Religious Impacts on EuropeCoach GrgurichUnit 4B

England

In England, Henry VIII attempted to have his first marriage annulled after his wife, Catherine of Aragon, was only able to give him a female heir. Believing that a woman would be unfit to rule England after his death, Henry decided to put Catherine aside and take a new wife. Angered that the Catholic Church refused his request, Henry began to slowly turn away from the Church.

Henry VIII

During this time, Henry came to resent the idea that his Catholic subjects were not ultimately loyal to him alone. The fact that Catholics owed their loyalty first to the Church meant to him that he did not have absolute control of his country. Due to these circumstances, in 1529, Parliament declared that England was no longer under the authority of the Catholic Church. Further, in 1534, Parliament also passed the Act of Supremacy, which stated that Henry VIII was the Supreme Head of the Church of England. This gave Henry absolute authority over the country and solidified England's place as a sovereign nation-state.

Act of Supremacy

Further, in 1534, Parliament also passed the Act of Supremacy, which stated that Henry VIII was the Supreme Head of the Church of England. This gave Henry absolute authority over the country and solidified England's place as a sovereign nation-state.

Church Influence

In 1553, the Catholic Church would again have influence over England when Henry's daughter Mary I came to power. Hundreds of people were burned at the stake for their Protestant beliefs during Mary's reign, earning her the nickname Bloody Mary. After her death, Henry's second daughter, Elizabeth I, came to the throne. Elizabeth was a Protestant and one of her first acts as queen was to split England once again from the Catholic Church.

Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I refused to marry during her reign. This is because most monarchs married nobility from other countries, and as women were believed to be unfit to rule alone, most of the power in the government would rest in the hands of Elizabeth's husband. Instead, Elizabeth retained her power, and England became one of the most powerful nations in the world.

Economic Development

Fairs

Once a year, fairs took place in large trading centers throughout Europe. At these fairs, people could find a variety of items that were not produced locally.

Guilds

A guild is an association of people who practice a particular trade. Two types of guilds began to develop in Europe during the Middle Ages: merchant guilds and craft guilds. Merchant guilds were associations of all or most of the merchants in a particular town or city. Craft guilds, on the other hand, were organized around a particular trade, such as a weavers guild or a blacksmiths guild.

Guilds Con’t

Members of guilds worked together to set standards for the quality of goods produced by the guilds, as well as minimum prices for those goods. Guilds were very influential in local government. Often, a person could not perform a trade without approval from the guild and a long apprenticeship working under a master craftsman.