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The Tudors: England 1485 to 1603

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How did religious policy swing under Edward VI and Mary I, and how stable was the mid-Tudor crown?

The mid-Tudor period: Protestant reform under Somerset and Northumberland, the Catholic restoration under Mary I, the rebellions and the debate over a 'mid-Tudor crisis'.
A focused guide to the mid-Tudor period under Edward VI and Mary I for AQA A-Level History (the Tudors). Covers the Protestant reforms of Somerset and Northumberland, Mary's Catholic restoration, the rebellions, and the historiographical debate over a mid-Tudor crisis.
11 min answer →

How did Elizabeth I govern England, and how far did her authority decline in the final years of the reign?

Elizabethan government: the Privy Council and Cecil, the management of Parliament and faction, the succession and marriage questions, and the problems of the 1590s.
A focused guide to Elizabethan government for AQA A-Level History (the Tudors). Covers the Privy Council and William Cecil, the management of Parliament and court faction, the marriage and succession questions, and the political and economic strains of the 1590s.
11 min answer →

How did Henry VII secure a usurped throne and restore royal authority after the Wars of the Roses?

Henry VII's consolidation of power: defeating pretenders, controlling the nobility through bonds and recognisances, restoring crown finances, and a cautious, peace-seeking foreign policy.
A focused guide to Henry VII's consolidation of power from 1485 to 1509 for AQA A-Level History (the Tudors). Covers pretenders and rebellions, control of the nobility through bonds and recognisances, the restoration of crown finances, and his cautious foreign policy.
11 min answer →

Why did Henry VIII break with Rome, and how far did his reign transform the English Church and state?

Henry VIII's reign: the divorce crisis and break with Rome, the royal supremacy, the dissolution of the monasteries, and the roles of Wolsey and Cromwell in government.
A focused guide to Henry VIII and the English Reformation for AQA A-Level History (the Tudors). Covers the divorce crisis, the break with Rome, the royal supremacy, the dissolution of the monasteries, and the contributions of Wolsey and Cromwell.
12 min answer →

How successful was the Elizabethan religious settlement, and how did foreign policy respond to the Catholic threat?

The Elizabethan religious settlement and its challenges from Catholics and Puritans, and the foreign policy of conflict with Spain, including the Netherlands and the Armada.
A focused guide to Elizabethan religion and foreign policy for AQA A-Level History (the Tudors). Covers the religious settlement of 1559, the Catholic and Puritan challenges, the slide into war with Spain over the Netherlands, and the Armada of 1588.
12 min answer →

How far did Tudor society and the economy change between 1485 and 1603, and how did government respond to poverty?

Tudor society and economy: population growth and inflation, enclosure and rural change, the rise of the gentry, and the development of poor relief culminating in the Elizabethan Poor Laws.
A focused guide to Tudor society and the economy for AQA A-Level History (the Tudors). Covers population growth and inflation, enclosure and rural change, the rise of the gentry, vagrancy, and the development of poor relief up to the Elizabethan Poor Laws.
11 min answer →