What Teachers Need to Know · favor of Mary and William of Orange from the ... The first Tudor was...

History and Geography: World 193

At a Glance continued◗ Whatever advantages Charles I had at the beginning of the Civil War,

he could not overcome Oliver Cromwell’s leadership of the rebel army.

◗ During the late 1640s and 1650s England was ruled as a republic, orcommonwealth, with no king.

◗ Cromwell’s Commonwealth could not survive after his death and at theRestoration, in 1660, Charles II was invited to take the throne.

◗ The Glorious Revolution removed James II from the English throne infavor of Mary and William of Orange from the Netherlands, who agreedto the English Bill of Rights.

What Teachers Need to KnowA. England in the Golden AgeBackground

The two centuries from 1500 to 1700 were a particularly eventful time inthe history of England. The nation struggled over religion, vacillated betweenCatholicism and Protestantism, defeated an invasion by Spain, became a seapower, embarked on worldwide colonization, fought a civil war, executed aking, transformed itself into a republic, restored the monarchy, drove a kingfrom the throne on account of his Catholicism, and finally emerged as a par-liamentary government with strong checks on the power of the monarch. Anunderstanding of this period of English history is particularly important forAmericans, because American politics of the Revolutionary era were based onissues and disagreements in the mother country.

The House of TudorMembers of the House of Tudor were a family of Welsh descent that ruled

England from 1485 until 1603. The first Tudor was Henry VII, who ruled from1485 to 1509. He was the father of Henry VIII and the grandfather of QueenElizabeth. Henry VII took control of the monarchy after defeating Richard III inthe War of the Roses (so-named because a red rose and a white rose were the sym-bols of the houses of Lancaster and York, respectively). The reign of the Tudorsended when Elizabeth, who did not have any children, died in 1603.

Henry VIII and the Church of EnglandBy the time of the Renaissance, the Roman Catholic Church was the domi-

nant religion in Europe. The head of the Church was the pope in Rome, who fora time wielded great power in Europe, and could even control heads of state. Asmonarchs in the 15th and 16th centuries shaped nation-states from their assort-ed feudal domains, they saw papal power as a threat to their new sovereignty.

CK_5_TH_HG_P104_230.QXD 2/14/06 2:23 PM 93

V. England from the Golden Ageto the Glorious Revolution

194 Grade 5 Handbook

Henry VIII of England had not begun his monarchy expecting to over-throw the Roman Catholic Church in England. In 1521, Henry had publisheda work attacking the errors of Martin Luther’s teachings. For this, Henry hadbeen given the title “Defender of the Faith” by a grateful pope. However,Henry’s personal concerns eventually led him to abandon his staunch sup-port of the Church.

In 1509, he had married Catherine of Aragon, the daughter of Ferdinandand Isabella of Spain and the widow of his older brother Arthur. All their sonsdied in infancy. Only a daughter, Mary, born in 1516, survived. This worriedHenry VIII. He was eager to have a male heir. Although a daughter couldaccede to the throne, Henry’s concern was that a daughter would probably getmarried, at which point her property would transfer to her husband’s control.If that happened, England might become part of the husband’s kingdom.

By the late 1520s, Henry had convinced himself that that they had failed tohave a son because Catherine had first been married to Henry’s older brother.Henry asked the pope for an annulment because of Catherine’s first marriage. Bythis time, Henry wanted to marry Anne Boleyn, a courtier.

The pope refused to annul the marriage for political as much as ecclesiasticalreasons. The pope did not want to antagonize Catherine’s nephew, the Holy RomanEmperor. Not to be denied, in 1529 Henry began taking steps to have Parliamentdeclare the church in England separate from the church directed from Rome by thepope. Henry proceeded to marry Anne Boleyn and had his marriage to Catherineannulled in 1533. Their daughter Elizabeth was born the same year. The followingyear, Henry had Parliament pass the Act of Supremacy, which made the monarchthe head of the Church of England (later known as the Anglican Church).

To build support among powerful Catholics, Henry had Parliament confis-cate church lands (e.g., monasteries, nunneries, etc.) and sold the lands, most ofwhich were bought by members of the gentry class who wanted to own property.

In Europe at this time, people within a country were expected to practice thereligion that their government approved. To do otherwise was to risk fines,imprisonment, and even death. All English subjects were expected to remain loyalto the Church of England, with Henry at its head, because the Church was the“official” or established church of the country. Henry VIII demanded that allEnglishmen take an oath of allegiance to him as the head of the new church. Somepeople, including Sir Thomas More, the Lord Chancellor of England, remainedloyal to the pope and refused to swear the oath. More was one of several execut-ed for refusing the oath.

By 1539, Henry had launched a series of persecutions of English Catholics onthe one hand and of extreme Protestants on the other hand. The former objectedto the Church because of the break with Rome. The latter objected because theyfelt that Henry had not gone far enough in his break with Rome. Although HenryVIII had rejected papal authority, the Church at this point was still very similar tothe Catholic Church in its doctrines, ceremonies, and hierarchy. Protestants,influenced by the ideas of John Calvin (see section on the Reformation, pp.178–185) thought Henry’s reformation had not gone nearly far enough.

In addition to initiating the English Reformation, Henry VIII is famous for hisseries of six wives. After Catherine of Aragon (1509–1533) and Anne Boleyn(1533–1536), came Jane Seymour (1536–1537), Anne of Cleves (1540),

Use Instructional Masters 24a–24b.

