8-1TudorFamily

Who was the Tudor family? What impact did the Tudor Dynasty have on England? What is their legacy?  //Answer prepared by Serena Shimshak: // The Tudor family began with Henry VII, the first monarch of the Tudor Dynasty. Henry was the only son of Edmund Tudor and Margaret Beaufort. However, his uncle Jasper Tudor raised him due to his father’s death before Henry was born. Later in Henry’s life he became a member of the House of Lancaster, a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet. Soon after that in 1453, England entered a period of Civil war name the War of Roses. This war was between The House of York and the House of Lancaster. In 1485 Henry Tudor, won the battle of Bosworth against King Richard, and claimed the throne of England. The battle of Bosworth marked the end to the War of Roses, and is known as the last battle of the Middle Ages. This event marked the beginning of the Tudor Dynasty. The Tudor era had its issues but Elizabethan-era.org described it as “ an era of fascinating cultural advance”. People saw the Tudors as people who were chosen by God to end there suffer in civil wars. In their eyes they replaced it with an end to devastating strife and bloodshed.

King Henry VII Edward ( Son of King Henry VII) Queen Elizabeth A wedding portrait of Mary (Daughter of Henry VII) and her husband Philip II of Spain

Queen Elizabeth was not originally meant to be queen. In fact, originally when her father died in 1547 the crown was passed down to her ten-year-old brother, Edward VI. Edward VI died six years later. Following her brother’s death the crown was passed onto Lady Jane Grey, The Duke of Northumberland’s daughter-in-law. Lady Jane’s reign only lasted nine days, and the crown was then passed to Mary, Elizabeth’s older sister. Later on in 1556, Mary Tudor married Philip II of Spain in hope of producing an heir. When she died two years later Elizabeth, now known as Queen Elizabeth, claimed the thrown. Queen Elizabeth’s reign consisted of many important events and changes. Katherine Hinds, the author of //Life in Elizabethan England, Elizabeth and her Court tells us on page 9-10 that Henry VII broke from the Catholic Church, and founded the Church of England, a Protestant church. Once Elizabeth was queen she changed England back to a Catholic country. Another thing that made Elizabeth unique, was that she never married; scarred from her father beheading all of her mothers. She claimed “ I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king” and “I am already bound unto a husband, which is the kingdom of England...” Elizabeth was very independent, and believed that she was better suited than anyone else to be ruler. And that she was, Queen Elizabeth put the treasury funds toward the upkeep of the palace, and military funds. However, England’s military was small, and only consisted of about 300 men. This was so because Elizabeth believed in keeping peace with other powerful nations. The Tudor Dynasty is known around the world for their impact, Elizabeth is celebrated for her noble actions as Queen.

Henry VII’s legacy as well as the Tudor Dynasty’s legacy left its mark on the Elizabethans. Elizabethan-era.org states that the people of England believed “That English rulers were vice-regents of God, and also that history itself unfolded according to divine design”. To the people the Tudors were their saviors. The Tudor Dynasty evidently left their mark in not only Elizabethan History but also worldwide history. // Works Cited: Dunton-Downer, Leslie, and Alan Riding. //Shakespeare Handbook//. New York: DK   Publishing Inc., 2004.  Hinds, Katheryn. //Life in Elizabethan England//. Elizabeth and Her Court. Tarrytown,NY: Marshal Cavendish Benchmark, 2008. Print. "King Henry VII." //Elizabethan Era//. Web.14 Apr 2009. .