#english_history 

## Henry VII
Henry VII (1485-1509) had the same ideas and opinions as the growing classes of merchants and gentlemen farmers, and he based royal power on good business sense. Therefore, he avoided quarrels either with Scotland or France. ^638188

### Trade & Economy
During the 15th due to the wars (with France, Roses), England's trading position had been badly damages: the strong German Hanseatic League, a close trading society, had destroyed English trade with the Baltic and northern Europe; trade with Italy and France had been reduced after England's defeat in the [[War of England with Scotland and France|Hundred Years War]], etc.
So in **1486** he made an important trade agreement with the Netherlands which allowed English trade to grow again.

Henry's aim was to make the Crown financially independent, so he taxed the shit out of the old nobility, raised taxes for wars which he then did not fight. He never spent money unless he had to (when he died, he left behind the huge total of 2 million pounds). Although he was careful to keep the friendship of the merchant and lesser gentry classes.

The only thing on which he was happy to spend money freely was the building of ships for a merchant fleet, for he understood its future importance.

### Law
Many of the old nobility had died in the recent wars, and their lands had gone to Henry VII. In order to establish his authority beyond question, he forbade anyone, except himself, to keep armed men.

The authority of the law had been almost completely destroyed by the lawless behaviour of noblews and their armed men, so Henry used the **"Court of Star Chamber"** to deal with these. Local justice began to operate again, and Henry encouraged the use of heavy fines as punishment.

## Henry VIII
Henry VIII (1509-1547) was not like his father: cruel, wasteful with money, interested in pleasing himself.

### Politics
He wanted to become an important influence in European politics, but England was pretty much cornered by France, Spain (united with the Holy Roman Empire).
He first unsuccessfully allied himself with Spain, then changed sides to France, then did again to Spain.

### Economy
Henry's debacles in politics led to an urgent need of money, excarebated by the inflation caused by the discovery of gold/silver in America. He needed money and needed it fast, which caused him to initiate [[English Reformation|the Reformation]]

### Progenies
Henry died in 1547, leaving behind his sixth wife, Catherine Parr, and his three children. Mary, the eldest, was the daughter of Catherine of Aragon. Elizabeth was the daughter of his second wife, Anne Boleyn, whom he had executed because she was unfaithful. 9 yo Edward was the son of Jane Seymour, the only wife whom Henry had really loved, but who had died during childbirth.
The fates of his wifes are shown in a funny lil' rhyme:

*Divorced, beheaded, died
Divorced, beheaded, survived*
![[Protestant-Catholic struggle in England#^b8af85]]
![[Protestant-Catholic struggle in England#^0e112b]]
![[Protestant-Catholic struggle in England#^17d3eb]]
![[Protestant-Catholic struggle in England#^1b9cb4]]
*Elizabeth I (1558-1603)*