Tudor and Stuart Family Tree

Master 24a

Grade 5: History & Geography

Cop

yrig

ht ©

Cor

e K

now

ledg

e Fo

unda

tion

Name Date

THE TUDORS 1485–1603

THE STUARTS 1603–1714

John, Dukeof Lancaster

(son ofEdward III)(1340–99)

Katharine Swynford(c. 1350–1403)

Catherine ofAragon

(1485–1536)

Henry VIII(1491–1547)

1509–47

AnneBoleyn

(1500–36)

Mary I (1516–58)

1553–58(1st QueenRegnant)

Elizabeth I(1533–1603)

1558–1603

Edward VI(1537–53)

1547–53

James V, Kingof Scotland(1512–42)

Phillip II,King ofSpain

(1526–98)

Henry Frederick,Prince of Wales

(1594–1612)

Elizabeth(1596–1662)

Sophia(1630–1714)

Ernest Augustus,Elector of Hanover

(1629–98)

Frederick V., Electorof Palatine

(1596–1632)

MargaretBeaufort

(1443–1509)

Henry VII(1457–1509)

1485–1509

Elizabeth of York(daughter ofEdward IV)(1466–1503)

Edmund Tudor,Earl of Richmond

(c. 1430– 1556)+

+Mary ofLorraine

(1515–60)

Mary, Queenof Scots

(1542–87)

James VI of Scotlandand I of England

(1566–1625)1603–25

Anne ofDenmark

(1574–1619)

+

+

+

+ +Jane

Seymour(1509–37)

Anne of Cleves(1515–57)

Catherine Howard(1521–42)

Catherine Parr(1512–48)

Margaret(1489–1541)

James IV, Kingof Scotland

(1473–1513)+ +

+

+

+

+

George I(1660–1727)

1714–27

Charles I(1600–49)

1625–49

Mary(1631–60)

Charles II(1630–85)

1660–85

William ofOrange(1626–50)

James II(1633–1701)

1685–88

Anne Hyde(1637–71)

Henrietta Maria(1609–69)

+

+ +

William II(1650–1702)

1689–1702

Mary II(1662–94)

1689–94

Anne(1665–1714)

1702–14

+

+

+

Henry, LordDarnley

(1545–67)

CK_5_TH_HG_P104_230.QXD 2/14/06 2:23 PM Page 194

Catherine Howard (1540–1542), and Catherine Parr (1543–1547). A well-knownrhyme describes the fate of each wife:

Divorced, beheaded, died

Divorced, beheaded, survived.

Protestant or Catholic?When Henry VIII died, it was unclear whether England would ultimately

become a solidly Protestant country or revert to Catholicism. Henry’s son withJane Seymour, Edward VI, became king in 1547 when he was only nine years old.Although Henry had older children, Edward was next in line for the successionbecause he was a male. Edward’s chief advisers were Protestant, and duringEdward’s reign, England became more solidly Protestant, introducing changes indoctrine, liturgy, and ceremonies. During Edward’s brief rule, the Book of CommonPrayer, a book of prayers, and Forty-Two Articles of Religion, the official statementof the articles of belief of the Church of England, were published. However,Edward VI lived for only a few years. He died of tuberculosis in 1553.

In 1553 Mary I ascended to the throne. She was the daughter of Henry VIIIand his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Mary had been raised a Catholic and sheattempted to return England to Catholicism. She dissolved the Church ofEngland, married a Spanish (Catholic) prince, and had many Protestants execut-ed or severely punished, earning herself the name “Bloody Mary.” Several hun-dred Protestants were burned at the stake during the last years of her reign, whichended in 1558.

Elizabeth IWhen Mary died in 1558, she was replaced by Elizabeth I. The only child of

Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth was 25 when she ascended the throne. Tostabilize the nation, one of her first acts was to settle the conflict betweenCatholics and Anglicans. A moderate Protestant, she reinstated the Church ofEngland, but kept the hierarchy of bishops and archbishops as it was in theCatholic Church and also much of the Catholic Church’s ritual. However, theThirty-Nine Articles of Faith (outlining a Protestant creed) replaced previouscreeds and became the official statement of religious beliefs and practice. She alsoreinstated the Book of Common Prayer, which Mary had withdrawn, and Englishreplaced Latin as the language of the Church. Under the Elizabethan Settlement,as it was called, Elizabeth attempted to reach a compromise with Catholics inorder to maintain peace, but a stipulation was that they had to accept themonarch as head of the Church in England. Catholicism went underground. Atthe same time, some Puritans, influenced by the ideas of John Calvin, grumbledthat the Church was insufficiently reformed, but peace was preserved.

During Elizabeth I’s 45 year reign, England enjoyed prosperity and peace formuch of the time. The exception was conflict with Spain, a Catholic power thatrefused to accept Elizabeth as queen, since the pope did not recognize the annul-ment that had allowed Elizabeth’s mother to marry Henry VIII. But at home, agri-cultural production increased, trade grew, villages became towns, and townsbecame cities. The arts, especially, reaped the benefit of good times and the finan-cial support of the queen, who loved music, dancing, and theater performances.


Cross-curricular

Teaching Idea

Introduce or review Shakespearewhen you begin the study of theElizabethan period. You may alsowish to have students listen toElizabethan music during the courseof study.

Queen Elizabeth I


V. England from the Golden Age to the Glorious Revolution


Teaching Idea

Stage an Elizabethan Day. Have groupsof students do research to find out whatkind of clothes the Elizabethans wore,what they ate, what music they listenedto, and what they read. Have the groupsplan a class event to showcase thisinformation. It could be an event inwhich students wear costumes, pre-pare easy-to-make simulatedElizabethan dishes, play tapes ofElizabethan music, etc. Or if there isless time and fewer resources, the“event” could be oral presentations ofillustrated reports about Elizabethantimes.

Although most people expected Elizabeth to marry, she never did. She wasknown as the Virgin Queen and liked to say that she was “married to England.”

The period during which Elizabeth I reigned is sometimes called theElizabethan Age in recognition of the impact that Elizabeth had on her nation.The term Elizabethan is used as a noun to designate a person who lived duringthat time, e.g., “Elizabethans became used to warnings that the Spanish wereabout to invade.” It is also used as an adjective: “Elizabethan poets were highlyinventive in their use of imagery.” The Elizabethan Age is especially noted for itsoutput of excellent literature. Elizabeth was a great patron of the arts. Elizabethanplaywrights and poets included William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, ChristopherMarlowe, Sir Phillip Sidney, and Edmund Spenser.

England’s Naval DominanceIt was actually Henry VIII who started England on the road to naval suprem-

acy. Although he strengthened the navy, it was Elizabeth who used it to expandEngland’s territory, power, and wealth.

