AP European History: September 2010

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Part III: The Battle of Bosworth Field

The Battle of Bosworth Field: From the Point of View of Richard III

I have finally seized the crown

Through the murder of my nephews

Whom I successfully brought down

My supremacy shall no longer be refused[1]

Two years after I became King

The Battle of Bosworth Field took place

It caused much pain and suffering

This battle with much English blood was laced[2]

Houses of Lancaster and York fight for the crown

This is where all of the disputes would end

But one of these parties must be broken down

One of these royal families would be forced to descend

I was king of the York side

And Henry Tudor was the Lancastrian king

With all our disagreements we were bound to collide

Someone was going to feel defeat’s deadly sting[3]

I will never surrender

England is a part of me

I must do all I can to be the defender

Even if I die King I always will be

I never thought that I could be beat

I thought I had the strongest army in the land

I thought that I could crush any enemy that I meet

Now was the time for me to take a stand[4]

I was killed that day

At the Battle of Bosworth Field

In the body covered field is where I now lay

Now I have nothing more to yield

I was killed by the Lancastrian enemy

That I was trying to defeat

I will be carried on by my legacy

My kingship was less than complete[5]

I will continue to influence people throughout history

And I will forever be known as King Richard III

Whether I would have been a successful King will always be a mystery

But I know that my voice has been heard[6]

[1] Blomefield, Francis. “The City of Norwich, chapter 22.” An Essay towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: volume 3: The History of the City and County of Norwich, part I. 1806. British History Online. <http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=77992&strquery=Battle%20of%20Bosworth>.

[2] Noorthouck, John. “Book 1, Chapter 7, Henry VII and Henry VIII.” A New History of London Including Westminster and Southwark. 1773. British History Online. <http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=46724&strquery=Battle%20of%20Bosworth#s2>.

[3] Walpole, Horace. “Walpole’s Historic Doubts- Part 3.” Richard III Society Online Library. <http://www.r3.org/bookcase/walpole/walpole3.html>.

[4] Richard III Society- Ballad of Bosworth, text. Bishop Percy's Folio Manuscript. Ballads and Romances, ed. J.W. Hales and F.J. Furnivall, 3 vols. (London, 1868), III, pp. 233-59. Richard III Society- American Branch. <http://www.r3.org/bosworth/ballad2.html>.

[5] More, Sir Thomas. “The History of King Richard the Third.” 1513. Richard III Society- American Branch. <http://www.r3.org/bookcase/more/moretext.html>.

[6] Richard III Society- Ballad of Bosworth, text. Bishop Percy's Folio Manuscript. Ballads and Romances, ed. J.W. Hales and F.J. Furnivall, 3 vols. (London, 1868), III, pp. 233-59. Richard III Society- American Branch. <http://www.r3.org/bosworth/ballad2.html>.

The Battle of Bosworth Field: From the Point of View of Henry Tudor

I, Henry Tudor, should have the crown

I am the right-wise King

Edward needs to be taken down

Victory is what I shall bring

In the Battle of Bosworth Field

I will always prevail

With my deadly sword I shall wield

King Richard III I will assail[1]

The houses of Lancaster and York will meet

And our differences will finally end

But the Yorkists will be the ones we defeat

For the crown I will fight and defend[2]

I am the leader of the Lancastrian side

And for the Yorkists Richard is king

As the leader only one house can reside

For only one house will the bells of victory ring[3]

I entered England by way of Wales

And I found Richard in the field

I knew he must be killed if all else fails

All I needed was my army with the swords they wield

Richard III was killed that day

My loyal army was victorious

In the field was where he lay

Slain by someone’s sword so glorious[4]

I have finally won the crown

The throne of England is mine

Richard III has been brought down

Now my power can finally shine

Princess Elizabeth I will marry

In order for the two houses to be united

Now the Tudor bloodline shall carry

For the future that is farsighted

A new age for England shall begin

Things will be different from here on out

England will be the best it has ever been

I know this without a doubt[5]

[1] Richard III Society- Ballad of Bosworth, text. Bishop Percy's Folio Manuscript. Ballads and Romances, ed. J.W. Hales and F.J. Furnivall, 3 vols. (London, 1868), III, pp. 233-59.Richard III Society- American Branch. <http://www.r3.org/bosworth/ballad2.html>.

