Description
A Short History of Early Modern England presents the historical and cultural information necessary for a richer understanding of English Renaissance literature.
- Written in a clear and accessible style for an undergraduate level audience
- Gives an overview of the period’s history as well as an understanding of the historiographic issues
- Explores key historical and literary events, from the Wars of the Roses to the publication of John Milton’s Paradise Regained
- Features in depth explanations of key terms and concepts, such as absolutism and the Elizabethan Settlement
Table of Contents
Aims and Acknowledgements vi
Quoting from Early Modern Texts ix
Illustrations x
England’s Rulers From Richard II to Charles II xi
Timeline of Key Events xii
1 An Overview of Early Modern England 1
2 The Back-Story of the Tudor Dynasty: From Richard II to Henry VII 27
3 Henry VII, Henry VIII, and the Henrician Era (1509–47) 59
4 Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey, and Mary I (1547–53) 92
5 The Elizabethan Era (1558–1603) 115
6 The Reign of King James VI/I (1603–25) 149
7 Charles I (1625–42): From Accession to the Beginning of the Civil Wars 181
8 The Civil Wars, the Commonwealth, and the Early
Restoration (1642–71) 214
Index 252
