The Tudor dynasty, which ruled between 1485 and 1603, transformed England and monarchs such as Henry VIII are larger-than-life figures who are instantly recognizable. But where did the Tudors come from and why were they so successful? This online course will examine the first four Tudor monarchs, we will begin with Henry Tudor's victory at Bosworth, before moving on to examine the complex and often violent history of the English Reformation under Henry, Edward VI and Mary.
Course Dates
Course details
Tutors
Key Features
Aims of the course
- To provide a narrative of the period 1485-1558.
- To introduce the key personalities in the period and their significance.
- To examine the causes and progress of the English Reformation to 1558.
Learning Outcomes
As a result of the course, within the constraints of the time available, students should be able to:
- understand the significance of the key events and personalities during the period 1485-1558
- engage with the issues created by the English Reformation and their significance
- demonstrate some understanding of the long-term significance of the early Tudors and the English Reformation
Target audience:
The period 1485 – 1558 witnessed the establishment of the Tudor dynasty and the upheavals of the English Reformation. The Tudors continue to fascinate and the figure of Henry VIII is instantly recognisable to large numbers of people. The number of books written, both fiction and non-fiction, films, television series, etc. on the Tudors or set in Tudor England demonstrate the enduring appeal of this period. The Tudors are also popular as subjects for GCSE and A-level history. This course should appeal to a wide group of people, including those who wish to be introduced to the early Tudors for the first time, or those who wish to deepen their knowledge of this fascinating and important period in English history.
Welcome week (Week 0)
Purpose:
- personal introductions
- introducing the course
- useful reading
- personal objectives
Learning outcomes:
By studying this week the students should have:
- become familiar with navigating around the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and from VLE to links and back
- tested their ability to access files and the web conferencing software and sorted out any problems with the help of the eLearning team
- learnt how to look for, assess and reference internet resources
- used Quickmail to introduce themselves to other students
- contributed to a discussion forum to introduce themselves to other students and discuss why they are interested in the course, what they hope to get out of their studies and also to respond to News items sent out on behalf of tutor
Week 1: Henry VII and the origins of the Tudor Dynasty
Purpose:
To study the origins of the Tudor dynasty in the Wars of the Roses. Where the Tudors came from, why they emerged as the leading Lancastrian claimants, the importance of Lady Margaret Beaufort in the career of Henry Tudor.
To understand the invasion of England by Henry Tudor in the summer of 1485 and the Battle of Bosworth, at which Richard III was defeated and killed and Henry acclaimed king. To study the ways in which Henry consolidated his rule. The threat posed by the pretenders Perkin Warbeck and Lambert Simnel.
Learning Outcomes:
By studying this week, students should have an understanding of:
- how Henry Tudor survived the Wars of the Roses and emerged victorious in 1485
- how he established his rule
- how he dealt with rivals and pretenders to his throne
Week 2: Marriages, Annulments and Reformations
Purpose:
To understand the first half of the reign of Henry VIII, his marriage to Katherine of Aragon, his early wars against France and his championing of Catholic orthodoxy against the teachings of Martin Luther.
From there we will look at the career of Thomas Wolsey and the growing concerns over the succession due to Katherine’s failure to produce a male heir and the way the king’s ‘great matter’ came to dominate the reign in the 1520s.
We will then consider the events of the early 1530s, the break with Rome, the dissolution of the monasteries and Henry’s marriage to Anne Boleyn.
Apart from Wolsey, we will also consider the careers of Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Cranmer and their role in the Reformation.
We will also consider some of the victims of the Reformation, such as John Fisher and Thomas More.
Learning Outcomes:
By studying this week the students should have an understanding of:
- the early years of the reign of Henry VIII
- why he sought to annul his marriage to Katherine of Aragon
- why this precipitated the break with Rome and the dissolution of the monasteries, etc.
- the importance of such figures as Wolsey, Cromwell, Cranmer, More and Fisher in this process
Week 3: Henry VIII – Supreme Head in Earth
Purpose:
This unit will consider the later part of Henry’s reign, from his proclamation of the Royal Supremacy to his death in 1547. We will consider further the careers of Thomas Cromwell and Thomas Cranmer in the creation of the Church of England and the publication of an English Bible in 1540. We will also examine the increasingly conservative thrust of Henry’s religious policies in the final years of his reign and the faction fighting at court between conservatives and radicals for the king’s patronage.