[3] “The Croyland Chronicle: Part IX.” The Third Continuation of the of the History of Croyland Abbey: July, 1485- April, 1486 with Notes. Richard III Society Online Library of Primary Texts and Secondary Sources. Richard III Society- American Branch. <http://www.r3.org/bookcase/croyland/croy9.html>.

[4] “A Castilian Report.” 1486. Richard III Society- Bosworth Sources, Foreign. Richard III Society- American Branch. <http://www.r3.org/bosworth/chron3.html>.

[5] Noorthouck, John. “Book 1, Chapter 7, Henry VII and Henry VIII.” A New History of London Including Westminster and Southwark. 1773. British History Online. <http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=46724&strquery=Battle%20of%20Bosworth#s2>.

Friday, September 24, 2010

The Reformation Notes

Henry VIII wanted to get divorced the Vatican said "No"
Henry VIII says "Fine then. I'll split the Church of England"
The Burning Times

Ann Boleyn returned to England at age 22 as a sophisticated woman
She was not considered to be very beautiful
She was extremely charming
Henry worked very hard to get Ann. He wrote many letters to her in order to get her attention.
Henry was estranged from his wife Catherine
He was convinced that his marriage to Catherine was cursed because she could not have a son to heir the throne

She had a daughter named Mary

Ann would not be his mistress so he tried to divorce Catherine, but the Vatican would not allow an annulment
Ann gave Henry documents from the early Church that proved royal supremacy
Henry's ego began to grow so he began to build palaces with large kitchens
He was the new Caesar
The Church found itself on the wrong side of a nasty argument
In 1532 there was a submission of the Clergy. From now on the laws of the Church would be given by the king. Henry made divorce be allowed.
Ann was soon married to Henry and crowned queen
The English Church separated from the Church- The Reformation

It was against the law just to say certain things that the King didn't agree with
King Henry said that he was in charge of the Church of England which is still the Catholic Church just split off from the rest of the Catholic Church
Mary is considered a bastard child
Cromwell solidifies Henry's rule
Anne gave Henry a son whom he actually embraced- Elizabeth
Catherine soon died because of this if Henry died Mary would become the heir
Anne had a miscarriage- a boy
Anne is executed because she cannot produce a boy and Henry marries again

She was killed with charges of an adulteress and a disciple of witchcraft
Cromwell was against her
She has affairs with many different men and they were all executed along with her

Henry married Jane Seymour and she died very soon

She had a son named Edward VI
She died as a result of childbirth

The Bible was restricted in English
Cromwell was executed for trying to form an alliance with a Lutheran priest
Henry died in 1547

Before he dies he legitimizes Mary and Elizabeth so they can be heirs as well

Edward VI was now the King of England

He crushed many of the customs that had to do with idolatry in the old Church
In 1553 Edward died childless
He dies as only a teenager

Mary took over the throne- if she dies Elizabeth would become heir
Mary is Catholic and Elizabeth is Protestant
Mary wants to turn England back into the Catholic Church
The Latin mass was restored
Mary had to produce an heir
It was said that Mary was Spanish at heart and loved a different country better than England

She was actually raised outside of England in France
She was strictly Catholic in an all Catholic environment
Her half brother was actually Protestant
She was always an outcast in English society
She undermines everything that happened during the Reformation
She brings back everything that used to be in the churches before the Reformation

She tells everyone that they have to come back to Catholicism or they will die
She becomes known as the Queen of Scots
Mary I wanted everyone to be Catholic and not Protestant so if they did not convert they were burned
Mary Queen of Scots died childless

She was executed for treason against England
If she would have had children they would have been the heir rather than Elizabeth

