Week 4 England's Josiah - the reign of Edward VI

Purpose:

With the death of Henry in 1547 his nine year old son became king. His short reign witnessed a radical change in religious policy in a Protestant direction. We will examine the effects of this radicalization on the fabric and liturgy of the English church. We will also consider the careers of the two 'Protectors' of Edward, namely, Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset and John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland. The course will end with the attempt by Edward and Dudley to alter the succession in favour of Dudley's daughter-in-law, Lady Jane Grey. By studying this week the students should have an understanding of:

" Why the Reformation became more radical under Edward VI
" The importance of Cranmer to this process and the significance of the two Prayer Books of 1549 and 1552
" Why Edward attempted to change to succession in 1553

Week 5 Fires of Faith - the England of Mary Tudor

Purpose:

We begin this unit with the challenge to Mary's succession by Dudley's attempt to place Lady Jane Grey on the throne, we will study the ways in which Mary defeated this attempt. From there we will concentrate on Mary's attempts to undermine the English Reformation and restore the Catholic faith, which involved her marriage to Philip of Spain and, most notoriously, the burning of nearly 300 Protestants, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer. Despite Mary's marriage she died childless in November 1558 and was succeeded by her half-sister, Elizabeth who restored the Protestant faith in England. The course will end with a discussion of the significance of the period and some of the long-term implications of the events studied. By studying this week the students should have an understanding of:

" How Mary defeated Dudley and Lady Jane Grey
" Why Mary was so determined to restore Catholicism
" The significance of her marriage to Philip of Spain
" The significance of the policy of persecution - did it help to consolidate Protestantism in England?

Feedback Week:

Week 6 What next?

Purpose:

" Assessment of student learning
" Assessment of student satisfaction
" Encouragement of further study

Each week of an online course is roughly equivalent to 2-3 hours of classroom time. On top of this, participants should expect to spend roughly 2-3 hours reading material, etc., although this will vary from person to person.

While they have a specific start and end date and will follow a weekly schedule (for example, week 1 will cover topic A, week 2 will cover topic B), our tutor-led online courses are designed to be flexible and as such would normally not require participants to be online for a specific day of the week or time of the day (although some tutors may try to schedule times where participants can be online together for web seminars, which will be recorded so that those who are unable to be online at certain times are able to access material).

Unless otherwise stated, all course material will be posted on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) so that they can be accessed at any time throughout the duration of the course and interaction with your tutor and fellow participants will take place through a variety of different ways which will allow for both synchronous and asynchronous learning (discussion boards, etc).

A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course.

April 2024

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