Defeat of the Spanish ArmadaBefore her death in 1558, Queen Mary I had been married to Philip II, the

king of Spain, a staunchly Catholic country. Philip continued to rule in Spain afterMary was succeeded by Elizabeth. Philip and the Spanish refused to accept theannulment of Henry’s first marriage. They believed Henry had done a great wrongby setting aside Catherine of Aragon, and also by breaking with Rome. In 1588,Philip sent an armada, a huge fleet of ships, to battle against and possibly invadeEngland. He had the pope’s blessing to conquer the island and bring it back to the“old religion.” The flotilla of 130 ships carried some 29,000 men and 2,400 piecesof artillery. Philip wanted to end attacks from the pirates Elizabeth was support-ing (like Sir Francis Drake, see below) and remove her from the throne, not onlybecause of her Protestantism but because she was supporting Spain’s enemies inEurope. Spain had been trying to stamp out Protestantism in the area known asthe Low Countries (Belgium and the Netherlands), which it controlled. Englandhad been supporting the reformers.

Sir Francis Drake made a surprise raid on part of the fleet before it left itsSpanish port and destroyed 30 ships. The Spanish had large, clumsy ships, where-as the English had developed smaller, faster vessels. Rather than fight broadside,the traditional method of naval warfare, the small English ships moved in, firedquickly, and sailed off before the slower Spanish galleons could turn and pursuethem. At night, the Spanish ships had to be on the lookout for fire ships. TheEnglish would set empty ships afire and set their sails to collide with anchoredSpanish ships. Drake destroyed many tons of supplies that were intended for theinvasion of England. He joked that he had “singed the beard” of the Spanish king.

The biggest help the English received against the Spanish Armada was fromnature. A huge storm blew the Spanish fleet off course. Many ships were forcedonto the rocky coast of Ireland, where English soldiers shot the half-drownedsailors and soldiers as they dragged themselves ashore. What was left of the fleetturned home to Spain, and Philip gave up all idea of invading England. To theEnglish, their victory seemed to be an indication that God smiled on their


religion and their nation. They said the defeat of the Armada was due to provi-dence, or God’s supervision, and they called the wind that drove the SpanishArmada to its defeat the “Protestant Wind.”

Just before the defeat of the Armada, Queen Elizabeth made a speech to herEnglish soldiers gathered at Tillbury. Here are the most famous lines:

I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but I have the heart andstomach of a king—and of a king of England too, and think foul scornthat Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade theborders of my realm; to which, rather than any dishonour should growby me, I myself will take up arms—I myself will be your general, judge,and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field.

Sir Francis DrakeEngland called its sea captains admirals. But to England’s enemies, the sea cap-

tains were called “sea dogs,” or pirates. One of the most famous was Francis Drake.Drake was born into a strong Protestant family and apprenticed on a ship at age13. In 1577, Drake sailed west on a voyage sponsored by Queen Elizabeth. Thegoal was to become the first English expedition to circumnavigate the globe. ButElizabeth mentioned another purpose when she told Drake, “I would gladly berevenged on the King of Spain for divers injuries that I have received.” (Recall thatthe Spanish viewed Elizabeth as an illegitimate child, the product of an invalid sec-ond marriage and the head of a heretical church.) Along the way, Drake left behindtwo ships, lost another two of his five ships, and had to put down a plot againsthim. He sailed through the Straits of Magellan and into the Pacific Ocean, wherehe did battle with terrible storms. He raided Spanish ships and settlements alongthe way and explored the Pacific coast of North America, including the SanFrancisco area. He sailed north all the way to Vancouver, hoping to find theNorthwest Passage. Then he sailed across the Pacific to the Philippines, on to theSpice Islands, then around the tip of Africa and back to England. When hereturned to England in 1580, his ship Golden Hind was filled with Spanish gold andsilver. For his service in behalf of England, Elizabeth knighted him. As Sir FrancisDrake, he was an admiral of the fleet that routed the Spanish Armada in 1588.

English Exploration and Settlements in North AmericaDuring the reign of Elizabeth I, the English attempted their first permanent

settlement in North America. In 1587, Sir Walter Raleigh sponsored an expedi-tion to America to establish a settlement of 100 English men, women, and chil-dren. He appointed John White governor.

The colonists settled on Roanoke Island off the coast of North Carolina.White reluctantly returned to England for supplies. Several people—colonistsand some of the local native people—had already been killed as a result of fight-ing between the two groups. When White arrived in England, he found a coun-try braced for an invasion by the Spanish Armada at any moment. No large shipswere allowed to leave England. It was not until 1590 that White could return toRoanoke.

When he arrived, he found no trace of the settlement or the colonists. A fortstood where the houses had been and carved on a nearby tree were the letters c-r-o-a-t-o-a-n. White thought that this meant that the colonists had either movedto Croatoan Island or had gone inland to the Croatoan Indians. These people had

Teaching Idea

Students may be confused by the useof the term England sometimes andGreat Britain at other times, so youwill want to clarify this.

In 1707, Scotland was legallyjoined to England and Wales by theAct of Union. The term Great Britainis used after that date to refer to thelarger entity. Prior to 1707, England isthe proper term. Even after 1707,England is the correct term if refer-ring simply to that nation, such as theEnglish midlands or the south coastof England. Wales had been joinedwith England in 1536 under Henry VIII.

Teaching Idea

Make a geography connection bysharing with students some of thenames of places (cities, towns, counties, states) in the United States that are named after Englishkings, queens, and nobles, e.g.,Virginia (named for the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I), Jamestown(named for James I), Charleston,Williamsburg, etc.





Teaching Idea

Tell students about the first child bornof English parents in North America.She was named Virginia Dare. No oneknows any more about her than hername. She was born on Roanoke Island,the site of the “Lost Colony,” in 1587.John White, the governor of the colony,was her grandfather.

Teaching Idea

Many of the wars in Europe betweenthe 1500s and 1700s were over religiousconcerns. Often, political concernswere an equal part of the conflicts. Forexample, as students may remember,northern German princes supportedLuther in part because they wanted tostop paying support to the pope inRome.

