The tudors and the construction of the nation
The reign over England of the Tudors dynasty had been a turning point of the Great Britain's History. The Tudors is a royal family which regroups five Kings and Queens : Henry VII Henry VIII Edouard VI Mary I Elizabeth I from 1485, when Henry VII takes the crown after the war of Roses, killing Richard III, to Elizabeth I's death.
This period is usually called the " Golden Age ", especially during the reign of Elizabeth because this is a period where there is a strong emergence of Great Britain as a puissance in Europa. The country had to face a reconstruction of the nation after the War of Roses who had led the population very pessimistic about the future.
The term "construction" is telling because there was real changes in politics and religion in the nation. Indeed, Great Britain has been in a period of crisis during the 30 years of the War of Roses. The nation needed more stability to be reconstructed. The term Nation imply all the people who live in the territory of Great Britain, but also the state and the way that it is organized.
Why can we talk about a " construction " of the nation since the beginning of the reign of Henry VII to the death of Elizabeth I ?
I will first examine the changes in the religion during the reign of the Tudors, which is a very important point because it concern all the nation, before exploring the changes in politics
The social and economical context during the reign of the Tudors was the following : there was a strong growing of the population which had permit a growing of the labour. Henry VII had let the country to his son, Henry VIII, in a quiet good state. Henry VII had revived the economy when he had understood its importance for the good of the nation. After the War of Roses, the country needed to be reconstructed. But when Henry VIII took the crown, he put the country in a crisis situation because of his taste for money and power. He was looking for more...