Ap_Euro_Pilgrimage_of_Age_Dbq

The Protestant Reformation began with passing of the Supremacy Act in 1543, which made Henry VIII the head of the Anglican church. King Henry’s chief minister, Thomas Cromwell than passed many policies that favored himself and the king. In response to this, outraged Catholics began to protest against the actions of Cromwell and King Henry VIII in what is known as the Pilgrimage of Grace. The Pilgrimage lasted only one year (1536-1537) , and the participants in it protested and demonstrated their side of the issue. The participants in the Pilgrimage of Grace didn’t want Protestants to have power and were very against the Protestant King Henry and Thomas Cromwell. The goals of the Pilgrimage of Grace was to stop the Protestant Reformation and give more rights back to the Catholics. The participants wanted what was taken away from them such as the power of Catholic Church in England. In addition to the religious concerns, the followers of the Pilgrimage also had concerns over Cromwell, political rights and the decline of monasteries. Unfortunately for them, the Protestant Reformation was just too strong, and these goals were not reached. The “Oath of Honorable Men” taken by marchers shows that people participated in the Pilgrimage of Grace only for their “love of God, for the Holy Catholic Church militant, for the preservation of the King and his heirs, for the purification of the nobility, and to expel all evil counselors. (Doc. 1). The members only do this for their love for god, and not for their own gain. The marchers had “to rely on charity, faith, poverty and pity” and “help one another” (Doc. 2). The main goal of the Pilgrimage of Grace was to restore their country to what it was before Oliver Cromwell implemented the policies. In December 1536, in a petition written by Robert Aske presented the King’s Council, the marchers of the Pilgrimage of Grace asked for a long list of things, including the Supreme head of the Church to be the pope and Oliver Cromwell to be punished (Doc. 5) Naturally, Aske would request all this since he was the leader of the Pilgrimage of Grace. The protests and demonstrations were partly in reaction to Henry VIII becoming the head of the Church by the Act of Supremacy in 1534. The marchers detested the fact that after the Pope had been the leader of Church for centuries, the King had suddenly also become the leader. After this petition, an anonymous pamphlet attributed to Sir Thomas Tempest (former member of the Parliament for Newcastle) said that, “The king should grant our petition against the traitor Thomas Cromwell and his adherents or at least exile from the realm (Doc. 6).” The protestors believed that Cromwell had too much power and wanted to get rid of him, as he was the person who influenced the King the most. A group that was greatly affected by policies placed by Oliver Cromwell were the monks because Cromwell’s policies took away the monasteries. In 1536, Catholic monks composed a ballad that said, “Great God’s fame, does the church proclaim, now to be lame, and held in bonds. Robbed, spoiled and shorn of cattle and corn, houses and lands” (Doc. 4). The monks participated in this Pilgrimage in order to get all houses and lands that the monasteries were robbed of. They needed “To have the monasteires’ houses, lands and goods restored to them” (Doc. 5) In a re-creation of a banner carried by peasant marchers, the “Wounds of Christ” were depicted. The picture consists of a chalice, a plow and a cattle horn surrounding a heart with hands and feet sticking out it and blood dripping from everything (Doc. 3). The banner symbolized the monks who were suffering because they had everything taken away from them. ). Robert Aske also expressed his unhappiness with the robbing of the monasteries in a testimony given shortly before his execution in 1537. He said that “Any monies earned from the abbey lands are now going to the King” and that “Traveling strangers and beggars have no help on the roads” (Doc.11). He is saying that now monasteries aren’t around to help since everything was going to the King. Monasteries were now out for themselves, unlike before, when they were out to help others. But the Pilgrimage of Grace wasn’t favored by everyone. There were many people who opposed the works and ideas of the Pilgrimage of Grace. For example, Richard Morrison a writer hired by Thomas Cromwell stated, "Those that are of the worser sort must be content that the wiser rule and govern them" (document 7). By saying this, he believes that the common people weren’t capable or worthy enough to have a say in the government workings. He thought that the leader should have complete power without the people not allowed to have a say. But of course, since Morrison was hired by Cromwell, the chief minister of the King, he would be on the King’s side, wanting him to have lots of power. Another example is Nicholas Leche, a Catholic parish priest. He wished that someone would have stopped the Pilgrimage and made them realize that their actions were offensive to the King. Leche most probably thought of the Pilgrimage was unnecessary. He believed that the rebellion could have been prevented if the people involved knew how much controversy it would cause. (Doc. 8). Naturally Leche would think this: this statement was made while he was imprisoned, and he was bitter about the Pilgrimage. Of course, King Henry VIII himself was very against the rebellion. Even though King Henry VIII was unhappy with the fact that the rebellion the marchers committed might have ruined their country and also that the marchers gave comfort to their enemies, the Scots, the marchers were pardoned. In London, the King granted the marchers pardon (Doc. 9). King Henry VIII didn’t expect there this much tension and controversy when he signed the Act of Supremacy. Many people of England were very unhappy with the fact that Henry got to rule all of the land and the church. They thought that it was too much power for one person. These people who were greatly against the new policies of King Henry VIII and Oliver Cromwell started protests known as the Pilgrimage of Grace, in which many participants were convicted; about 65% of the total members of the Pilgrimage were convicted (Doc. 10). These numbers would be considered accurate as they come from the court records. The protestants in the Pilgrimage of Grace truly believed in what they were fighting for, and didn’t realize that it went directly against the King. These Protestants just wanted back was theirs and had every right to protest. King Henry should have considered the consequences before he signed the Act of Supremacy.