Scarica Storia dell'Inghilterra dal Rinascimento all'Età Moderna e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! Erasmus of Rotterdam The Dutch scholar Erasmus of Rotterdam emphasised the importance of studying Greek and Latin for the Christian student. He brought Humanism, also called the 'New Learning', to England, where it was established in grammar schools all over the country and in the two universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Henry VIII Henry VIII was strong, intelligent and handsome. He had six wives. His first wife was Catherine of Aragon, from Spain. They had a daughter, but he wanted a son, so he decided to divorce from her. But the pope in Rome was against divorce, so Henry VIII founded a new Protestant Church, the Church of England, and became its ruler. T. More, Utopia Sir Thomas More was an English lawyer, scholar, writer, member of Parliament and chancellor in the reign of Henry VIII. The publication of his Utopia moved England closer to North-European thought and the origins of Protestantism. M. Luther starts the Protestant Reformation Martin Luther nailed his anti-Catholic theses to the door of Wittenberg Castle Church to protest against the outrageous practice of indulgences. After his excommunication in 1521, he abandoned monastic life and devoted himself to teaching and preaching. His translation of the Bible into German represents a milestone of the Protestant Reformation. 1533 Henry VIII divorces from Catherine of Aragon Henry VIII's wife, Catherine of Aragon, failed to give him a male heir, so he decided to divorce from her and marry the pregnant Anne Boleyn, a lady of the court. 1534 Act of Supremacy As the pope had refused to declare Henry VIII's marriage invalid, the king broke with Rome and, with the Act of Supremacy, declared himself 'the Supreme Head of the Church of England'. Temporal and religious powers were thus joined in the figure of the monarch. 1549 Act of Uniformity During Edward VI's reign, as a consequence of the Protestant Reformation, religious services were held in English instead of Latin and the Book of Common Prayer, mainly prepared by the Archbishop of Canterbury, became compulsory with the Act of Uniformity. This helped develop the English language. Elizabeth I Elizabeth I consolidated the Reformation of the Church of England, enhanced the navy, supported overseas explorations and privateers' wars against Spanish ships. She entrusted associations of merchants with the development of commerce with colonies in America and in the East. Her reign also witnessed the flourishing of arts. Mary, Queen of Scots, flees Protestant Scotland Mary was the great-granddaughter of Henry VII and had a claim to the English throne. When her court forced her to abdicate in favour of her one-year-old son, James, she went to England hoping to receive help from her cousin Elizabeth, but she was arrested and eventually executed for treason. Settlement of Virginia Elizabeth encouraged her sea captains to explore new lands and look for treasure. She granted Sir Walter Raleigh a charter to plant a colony north of Spanish Florida, on the Atlantic coast of North America. The name 'Virginia' may have been chosen noting Elizabeth's status as the 'Virgin Queen'. 1558 The defeat of the Spanish Armada The protection granted by Queen Elizabeth I to Protestant rebels from the Netherlands and the execution of Mary Stuart provoked King Philip II of Spain to attack England. However the Invincible Spanish Armada, with its fleet of about 130 ships armed with cannons, was defeated by the English fleet in the Channel. James I James VI, the Protestant King of Scotland, took the throne as King James I, the first Stuart King of England. He was a learned man and his accession was welcomed. He joined Scotland to England and Wales as one kingdom called 'Great Britain' and introduced a distinctive flag: the Union Jack. incarico testimonia provocato mummia
