Henry VII Essay Plans
‘Henry VII doesn’t deserve to be considered a great king. Above all, he was lucky’. To what extent do
you agree with this view?
Agree Disagree
- Lucky that pretenders were weak and caused - Ability to control the nobility → through bonds
no serious threat to the crown, and that they and recognisances, acts of attainder, reliance
were easily defeated. on fewer men.
- Lucky that in foreign policy other powers - Ability to control and improve the crown’s
were more concerned with other events (the finances.
Italian wars) and left HVII alone. - Relations with foreign powers → used to his
advantage.
Establishing and securing the dynasty
‘After 1485 Henry VII was so well established that he was never in any serious danger of losing the
throne.’ Explain why you agree or disagree with this view.
Introduction: By 1485 HVII was not well established and faced a danger of losing the throne, it was only as
his reign developed that he was able to ensure the security of his throne. When HVII came to the throne in
1485, he faced many threats including Yorkist opponents, pretenders and being an outsider to the
government and people of England. It could be argued that from 1485 HVII was in no serious danger as he
had well established international relations and control over government, including the nobility, but despite
this, it wasn’t until he had dealt with opponents and pretenders, and united the houses of York and
Lancaster through marriage and children that he became more well established.
Agree - never in any serious danger Disagree - in danger
- Good international relations. - Margaret of Burgundy.
- Geographical control - JPs, sheriffs, local and - Still had Yorkist opponents.
regional government. - Pretenders e.g. Perkin Warbeck and Lambert
- Good control over the nobility. Simnel.
- Secure finances - extraordinary and ordinary - Yorkshire and Cornish rebellions.
revenue. - Rivals to the throne and seen as a usurper.
- Support of government - parliament and - Only came to the throne in 1485 and it took
council. him time to become established as king.
- Lancastrians and Yorkists involved in mutual - Marriage and heirs to the throne not
destruction in their wars → deaths. established until Jan 1487.
- Outsider when came to the throne → had
been living in exile and grew up abroad.
‘Henry VII’s consolidation of power in the years 1485 to 1499 was the result of his own personal
strengths.’ Explain why you agree or disagree with this view.
Introduction: HVII’s consolidation of power in the years 1485 to 1499 was the result of his own personal
strengths to a large extent. HVII’s personal strengths included being astute and clear thinking in government,
and his ability to manage the nobility and supporters. He played the main role in organising and
implementing the successful measures which consolidated his power, and side factors such as luck, the
weaknesses of others, and the outside he support he had only strengthened what HVII was able to achieve
using his own personal strengths.
Agree - own personal strengths Disagree - other factors
, - HVII was organised and has clear aims. - Luck and chance.
Assertive. - Weaknesses of others - failures of
- Had good tactics - arranging his coronation pretenders.
before the first meeting of parliament and - He had the approval of the Church.
predating his reign to the day before the - Support of foreign powers → secured the
Battle of Bosworth. support of the Pope, kings of France and
- Determined to manage government by Spain.
himself rather than delegate too much power.
- Supporters were well rewarded. John de
Vere became the Earl of Oxford. Gave HVII
loyal supporters.
- Spy network.
- Consistent with his approach.
- Good at managing his money.
‘From 1485-1499 Henry VII successfully overcame all challenges to authority’. Assess the validity of
this view.
Introduction: HVII had successfully overcome all challenges to his authority by 1499, as he had removed
the threat posed by pretenders to the throne, gained control over the nobility and overcome the Yorkshire
and Cornish rebellions with ease. Although it could be argued that there was the continued challenge to
authority by the nobility, HVII had already implemented preventative measures of any serious challenge
being posed.
Agree - successfully overcame all challenges to Disagree - didn’t successfully overcome all
authority challenges to authority
- Rebellions weren’t a serious threat and were - Cornish rebellion made it to Blackheath, just
easily stopped. outside London which was where the centre
- Pretenders never gained large support or of government was.
posed a serious threat to HVII’s authority. - Perkin Warbeck was able to gain support
- Had good control over the nobility and those from foreign powers e.g. Margaret of
in government - through bonds and Burgundy, and was also able to exploit the
recognisances. Didn’t delegate away too Cornish rebellion.
much power so that it would be hard for - Nobility were a constant challenge to
someone to challenge his power. authority - HVII never fully trusted them.
