The Tudors: Power and Piety in Sixteenth- Century England

(7.5 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

The Tudors are the most famous dynasty in English history, containing the striking personalities of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, and ruling over the turbulence of repeated changes of religion between Catholicism and Protestantism. In this module we will explore the structures of power inherent in sixteenth-century English government and the dynamics of personal monarchy. How these adapted to the novel conditions of the rule of a boy king (Edward VI) and two queens (Mary I and Elizabeth) will involve discussion both of political practice and ideas about and cultures of rule. The English Reformations will also be analysed to show how politics and religion affected each other. The final class will consider the post1603 image of the Tudors and their legacy in political and popular history.