Elizabeth then became Queen

She brought the Church back to how it was with Henry and Edward
Englishness was celebrated

Catholics were forced to choose between their church and their queen
There was tons of public support for Elizabeth which there wasn't for Mary
Catholicism has vanished from England
Rise of intentions between England and Spain
Spain is the country that the Pope invests a lot of his wealth and influence on
The Pope is going to influence Spain to try to attack England in a war

England will prevail

Elizabeth's reign is known for its peace and rise of the arts as well as Englishness that is intertwined with Protestantism

This is the age of Shakespeare
The great court poets like Philip Sydney
Age of exploration and adventure

There were also low points in her reign

The English army suffers defeat in Scotland
England is at peril with the Spanish navy

Elizabeth had all the qualities it took to be the politician that she was
Elizabeth was accused of being pregnant with the child of Seymour when she was only a teenager
When Mary became queen, Elizabeth was sent to the tower for treason against Mary
Elizabeth was said to have manly power
She was taught the art of rhetoric, public speech
She adored being adored
Cesil was Elizabeth's most important advisor
Dudley was Cesil's rival and everyone believed that he was the one that Elizabeth loved
Dudley was married, but she died
Elizabeth paraded her virginity by wearing her hair down
She gave up the possibility of marrying Dudley
Mary I of England was Elizabeth's half sister, she was not executed

She died from a tumor, childless
She was succeeded by Elizabeth

Mary Stewart was Queen of Scotland

Also called Mary I, but of Scotland rather than England
Elizabeth thought of her as a menace

Elizabeth and Mary Queen of Scots were cousins

Elizabeth I was the granddaughter of Henry VII and Mary Queen of Scots was great-granddaughter of Henry VII

Mary thought that Elizabeth was illegitimate because of her father's marriage to Anne Boleyn
Mary married Dudley who was a drunk
Mary was in love with her Italian secretary
Mary's love was stabbed and her unborn child was threaten

James VI of Scotland was born

Bothwell killed Dudley
Bothwell offered himself for Mary's husband

He abducted her and took her to his castle

Mary lost everything because of this
She was considered a prostitute and she had to renounce the throne
James was regnant of Scotland
She was incarcerated in a prison and she seduced the jailer and she escaped from the prison
She traveled to England and Elizabeth was throne into turmoil
Mary was a prisoner

She had to kept away from the possibility of rescue
She was a magnet for conspiracy

The Catholic North fought the Protestant South
Elizabeth I never gets married and never has children so the Tudor line stops with her and someone who is not Tudor will be King after her
She did not want to relinquish any of her power to a king
The marriages of other queens became alliances with other countries because that is where they were originally from
Elizabeth wanted England to stand on its own by not marrying someone from another country
Mary was accused of plotting to kill Elizabeth and is executed
Elizabeth fights the Spanish and Spain itself goes against England with an immense armada

They attack England in a battle where they are destroyed

Spain as a Catholic country is really a puppet of the Pope

The Vatican and England have had very tense relations due to the split with Henry VIII

England becomes a Protestant country with Elizabeth
Spain acts as the proxy army for the Vatican against the English
There is a holy war against the Protestants and the Catholics

Anne Boleyn, Thomas Wolsey, and Catherine of Aragon Biographies

Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn was Queen of England from 1533-1536. She was the second wife of King Henry VIII. She was a key figure in the English Reformation. Anne started out as the maid of honor for Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife. Henry began to pursue Ann in 1525, and he wanted to annul his wife Catherine so that he could marry Anne. The Vatican would not allow Henry to annul his marriage to Catherine which began the breaking down of the power of the Catholic Church in England. Anne gave Henry documents from the early Church that said that the king had royal supremacy. This is what started the English Reformation because Henry decided that he would split away from the Catholic Church. Henry then divorced Catherine and married Anne.
Primary Sources:
http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/boleyn.html#Biography
http://englishhistory.net/tudor/ab-percy.html
Image:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Boleyn

Thomas Wolsey

Thomas Wolsey was a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and a political figure in England during the late 1400's and early 1500's. Wolsey became Henry VII's almoner. An almoner is a church officer who was in charge of distributing alms to the poor. His power continued to grow and by 1514 he was in charge of almost all the matters of the state. He was extremely powerful within the Church. His highest political position was as Lord Chancellor, the King's chief advisor. In the Church he became Archbishop of York and he was made a cardinal in 1515.