Discuss with students some of theways that people have used religion fortheir own ends, and what this means.For example, Roman emperors beforeConstantine persecuted Christiansbecause the emperors thought ifChristianity spread, it would weakenthe emperor’s hold on power. Christiansrefused to worship the emperor. TheCrusades tried to rout the Muslims fromthe Holy Land to honor God but also tohave access to the riches of trade withAsia. Muslims seized territory in praiseof Allah and to enrich themselves. Theconquistadors attempted to convertnative Americans to Christianitybecause they believed it was the rightthing to do, but also because it wouldturn their adversaries into peacefulworkers.

been friendly to the colonists when they first arrived. White was never able tosearch for the colonists, however, because storms intervened, and he returned toEngland without knowing what had happened.

Between 1607, when Jamestown was founded, and 1732, when a group ofproprietors were given a charter for Georgia, the English established thirteencolonies along the eastern seaboard of North America. All but Georgia werefounded during the time of Elizabeth I’s immediate successor, James I, and theGlorious Revolution. You can read more about these colonies on pp. 154–156 ofthis book.

B. From the English Revolution to the GloriousRevolution

Background

While Elizabeth managed to quiet religious conflict during her long reign, itresurfaced after her death. Childless, she acknowledged James VI of Scotland, theson of her deceased cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, as the legitimate heir to theEnglish throne.

Upon Elizabeth’s death in 1603, James also became James I of England.Although he was a Presbyterian, he supported the Church of England, and super-vised a translation of the Bible that is still much cited and read today, the KingJames Bible (1611). James also attempted to ease some of the restrictions againstCatholics. This only worsened the conflict. However, his greatest problem withhis new subjects was not religion, but his belief in the divine right of kings. Thisphilosophy had been embraced by the French and Austrian monarchies.According to this theory, the monarch received from God his or her right to gov-ern and, therefore, answered only to God, not the governed. Any opposition tothe monarch was opposition to God.

Unfortunately for James, Parliament had evolved a number of rights of itsown since the Magna Carta was signed in 1215, including control of the nation’sfinances. When James called Parliament into session to ask for new taxes, itrefused. He then dismissed Parliament and ruled without it, which he was able todo so long as he had no need for new taxes.

The English RevolutionWhen James died in 1625, his son became King Charles I (1625–1649). Like

his father, Charles believed in the absolute authority of the monarchy. The stagewas set for a series of confrontations between king and Parliament. Religion alsoentered into the disputes.

King Charles I, Puritans, and ParliamentBy 1628, Charles I had already held and dismissed two sessions of Parliament

that had refused to grant him all the money he had requested to pay for his for-eign wars. Before Parliament would grant Charles his money in 1628, the mem-bers forced him to sign the Petition of Right, in which he agreed that onlyParliament could levy new taxes.


Charles dismissed Parliament and did not call it back into session until 1640.By then, he had angered his subjects in Scotland and needed money to put downtheir revolt. Under the guidance of William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury andhead of the Anglican Church, Charles had tried to impose the Book of CommonPrayer and the hierarchy of bishops and archbishops on Presbyterian Scotland.This led to war with Scotland. However, Laud had also attempted to clamp downon religious dissenters in England, notably Puritans. For example, he had thePuritan pamphleteer William Prynne thrown in jail and even had Prynne’s earschopped off. Many of the Puritans who came to America in the 1620s and ’30swere fleeing from Laud and his regulations.

When Charles called Parliament into session, his opponents in Parliamentseized the opportunity to stage their own revolt against him. The king and theLong Parliament, as it came to be known (it met irregularly from 1640 to 1653),goaded each other in a series of escalating actions. Parliament had several ofCharles’s advisors, including Archbishop Laud, arrested, tried, and executed.Charles had little choice but to make peace with Scotland. Parliament forcedCharles to agree that Parliament could not be dismissed without its consent, thatonly Parliament could approve new taxes, and that Parliament must be called intosession every three years.

By 1641, the Puritans had gained enough power to force passage of a billrequiring Parliament’s approval of the king’s advisors. In retaliation, Charlesmarched into the House of Commons at the head of a group of soldiers to arrestthe leaders of the opposition. They escaped, but the political rivalry had turnedinto civil war.

Civil War: Cavaliers and RoundheadsThe English Civil War lasted from 1642 to 1649. The followers of the king

were known as Cavaliers, meaning gallant gentlemen. His opponents were knownas Roundheads. The name came from the men’s habit of cropping their hair closeto their heads, rather than wearing their hair in the long, flowing style of the aris-tocrats who supported the king.

For the first two years of the war, the king and his forces were successful.However, in 1645, the Roundheads chose Oliver Cromwell, a Puritan, as theirgeneral. Cromwell turned the forces supporting the dissidents in Parliament intothe New Model Army, a highly disciplined and efficient military organization thatbelieved that God supported it and that it fought with divine help. By 1646,Charles had surrendered, but the civil war was not over.

Cromwell’s supporters seized control of Parliament by ousting the majorityof members who wanted a monarchy limited by constitutional guarantees for therights of the people and Parliament. Cromwell installed the Rump Parliament,100 members who agreed with his idea of eliminating the monarchy in favor of arepublic. Another round of fighting broke out. Though Cromwell’s supporterswere in the minority, they controlled the army and within a few months haddefeated the supporters of the king.

Execution of Charles ICromwell had Charles tried for treason. The verdict was guilty, and on

January 30, 1649, a sentence of immediate execution was handed down to that“tyrant, traitor, murderer, and public enemy.” He was taken to his own Palace of

Teaching Idea

Work with students to compare andcontrast the English Civil War to theCivil War in our country, which isstudied in the American history section. You may wish to useInstructional Master 83, Venn Diagram.


Teaching Idea

Some of the earliest English newspa-pers were published during theEnglish Civil War. Have studentsimagine they are newspaper editorsduring the period of crisis fromCharles I’s calling of Parliament in1628 to the Restoration. Have themwrite 2 newspaper headlines of 2 lines each describing an event from1628 to 1660.