Learning Outcomes:
By studying this week the students should have an understanding of:
- why Henry proclaimed himself the Supreme Head of the Church of England
- why Henry’s religious policies became more conservative after 1540
- the implications of the faction fighting at court
Week 4 England’s Josiah: the reign of Edward VI
Purpose:
With the death of Henry in 1547 his nine year old son became king. His short reign witnessed a radical change in religious policy in a Protestant direction. We will examine the effects of this radicalization on the fabric and liturgy of the English church. We will also consider the careers of the two ‘Protectors’ of Edward, namely, Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset and John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland. The course will end with the attempt by Edward and Dudley to alter the succession in favour of Dudley’s daughter-in-law, Lady Jane Grey.
Learning Outcomes:
By studying this week the students should have an understanding of:
- why the Reformation became more radical under Edward VI
- the importance of Cranmer to this process and the significance of the two Prayer Books of 1549 and 1552
- why Edward attempted to change to succession in 1553
Week 5 Fires of Faith: the England of Mary Tudor
Purpose:
We begin this unit with the challenge to Mary’s succession by Dudley’s attempt to place Lady Jane Grey on the throne, we will study the ways in which Mary defeated this attempt. From there we will concentrate on Mary’s attempts to undermine the English Reformation and restore the Catholic faith, which involved her marriage to Philip of Spain and, most notoriously, the burning of nearly 300 Protestants, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer. Despite Mary’s marriage she died childless in November 1558 and was succeeded by her half-sister, Elizabeth who restored the Protestant faith in England. The course will end with a discussion of the significance of the period and some of the long-term implications of the events studied.
Learning Outcomes:
By studying this week the students should have an understanding of:
- how Mary defeated Dudley and Lady Jane Grey
- why Mary was so determined to restore Catholicism
- the significance of her marriage to Philip of Spain
- the significance of the policy of persecution – did it help to consolidate Protestantism in England?
Week 6 what next?
- assessment of student learning
- assessment of student satisfaction
- encouragement of further study
This course is open to everyone, and you don’t need any previous knowledge or experience of the subject to attend.
Our short courses are designed especially for adult learners who want to advance their personal or professional development. They are taught by tutors who are expert in both their subjects and in teaching students of all ages and experiences.
Please note that all teaching is in English. You should have near-native command of the English language to get the maximum benefit from the course.
Each week of an online course is roughly equivalent to 2-3 hours of classroom time. On top of this, participants should expect to spend roughly 2-3 hours of self-study time, for example, reading materials, although this will vary from person to person.
While they have a specific start and end date and will follow a weekly schedule (for example, week 1 will cover topic A, week 2 will cover topic B), our tutor-led online courses are designed to be flexible and as such would normally not require participants to be online for a specific day of the week or time of the day (although some tutors may try to schedule times where participants can be online together for web seminars, which will be recorded so that those who are unable to be online at certain times are able to access material).
Unless otherwise stated, all course material will be posted on the VLE so that they can be accessed at any time throughout the duration of the course and interaction with your tutor and fellow participants will take place through a variety of different ways which will allow for both synchronous and asynchronous learning (using discussion boards etc).
Fees
The course fee includes access to the course on our VLE, personal feedback on your work from an expert tutor, a certificate of participation (if you complete work and take part in discussions), and access to the class resources for two years after your course finishes.
Concessions
For more information, please see our concessions information page.
Alison Fordham Bursary
University of Cambridge Professional and Continuing Education is proud to offer the Alison Fordham bursary, which is awarded to students who wish to study on one of our short online courses via our VLE, reducing the fee paid by 50%. The bursary is limited to a single award for each set of online courses.
Application criteria:
- applicants should set out their personal learning motivations since priority will be given to those who are returning to learning after an extended break, or have not previously engaged with fully online learning, or are seeking to use the online short course as a bridge towards undergraduate award-bearing study
- applicants who can demonstrate financial need
For more information, please see our bursaries information page.
A certificate of participation and a digital credential will be awarded to those who contribute constructively to weekly discussions, exercises and assignments for the duration of the course.