Wolsey was close with the King until he could not get the Vatican to allow Henry to divorce Katherine. In a letter from Anne Boleyn to Wolsey, Anne says, "I cannot comprehend, and the king still less, how your reverent lordship, after having allured us by so many fine promises about divorce, can have repented of your purpose, and how you could have done what you have, in order to hinder the consummation of it." From that point on Wolsey was not on good terms with the King. In 1529, Wolsey's government position and property were taken from him. At Cawood, he was accused of treason and ordered to go to London. On the way there he fell ill and died on Novemeber 29, 1530.

Sources:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Wolsey
http://englishhistory.net/tudor/letter8.html

Image from:

http://www.nndb.com/people/585/000094303/thomas-wolsey-1-sized.jpg

Catherine of Aragon

Catherine of Aragon was born in 1485 in Spain. She later moved to England and married Arthur, Prince of Wales. After he died of sickness, Catherine then married his brother, Henry VIII, who would become King of England, with Catherine as his queen. From the years 1509 - 1533, she ruled the land beside Henry. Through the years, Catherine became pregnant a total of six times, but only one girl, Mary, survived past infancy. When Catherine became to old to bear any more children, Henry divorced her for Anne Boleyn, a much younger woman with whom he was smitten, in 1533 (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/cramner-hen8.html). Three years later, Catherine of Aragon died on January 7 in Kimbolton Castle, after writing a letter to the ex-husband whom she still loved (http://englishhistory.net/tudor/letter5.html).
"Catherine of Aragon." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 24 Sept. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_of_Aragon>.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Part II: Richard III: Fact and Fiction

Why did Shakespeare portray Richard III the way he did?

Richard III was portrayed as a deformed hunchback by Shakespeare because he wanted to enhance the horrible things that Richard III did to all of the people around him. Richard III wanted to ensure that he would become King when his brother King Edward IV died. In order to do this he killed all of the possible heirs to the throne including Edward IV's sons: Edward V and Richard duke of York. Shakespeare wanted to make Richard III seem as horrible as he possibly could for the things that he did. Shakespeare was inspired by the Lancastrians, particularly Sir Thomas More. Because Richard III was Yorkist, the portrayal of him by Sir Thomas More and Shakespeare were not entirely accurate. They were biased towards Richard III because he was from the house of York and More was from the house of Lancaster. Richard III did some very terrible things to his family members in order to gain the power of the throne, but Richard III was not actually deformed with a hunchback. The way they portrayed Richard III was not fair to him and it really impacted the way he is depicted even today.

With regard to the history of Richard III, what is meant in distinction between "Traditionalist" or "Revisionist" source? What is meant between "Lancastrian" and "Ricardian"?

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditionalism, something that is traditionalist tends to stick more with traditions and the traditional beliefs on a subject. Therefore, a traditionalist source would refer to things that people have believed about a subject throughout history whether they are true beliefs or not. According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_revisionism#Revisionism_vs._denial, something that is revisionist deviates from the traditional beliefs on something and usually disagrees with the way a historical event is portrayed in the traditionalist view. Therefore, a revisionist source would be based more on solid fact rather than what people believe or have decided is true about something. According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardian_(Richard_III), Ricardian is used to describe a person who wants to change the portrayal and perception of Richard III's reputation. According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancastrians, Lancastrian is used to describe a member of the Lancastrian house during the War of the Roses. They were the opposing house of Richard III.