Cavaliers and Roundheads




Whitehall, where a scaffold had been erected outside a second-floor window.Crowds braved the bitter January weather to watch the decapitation from nearbyrooftops, marveling at the doomed king’s courage as he knelt by the executioner’sblock. It is said that Charles called himself “a martyr of the people,” forgave hisenemies, and gave the signal himself for the executioner to strike. It is also saidthat he wore two shirts on the day of his execution in order to be sure he didn’tshiver and appear to be nervous. When his head was chopped off, many in thecrowd groaned in disbelief.

The execution of the king was a shock to the English and to others as well.No European monarch had ever been tried and executed by his or her own peo-ple. The precedent was now established that a ruler who attempted to exerciseabsolute power without the consent of the governed could be punished.

Oliver Cromwell and the Puritan RegimeWith the Rump Parliament in power, the monarchy, the Church of England,

and the House of Lords were abolished and a Commonwealth was establishedbased on Cromwell’s idea for a republic. Opposition to Cromwell continued, how-ever. In 1653, he dismissed the Rump Parliament, called a new Parliament (theBarebones Parliament), and assumed the title of Lord Protector. By 1655, he haddissolved Parliament again and placed England under military rule with himselfas dictator.

Charles I’s son, also named Charles, and his supporters invaded Englandfrom bases in Scotland and Ireland but with little effect. In retaliation, Cromwellled his own invasion of Ireland in 1649 and 1650. By the time the fighting wasover, as many as a third of the Irish people had been killed and as much as two-thirds of Irish lands were confiscated from their Roman Catholic owners andgiven to Cromwell’s English Protestant, often Puritan, supporters. WhileCromwell supported a policy of religious toleration for Jews and all Protestantsexcept Anglicans, he persecuted Roman Catholics.

The Commonwealth was based on Puritan ideals. Like Calvin in Geneva,Cromwell sought to establish a moral, godly community of believers. Sunday wasa day of prayerful observance, to be used only for religious services. Because read-ing the Bible was important to one’s duty of examining one’s conscience continu-ally, Cromwell supported public education for girls as well as boys. Theaters andtaverns were closed as distractions and obstacles to godliness. Dancing, gambling,maypole dancing, and other traditional festive activities were also prohibited.

The Restoration, 1660Cromwell died in 1658 and it was soon apparent that without him, the harsh

regulations of the Commonwealth could not hold the English public’s loyalty. In1660, a new Parliament, with the support of the army, asked Charles I’s son toreturn and be crowned Charles II (1660–1685). This marks the beginning of aperiod in English history known as the Restoration. During the Restoration,England expanded its power and wealth through colonization and the develop-ment of international trade.

Under the religious settlement that ended the Puritan regime, the Church ofEngland was reinstated and a series of laws passed between 1661 and 1665 limit-ing the activities of Puritans and Roman Catholics. They were allowed to practice


their religions, but could not hold membership in town corporations, whichmeant that they could not hold any local public office. A later law barred themfrom holding public office on the national level. The restrictions lasted until theearly 1800s. As a result of these laws and the change in life in England, Puritansagain emigrated as they had in the early 1600s. Many Puritans emigrated toMassachusetts during these years.

With the Restoration, the Puritan restrictions against the theater, dancing,gambling, and similar activities were lifted. Charles II was less interested in thepolitics of kingship than in living its good life, and was known as “The MerryMonarch.” He was notorious for his leisure activities, including riding, sailing,drinking, and cavorting with mistresses. More diplomatic than his father, he hadbetter relations with Parliament for most of his reign, though there was some sus-picion that Charles was secretly a Roman Catholic. Charles had no child to suc-ceed him, and in 1681 Parliament tried to a pass a law to keep his brother James,Duke of York, a Catholic, from succeeding him. Many Protestants feared that ifJames succeeded to the throne, he would try to bring Catholicism back. Charlesdealt with this by dissolving Parliament and ruling without it until his death in1685.

James II and the “Glorious Revolution”When James II assumed the throne of England in 1685, he was a Roman

Catholic monarch of a Protestant nation. When he married his second wife, hehad converted from Protestantism to Catholicism, but his two daughters from hisfirst marriage had been raised as Protestants. The eldest, Mary, was married toWilliam III, Prince of Orange, in the Netherlands. The English expected thatwhen James died, his daughter Mary would succeed to the throne. This wouldmean they would only have to endure a Catholic monarch for a short while.However, in 1688, James and his second wife had a son who automaticallybecame first in line for the throne, thus assuring the continuation of a RomanCatholic monarchy.

Whether the monarch was Roman Catholic or not would have mattered lessif James had not set about trying to restore Roman Catholic influence in England.He issued two declarations allowing freedom of worship for non-AnglicanProtestants and Catholics. He also appointed Catholics to a number of high gov-ernment and military posts. There was also concern that James would attempt tolessen the power of Parliament.

In 1688, Parliament, fearing the worst, invited Mary and her husband,William of Orange, to rule England. In the face of English hostility and the armythat accompanied William and Mary, James fled to France. This became known asthe Glorious Revolution, or Bloodless Revolution, because it was accomplishedvery easily, with no bloodshed. Of course, not everyone thought it was so glori-ous. The supporters of James, known as Jacobites (from the Latin form of James,Jacobus), tried several times to invade England and put James (or, later, his heirs)back on the throne. But they were never successful.

Bill of Rights: Parliament Limits the Power of theMonarchyBefore Parliament allowed William and Mary to be crowned, the new mon-

archs had to accept certain limitations on the power of the monarchy. In 1689,


Teaching Idea

Students in Core Knowledge schoolsshould have learned about the MagnaCarta and the beginnings ofParliament in the Grade 4 WorldHistory and Geography section“England in the Middle Ages.” Askthem to explain the significance ofeach as a way to introduce latersteps in the development of England’sunwritten constitution.

Great Britain’s form of governmentis a constitutional monarchy; that is,the actions of the monarch are limit-ed by a series of laws and precedentsset over the centuries. These serve asan unwritten constitution. GreatBritain has no single document simi-lar to the United States Constitution.




