The dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII saw a successful English Revolution carried out by the Crown against the Church, to establish its hegemony.
@@ThinkingClass I think we don't really know why we talk about him so much. We know that his life was scandalous and at times vicious and larcenous but he should be remembered for more than that. The insecurity of the Tudor dynasty, after a period of a century of political instability, gave rise not only to a drive to establish security but also to the beginning of the formation of the modern state, the concentration of power in the hands of the government away from the Church, the thorough establishment of the King as Head of State and the first foundations of the British maritime empire which was to rule the world.
The monasteries were the welfare system of the middle ages. Its not like monks were running around in Lamborghinis. The vast majority of monks provided alms for their local communities Were there abuses? of course in every profession probability predicts that about 2% of the members will be rotten to the core. And so it was here too. That means 98% or so were humble folk who dedicated their lives to prayer and helping their communities The dissolution was a massive bribe from the King to the nobility to get them on side. And make them co conspirators. It worked. But ordinary people not only gained nothing but lost much. And eventually the monastery was replaced by the dreaded workhouse....
The dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII saw a successful English Revolution carried out by the Crown against the Church, to establish its hegemony.
He was quite the King. No wonder we talk about him so much.
@@ThinkingClass I think we don't really know why we talk about him so much. We know that his life was scandalous and at times vicious and larcenous but he should be remembered for more than that. The insecurity of the Tudor dynasty, after a period of a century of political instability, gave rise not only to a drive to establish security but also to the beginning of the formation of the modern state, the concentration of power in the hands of the government away from the Church, the thorough establishment of the King as Head of State and the first foundations of the British maritime empire which was to rule the world.
The monasteries were the welfare system of the middle ages. Its not like monks were running around in Lamborghinis. The vast majority of monks provided alms for their local communities
Were there abuses? of course in every profession probability predicts that about 2% of the members will be rotten to the core. And so it was here too. That means 98% or so were humble folk who dedicated their lives to prayer and helping their communities
The dissolution was a massive bribe from the King to the nobility to get them on side. And make them co conspirators. It worked.
But ordinary people not only gained nothing but lost much. And eventually the monastery was replaced by the dreaded workhouse....
Thoughtful response. Thank you.