This goes along with the history of Richard III because there are two different sides to the way that he is portrayed throughout history. The Lancastrians and Shakespeare had a more traditionalist view of Richard III because they portrayed him as being deformed and withered when he really was not. This has affected the way that people see him today, and this visual of him has really been passed down and believed by people throughout history. There are many different societies formed that are trying to erase the image of Richard III being deformed; they would be considered revisionist. They are deviating from what people traditionally think of Richard III and making a new image for him. Ricardians would be considered to have a revisionist view of Richard III.

"Lancastrian" or "Ricardian"

The first document is Lancastrian because it puts tons of emphasis on the terrible things that Richard III did and the people that he killed. "But in the mean time perceaving that William lord Hastings was most vehement and earnest to have prince Edward once crowned king...whether yt wer that he fearyd his powr, or despearyd yt possible to draw him to his syde and opynyon, he determynyd to ryd the man owt of the way before his purpose showld be discoveryd to the resydew, whom he did not yeat fully trust." This talks about how Richard III killed William lord Hastings because he believed that Hastings wanted Edward to take the throne that Richard III so desired. He believed that Hastings had a lot of impact on the people and a lot of power. Richard III did not think it would be possible to bring Hastings over to his side so he killed him to keep him out of the way of the throne. "Richerd, whose mynde partly was enflamyd with desire of usurping the kyngdom, partly was trubblyd by guyltynes of intent to commyt so haynous wickednes (for a guiltie conscience causeth thoffendor to have dew punishment alway in imagination before his eyes)." This quote focuses entirely on the Richard III's thoughts and the intent of his actions. The person writing this did not know what Richard III was thinking, therefore, does not have the right to say such things. The writer is focusing on bringing down the reputation of Richard III rather than building it up.

The second document is Ricardian because it talks about how misrepresented Richard III's reputation was. It also talks about how Richard III was not actually deformed; that was just a rumor to make Richard III look even worse. Horace Walpole says, "The old countess of Desmond, who had danced with Richard, declared he was the handsomest man in the room except his brother Edward, and was very well made." There were people during Richard's time period who stated that Richard III was a handsome man. The idea that he was deformed did not come until later. The writer talks about a Lancastrian painter who painted a portrait of Richard III and did not include anything about ugliness or deformity. If a Lancastrian person could paint a portrait of Yorkist Richard III without including deformities, then that should be proof that Richard was not deformed. "Richard, who was slender and not tall, had one shoulder a little higher than the other: a defect, by the magnifying glasses of party, by distance of time, and by the amplification of tradition, easily swelled to shocking deformity; for falsehood itself generally pays so much respect to truth as to make it the basis of its superstructure." The writer explains that Richard III did have one shoulder that was slightly higher than the other, but over time this small imperfection became magnified by people of the Lancastrian house and Richard III was portrayed throughout history as being deformed.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditionalism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_revisionism#Revisionism_vs._denial
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardian_(Richard_III)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancastrians

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Part 1: Historical Background on the War of the Roses

The Rulers

King Henry V was born in September of 1387 and died August 21, 1422. He ruled from 1413-1422. He was the son of King Henry IV and Mary de Bohun, he was married to Catherine de Valois, and his son was King Henry VI. He was a member of the House of Lancaster, and he spent much of his reign trying to regain land that was claimed by his ancestors in France. He fought in the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years War, which left him in control of Northern France. He died at the age of 35 leaving his infant son, Henry VI, the throne.

King Henry VI was born in 1421 and died May 21, 1471. He ruled from 1422-1461. He was the son of King Henry V and Catherine de Valois, he was married to Margaret of Anjou, and and his son was Edward, Prince of Wales. He became king when he was just an infant. In 1453, he suffered from a mental illness and Richard, duke of York took up the throne. Then, Henry recovered and wanted his throne back causing the War of the Roses. He lost the throne in 1461 to Richard's son, Edward IV.

King Edward IV was born February 11, 1442 and died April 9, 1483. He ruled from 1461-1470. He was the son of Richard duke of York and Cicely Neville, he was married to Elizabeth Woodville, and he had ten children; his sons were Edward V, Richard duke of York, and George duke of Bedford. When he was unable to defeat a Lancastrian army, he fled to Holland in 1470.