Parliament passed and William and Mary accepted what has become known asthe English Bill of Rights. Among its provisions are the following:

• The suspension of laws by the monarchy “without the consent of Parliamentis illegal.”

• “That levying money for . . . the use of the Crown . . . without grant ofParliament . . . is illegal.”

• That the people have the right to petition the government and “prosecutionsfor such petitioning are illegal.”

• “That the raising or keeping a standing army within the kingdom in time ofpeace, unless it be with consent of Parliament is against [the] law.”

• “That excessive bail ought not to be required, nor excessive fines imposed,nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted.”

• “That . . . for the amending, strengthening and preserving of the laws, [ses-sions of] Parliaments ought to be held frequently.”

The Glorious Revolution and the English Bill of Rights were important land-marks on the road to limited monarchy. Several important philosophical ideasthat were used to justify the Revolution and write the Bill of Rights came from thecontemporary philosopher John Locke, whose ideas on natural law and the limi-tations of governmental power profoundly influenced the leaders of the AmericanRevolution ninety years later.

The Big Idea inReviewThe 1500s and 1600swere a time of Englishexpansion abroad andconsolidation ofParliamentary power athome.

ReviewBelow are some ideas for ongoing assessment and review activities. These are

not meant to constitute a comprehensive list. Teachers may also refer to thePearson Learning/Core Knowledge History & Geography series for additional infor-mation and teaching ideas.

• Have students play “Who/What Am I . . . ?” Students should work in pairs tocreate four questions and answers using a statement of what a person did or whatan event was, followed by the question “Who am I?” or “What am I?” Combinepairs into groups of four to ask each other their questions.

• As a culmination to this unit of study, have students write an essay based onthe big idea, “Describe English expansion abroad, consolidation of Parliamentarypower at home, and how these two factors changed England.” Make sure studentsjustify their answers with facts learned in this section.

• This section provides an opportunity for students to complete short researchreports on any of the historical figures of England from the Golden Age to theGlorious Revolution. Using the Language Arts section, provide the class with top-ics for short reports to write in formal style. Each day of a week, provide a mini-lesson on different aspects of report writing, such as correct paragraph form orbibliographies. Share these reports when completed.

Teaching Idea

Compare the English Bill of Rights tothe Bill of Rights that accompanies theU.S. Constitution. Students in CoreKnowledge schools should have stud-ied this in-depth in the Grade 4American History and Geography sec-tion “Making a ConstitutionalGovernment.”

William and Mary


III. Fiction and DramaB. Drama

76 Grade 5 Handbook

At a GlanceThe most important ideas for you are:

◗ Drama is a form of literature that is intended to be performed by actorsfor an audience in a theater.

◗ Plays are divided into acts and scenes. The Romans were the first todivide their plays into acts, and the Roman poet Horace set the numberat five. Until the 19th century, the ideal number of acts in a play was five.

◗ Drama includes comedies and tragedies.

◗ William Shakespeare was one of the finest playwrights of theElizabethan Age (1558–1603).

◗ If possible, students should have an opportunity to participate in and/orattend grade-appropriate dramatic performances as well as study them.

What Teachers Need to KnowB. DramaBackground: Why Study Shakespearean Drama?

In Grade 5, students will be introduced to the dramatic works of WilliamShakespeare. One of the world’s greatest playwrights, Shakespeare wrotecomedies and tragedies during the Renaissance that are still performed today.A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a fanciful comedy in which love and magictriumph over adversity. The title alludes to the summer solstice, MidsummerEve (June 23), which in Shakespeare’s time was marked by holiday parties andtales of fairies.

When choosing an edition of the play, you’ll find there are many options:full-length, well-annotated versions, adapted or shortened versions, and mod-ern retellings in prose. You’ll find some of these options listed in the MoreResources list at the end of this section.

Before reading, be sure to introduce and define the terms tragedy, come-dy, act, and scene. Also, show students pictures of the Globe Theater so thatthey can visualize where Shakespeare’s plays were performed. Explain thattheater was very popular with people of the Elizabethan Age, and, althoughmany theaters at that time allowed only the upper classes to attend, the Globelet in people of all classes. The people who paid the lowest entrance fee stooddirectly in front of the stage. They were often very boisterous and sometimesthrew rotten vegetables at the actors.

Studying Shakespearean drama helps students experience the pleasure ofreading great works of literature and understand how the plays come to lifewhen performed on stage. Students at this level should be able to read and gen-erally understand condensed or adapted versions of Shakespeare. However,they may need assistance with understanding difficult vocabulary, following acomplicated plot with several twists, comprehending stage directions, andkeeping track of many different characters.

Globe Theater

CK_5_TH_LA_P001_103.QXD 2/6/06 11:27 AM Page 76

Teaching Shakespearean DramaTeaching Shakespeare in Grade 5 is a challenge, but it can be done. Below, we

outline a series of steps that may help you teach A Midsummer Night’s Dream withsuccess. This is, of course, only one way of approaching the task. You may wishto use some of these ideas but not others.

• Before turning to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, make sure students understandthat a drama, or play, is a work of literature that is intended to be performed foran audience. Introduce the distinction between comedy and tragedy.

• You might want to begin this unit with a very short and simple play—perhapsa modern, one-act play, and preferably a comedy. While teaching the modern play,you can explain about plays, characters, scenes, dialogue, etc. Then, when youturn to Shakespeare, students will already be familiar with the basic conventionsof drama and will not have to learn those while wrestling with Shakespeare’s language.

• Before attempting to teach A Midsummer Night’s Dream, read the play at leasttwice yourself. Get a good school edition, such as the Oxford School Shakespeareedition, and use the glosses and footnotes to help you understand difficult parts.If possible, watch a videotape or two of a performance. You want to be teachingwith a solid knowledge base.

• Before introducing students to Shakespeare’s text, preview A MidsummerNight’s Dream by reading a short summary of what happens in the play—a proseversion like the one in the Text Resources or the one in Tales from Shakespeare, byCharles and Mary Lamb. Discuss whether the play is a comedy or a tragedy. Howcan students tell? Once students have a general sense of where the play is going,they can devote more attention to the language and the speeches.