‘The consolidation of royal authority, in the years 1487 to 1509, was due to Henry VII’s control over
the nobility’. Explain why you agree or disagree with this view.
Introduction: HVII’s control of the nobility was a significant factor in the consolidation of royal authority, but
it was not the sole reason for this consolidation. Other factors such as luck, HVII’s personal strengths,
regotion of power from others and carefully thought through tactics were equally important in the
consolidation of royal authority. This shows how HVII’s consolidation of power was not solely due to the
control over the nobility, but by a wide range of tactics and situations which helped HVII in establishing
himself as king.
Agree - HVII’s control over the nobility Disagree - other factors
- The relationship with the nobility - Luck and chance
fundamentally changed under Henry VII. He - Personal strengths → Henry created a myth
deliberately drew them more into the work of of kingship fairly rapidly, both in the use of
central and local government. royal propaganda but also in the elevation of
- Controlled the nobility mainly through bonds the person of the king in court ceremony,
and recognisances → became a central deployment of title and even representation
feature of this control and of the councillor as on coinage. Henry was keen to separate the
, opposed to noble solution to problems of majesty of kingship from the factional rivalry
control and authority. of the past few decades.
- Henry carefully enforced his feudal rights, - Recognition as king by the Church and
especially acting against illegal retaining and foreign powers.
maintenance. - Tactics - predating reign and coronation
- HVII began to rely on fewer men, who before first parliament meeting, marriage to
became more loyal and supportive. There Elizabeth.
was a shift away from the established nobility - Financial policies → Henry increasingly
of the court and more to the interests of the managed his own finances, especially Crown
gentry who benefited from education at the lands and feudal dues, all of which served to
Inns of Court or indeed who profited from increase royal authority.
royal patronage. - The use of the Counsel, combined with royal
- Use of Acts of Attainder. patronage, to shift authority closer to the
person of the king and his bureaucracy and
away from local magnates.
- Henry reduced the powers of the sheriffs and
elevated that of the JPs. This ensured that
Henry was able to move appointees around
local areas but also that the office was filled
increasingly with his own place men reliant
upon the good will of the King alone.
- Henry retained a tight control over the Church
and continued as a very effective agent of his
own authority in the localities. Bishops were
treated respectfully but in exactly the same
manner as the nobility who might prove a
potential challenge to the King’s authority.
‘The establishment of HVII’s authority in the years 1485-1509 was due to his financial policies’.
Explain why you agree or disagree with this view.
Introduction:
Agree - financial policies Disagree - other factors
- Good finances gave him more power and - Luck and chance
control. - Henry established his authority by defeating
- Authority over the ‘over-mighty’ nobles who the Pretenders. The defeat of the Pretenders,
had perpetuated instability during the supported as they were by foreign powers
previous reigns was key. Henry VII used and also by English Nobility, enabled Henry
bonds and recognisances to control the to assert his authority.
nobility. This not only brought in income to - Recognition of authority from the Church and
the Crown, but effectively made members of foreign powers.
the nobility responsible for their peers and - Henry established his authority by dating his
enabled him to establish his authority over reign from the day before Bosworth and by
the nobility. marrying Elizabeth of York. This gave his
- The authority of previous monarchs had been reign legitimacy and enabled him, not only to
compromised by the armies owned by the attain property, but also to control the nobility.
nobility. Fines which were introduced for By not marrying Elizabeth until he was
excessive retaining restricted the size of the crowned, Henry was able to claim the throne
individual armies available to the nobles and in his own right. The marriage enhanced his
prevented them using the armies to challenge authority.
him. Nevertheless, armed forces were - Personal strengths.
available for when he needed them. - Control over the nobility - but this was done
- The use of Feudal dues was significant in largely through HVII’s financial policies.