King Henry VI was born in 1421 and died May 21, 1471. He ruled from 1470-1471. He was the son of King Henry V and Catherine de Valois, he was married to Margaret of Anjou, and and his son was Edward, Prince of Wales. He became ruler again for a brief moment of time from 1470-1471, but then he was captured by Edward IV and put in the tower of London where he was murdered.

King Edward IV was born February 11, 1442 and died April 9, 1483. He ruled from 1471-1483. He was the son of Richard duke of York and Cicely Neville, he was married to Elizabeth Woodville, and he had ten children; his sons were Edward V, Richard duke of York, and George duke of Bedford. When he was unable to defeat a Lancastrian army, he fled to Holland in 1470. He returned from Holland in 1471 and defeated the Lancastrian forces at the battle of Tewkesbury as well as having Henry VI executed. His sons, Edward V and Richard were murdered in the tower of London the same year of his death.

King Edward V was born in 1470 and died in 1483. He ruled in 1483. He was the son of Edward IV and Elizabeth Wydville; he was not married and had no children because he was so young when he died. Edward V's uncle and protector, Richard duke of Glouchester, captured him and cancelled his coronation. Edward V was put in the tower of London where his brother Richard later joined him. Edward V was declared an illegitimate king by Parliament because they said his father's marriage to his mother was illegal. He was killed in the tower of London along with Richard.

King Richard III was born October 2, 1452 and died August 22, 1485. He ruled from 1483-1485. He was the son of Richard duke of York and Cecily Neville. He was married to Anne Beauchamp Neville and his son was Edward Prince of Wales. Richard III was the younger brother of Edward IV. He was made the duke of Glouchester when he was nine years old. He took control of Edward IV's heirs, Edward V and Richard, after he died. The brothers were killed in 1483 in the tower of London and Richard III was killed by Henry VII at the battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.

King Henry VII was born January 28, 1457 and died April 21, 1509. He ruled from 1485-1509. He was the son of Edmund Tudor Earl of Richmond and Margaret Beaufort, he was married to Elizabeth of York, and his son was Henry VIII. He was the first ruler from the Tudor line and he became head of the House of Lancaster through his mother's ancestry. He defeated the Yorkists at the battle of Bosworth. He married Elizabeth of York to try to unite the rival houses. He defeated more Yorkists at Stoke and Blackheath. He later died at the age of 52.

Monday, September 20, 2010

The War of the Roses Notes

Richard III becomes king and there is much deceit and manipulation of political events
An attempt on the part of Henry Tudor to taker over the kingship
Richard II steps down and he is replaced by Henry IV
Henry V dies and his son, Henry VI becomes king

He was a weak king because he was only a child
Because he is so young, people around him develop to vie for the throne
Unleashes a war between the house of Lancaster and the house of York

Peasants and lower class start to dislike the monarchs
The rise of the Tudor family

Gives us the England that we recognize in the Renaissance
An early modern Europe
Rise of strong monarchs

Catholic England

What happened to Catholic England?

England

From Henry VIII on is a fundamentally Anglican and Protestant country
Generations of warfare, burning, and conflict between Protestantism and Catholicism

Reformation

People were burned if found reading a New Testament
Catholic England turned into a Protestant nation

Henry VIII became king at 17 when his father died

Arthur is his brother but he dies so Henry becomes the heir apparent to the throne
He becomes king when his father dies in 1509
Starts the Reformation by divorcing his wife
His first wife Catherine of Aragon was going to marry his older brother, but Henry marries her because his brother died
This creates an alliance between England and Spain

The Plantagenet line is replaced by the Tudor line

When Henry V died young his wife remarried Owen Tudor which opened up the Tudor bloodline into the throne
Henry VII Tudor defeats Richard III of York and takes the throne into the Tudor bloodline
The Tudors would rule England for the next 200 years

Lancaster and York are the two Plantagenet houses that compete during the War of the Roses