• Before turning to the text itself, make sure students understand thatShakespeare wrote about 400 years ago. The English language has changed con-siderably since Shakespeare’s time. Therefore, there will be some passages that arehard to understand. Students shouldn’t worry about not understanding every sin-gle word. Encourage them to raise their hands when they get confused. Tell themthat even adults sometimes get confused when watching or listening toShakespeare.

• Instead of asking students to read the play themselves at first, have them lis-ten to the play on audiotapes and follow along in a printed version. This is mucheasier than reading Elizabethan language from the page. Audiotapes are widelyavailable in bookstores and online. As you listen, stop every so often to make surestudents are following the plot and getting the gist of the speeches. Explain diffi-cult passages as needed.

• If you don’t have time to study the whole play, do just selected scenes.

• Don’t try to do too much in a given day. Divide the play into chunks and lis-ten to one or two scenes each day to avoid overwhelming students. Allow plentyof class time in which to discuss each section. Encourage students to ask ques-tions about what they do not understand, and have them answer specific ques-tions about plot, setting, and characters.

• Assist students with difficult vocabulary. Using an edition that has glossesand annotations (such as the Oxford School Shakespeare edition) will reduce prob-lems with difficult vocabulary.

Language Arts 77



78 Grade 5 Handbook

• If students have problems with the word order of Elizabethan English, showthem how to rephrase a sentence in subject-verb-object order. Here is an exam-ple: original wording: “Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung with feign-ing voice verses of feigning love.” reordered: “Thou hast sung verses of feigninglove, with feigning voice, at her window by moonlight.”

• Explain to students that Shakespeare sometimes wrote in verse and some-times in prose, and that he did this to show differences in class. Usually, charac-ters speaking in verse have a high social status.

• While discussing the play, briefly introduce students to iambic pentameter,which was the rhythm typically used by Shakespeare. Each line generally has 10syllables made up of five clusters of two syllables each. In each cluster, the stressis on the second syllable, like a heartbeat (da-DUM, da-DUM, da-DUM). Read aline aloud as students beat out the rhythm on their desks.

• Once students have listened to the play read by actors and studied it a little,choose one or more scenes and assign students roles. Have students read aloudand/or act out these scenes using simple props.

• To help students visualize the Globe Theater where Shakespeare’s plays wereperformed, use Instructional Master 10, The Globe Theater, and show them pic-tures. Explain that this Elizabethan playhouse was built in London in 1599 byRichard and Cuthbert Burbage. The permanent home of Shakespeare’s company,the Globe became London’s most popular theater.

• After studying the play, play a recording of Felix Mendelssohn’s A MidsummerNight’s Dream. Ask students whether they think the music suits the mood or toneof the play, and why.

• If possible, have students view a live performance of Shakespeare or showthem a film adaptation of the play (Warner Home Video, 1935). Again, if youdon’t have time to watch the whole play, consider watching selected scenes. (The1999 film version starring Kevin Kline is rated PG-13 and may not be suitable formost students.) (See More Resources.)

Introducing the PlayReading the retelling of the play included in the Text Resources is one way of

introducing the play. Another way is to combine this pre-telling strategy with stu-dent recitation of some memorable lines.

First, choose a set of memorable lines from the play, including some fromeach act. Write the lines on slips of paper. For A Midsummer Night’s Dream, thefirst few slips might say, “1. Full of vexation come I, with complaint against mychild, my daughter Hermia”; “2. I beseech your grace that I may know the worstthat may befall me in this case, If I refuse to wed Demetrius.” “3. Either to die thedeath or to abjure for ever the society of men.” “4. If thou lovest me then, stealforth thy father’s house to-morrow night, and in the wood, a league without thetown . . . there will I stay for thee.” Make one slip for each member of the class.

Next, ask each student to choose a slip from a hat and prepare a dramaticreading of the line on the slip, guessing how it ought to sound and using his orher voice to express whatever emotions the student thinks the lines were meantto express. Encourage students to “ham it up.” After they have recited their lines,tell them these are all lines from a play they will be studying, and that you will be

Use Instructional Master 10.

Study the diagram. It shows you what the inside of the old Globe Theater probablylooked like long ago. Use the diagram to complete the statements below.

The Globe Theater

Master 10 Grade 5: Language Arts

Cop

yrig

ht ©

Cor

e K

now

ledg

e Fo

unda

tion

Name Date

Purpose: To view and interpret a diagram of the old Globe Theater

1. Like most theaters of the time, the Globe Theater had levelsand was open at the top.

2. At each level was a , where spectators sat on benches towatch the show.

3. Actors performed on the , a large platform that jutted outinto the pit.

4. On the theater’s narrow rooftop was a , where machines were used to produce sound effects.

hut

main stage

gallery

three

Use Instructional Master 11.

Read the sentences from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Rephrase each sentence insubject-verb-object order.

1. Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung with feigning voice verses of feigning love.

2. From Athens is her house removed seven leagues.

3. In that same place thou hast appointed me, tomorrow truly will I meet with thee.

4. In the wood, where often you and I upon faint primrose beds were wont to lie, emptyingour bosoms of their counsel sweet, there my Lysander and myself shall meet.

5. What thou see’st, when thou dost wake, do it for thy true love take.

6. Tell me how it came this night, that I sleeping here was found, with these mortals on theground.

here, on the ground with these mortals.

Tell me how it came that I was found tonight sleeping

true love.

When thou dost wake, take what thou see’st for thy

beds, emptying our bosoms of their sweet counsel.

you and I were often wont to lie upon faint primrose

My Lysander and myself shall meet in the wood, where

place thou hast appointed me.

I will meet with thee, truly, tomorrow in that same

Her house is removed seven leagues from Athens.

voice, at her window by moonlight.

Thou hast sung verses of feigning love, with feigning

The Language of Shakespeare

Master 11 Grade 5: Language Arts

Cop

yrig

ht ©

Cor

e K

now

ledg

e Fo

unda

tion

Name Date

Purpose: To practice reordering Shakespearean English for greater comprehension


Teaching Idea

You may also wish to use the biogra-phy of William Shakespeare that isincluded in the Text Resources. 25

Language Arts 79

reading a short story version of the play. Then read a summary of the story, adapt-ed from the one in the Text Resources. As you read the story, pause at appropri-ate points for the students to read their lines, this time in context. It should gosomething like this:

First you read: “Once upon a time, in the city of Athens, a young man namedLysander and a young woman named Hermia were deeply in love. They wantedto get married, but Hermia’s father, Egeus, would not allow it. Egeus told Hermiait was her duty to marry the man he had chosen, whose name was Demetrius.Egeus dragged Hermia to a hearing in front of Theseus, the Duke of Athens.Egeus turned to the Duke and said . . .”

Then call on the student holding slip #1 to read it, or point to #1 on theboard, and the student says his or her line from slip #1: “Full of vexation come I,with complaint against my child, my daughter Hermia.”

Then continue: “Egeus asked the Duke to enforce an old law that said adaughter who refused to marry the man her father had chosen could be throwninto a nunnery for the rest of her life, or even put to death. Hermia spoke to theDuke, saying . . .”

Then a student reads slip #2: “I beseech your grace that I may know the worstthat may befall me in this case, If I refuse to wed Demetrius.”

Continue: “And the Duke replied . . .”

Then a student reads slip #3: “Either to die the death or to abjure for ever thesociety of men.”

Next: “Hermia was saddened by this announcement, but her lover Lysanderhad an idea. When they were out of the Duke’s hearing he whispered to her . . .”

Then a student reads slip #4: “If thou lovest me then, steal forth thy father’shouse to-morrow night, and in the wood, a league without the town . . . there willI stay for thee.”

Continue: “That night Hermia and Lysander snuck out of town, . . .” etc.

This strategy will get the children interested and involved in the play. Theywill learn the basic plot and be able to participate.

A Midsummer Night’s DreamAuthor Information: William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was an English play-

wright, poet, and actor who lived during the Renaissance, specifically during theElizabethan Age. Many people consider Shakespeare to be the greatest playwrightin history. He is often called The Bard of Avon, or simply The Bard. AlthoughShakespeare was a talented poet, he is most well known for his 38 plays, most ofwhich were performed at the Globe Theater in London.

Background: A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedy of errors set in Athensand the surrounding woods. Hermia loves Lysander, against her father’s wishes,but is engaged to marry Demetrius. Her best friend, Helena, loves Demetrius,although this love is unrequited. Oberon, the king of the fairies, decides toimprove this unfortunate situation with a “love potion” derived from flowers. Buthe sends his fairy servant Puck to do the job, and Puck makes things worse byadministering the magic potion incorrectly. In the end, Oberon resolves the situ-ation and the couples marry happily.



80 Grade 5 Handbook

Before Reading: Have you ever tried to fix a complicated problem, only tomake it worse?

Vocabulary: hearing: trial; vexation: irritation; hath: has; consent: permis-sion; bewitched: tricked; impression: fantasy; filched: stolen; sealing: joining;betwixt: between; pursue: chase after; steal forth: escape from; hateth: hates; fly:run away from; thence: then; tradesmen: workers who practice a specific trade;melodramatic: overly emotional or theatrical; nay: no; peach fuzz: teenage boy’svery thin facial hair; ex tempore: on the spot, as one goes along; supernatural:superhuman; liquor: liquid with special properties; meddling: annoying, nosy;tedious: repetitive and boring; raven: large black bird; mischievous: naughty;translated: changed; enamored: in love with; enthralled: spellbound; lair: den orrefuge; delicacies: rare or exquisite foods; nymph: beautiful and mythical fairy-like being; divine: heavenly; professing: proclaiming; superpraise: flatter; woo-ing: courting; baffled: confused; canker-blossom: diseased flower; mortals:humans; charms: spells; antidote: remedy, cure; executed: killed; idle gaud: use-less knickknack; lamentable: regrettable; crannied: having a small nook; chink:chip or crack; loam: mud-based mixture used for walls; doth: does; sinister: rep-resentative of bad things to come; mark: take note; dole: sorrow; mantle: coat,robe, cloak; fled: gone away; newlyweds: people recently married; ministrations:rituals

After Reading: Why did Hermia and Lysander have to run away? Why didPuck change Bottom’s head into that of a donkey? Many people consider Puck tobe the main character in this play. Why do you think that is?

Versions: The Text Resources includes a summary of the story, which you canuse to introduce students to the play and its plot. This is intended to make theplot and characters clear to students and to serve as preparation for Shakespeare’stext, which will be hard for students, but not impossible. Many young studentsare capable of taking great delight in Shakespeare’s plots and language and areable to understand the general meaning, even when not every word is crystalclear. After reading the summary, we encourage you to spend as much time withShakespeare’s text as you can; if you can’t read the whole play, try to read and actout selected scenes. The suggestions above provide some guidance for teaching.The bibliography for this section lists several titles that will be helpful to you inintroducing students to Shakespeare, including some student-friendly editions ofthis play. 24

ReviewBelow are some ideas for ongoing assessment and review activities. These are

not meant to constitute a comprehensive list.

• As a reinforcing activity for this section, give students an opportunity tomemorize, rehearse, and perform their favorite scenes from A Midsummer Night’sDream for the class.

• Have students practice writing by creating a scene with characters and aninteractive situation. Have students write the scene, practicing with dialogue,quotation marks, and other grammar concepts. They may then perform theiroriginal scenes. You may also consider brainstorming a topic for an entire play

The Big Idea in ReviewReading Shakespeareandrama helps studentsacquire reading and lan-guage comprehensionskills and gain an appre-ciation for differentkinds of literature.


What Teachers Need to Know · favor of Mary and William of Orange from the ... The first Tudor was...

Documents

Transcript of What Teachers Need to Know · favor of Mary and William of Orange from the ... The first Tudor was...