Popular Uprisings

1.  A journey or search of
moral or spiritual
significance. Typically, it is
a journey to a shrine or
other location of
importance to a person's
beliefs and faith
LO: To summarise key features of life in the early modern period. .
16 May 2019
Bronze: You can
describe how the
pilgrimage started.
Silver: You can
explain the reasons
why the pilgrimage
started.
Gold: You can assess
the significance of
the Pilgrimage of
Grace.

2. LO: To summarise key features of life in the early modern period. .

3. Revision: Magna Carta; Simon de Montfort;
Peasant’s Revolt
Task 1
● In the back of your books / on rough paper / tables /
post-it notes write down as many facts as possible
about the previous 3 topics
● Use the quiz cards you have been given to revise and
then test your knowledge of the previous 3 topics
LO: To summarise key features of life in the early modern period. .

4. TASK 1
You will be summarising the four paragraphs on p37 and
explaining the significance of the changes. Think about how you
want to set your work out:
4 paragraphs with headings
4 mindmaps with explanations
A 4 quarter diagram with information and explanations.
Title - Overview of the early modern period
LO: To summarise key features of life in the early modern period. .

5. LO: To summarise key features of life in the early modern period. .
TASK 1
For each paragraph on p37 you should do the following:
1. Write the heading (factor - POLITICS / RELIGION /
IDEAS / ECONOMY)
2. Write down some of the key features (approx 3-5)
3. Choose one and explain why it was a big change
4. Write a paragraph explaining how that factor affected the
monarch’s ability to govern

6. The Pilgrimage of Grace: The Most Serious
Rebellion Yet?
In 1536 King Henry VIII was rocked by what historians
argue was the most serious rebellion in England
between the Peasants’ Revolt and the English Civil War.
Starting in Lincolnshire, it spread to Yorkshire and much
of the north. It was not just a revolt of the ordinary
people, or commons, though; it involved many of the
clergy and some of the lords and gentry.
Think
Why might people rebel against King Henry VIII?
Task
Watch the clip and discuss reasons why there was a
popular uprising against King Henry VIII, who was
involved and how it resolved.
LO: To summarise key features of life in the early modern period. .

7. Read the information on the worksheet and in the front of your exercise book
answer the following questions:
1. What ‘sparked-off’ the Lincolnshire Revolt on 1st October 1536?
2. What were the main grievances (complaints) of the rebels?
3. How did King Henry VIII react?
4. Why do you think that the pilgrims swore an oath?
5. What is the significance of the ‘Five Wounds of Christ’ on the banner?
6. Why do you think people at the time called it a ‘Pilgrimage’? What message
were they trying to send to the King?
7. Why were monks and priests so prominent (important) in the Pilgrimage?
8. How close did the Pilgrimage come to success?
9. Why do you think the Pilgrimage of Grace was mainly restricted to the north of
England?
10. To what extent was Robert Aske leader of the Pilgrimage of Grace? How firmly
did he stamp his authority?
LO: To summarise key features of life in the early modern period. .

8. Read the information on the worksheet and in the front of your exercise book
answer the following questions:
5. What is the significance of the ‘Five Wounds of Christ’ on the banner?
6. Why do you think people at the time called it a ‘Pilgrimage’? What message
were they trying to send to the King?
7. Why were monks and priests so prominent in the Pilgrimage?
8. How close did the Pilgrimage come to success?
9. Why do you think the Pilgrimage of Grace was mainly restricted to the north of
England?
10. To what extent was Robert Aske leader of the Pilgrimage of Grace? How firmly
did he stamp his authority?
LO: To summarise key features of life in the early modern period. .
Extension – can you identify the political, social, economic and religious causes of
the Pilgrimage of Grace? Now sort them into long-term, short-term and ‘trigger’
causes. Can you see a pattern of causation? What, in your opinion, was the main
cause of the Pilgrimage of Grace?

9. LO: To summarise key features of life in the early modern period. .
Did the Pilgrimage of Grace fail because of Robert Aske’s weak leadership?
The Reluctant Revolutionary
Robert Aske was a lawyer, often in London on business, and a member of the gentry. The
Lincoln Articles persuaded him to become involved in the Lincolnshire rebellion and on his
return to Yorkshire decided to join the Yorkshire rebels. It was he who gave the revolt its
name, who wrote the oath the pilgrims took, and who tried to insist on a peaceful rebellion.
He led the march on York, and the siege of Pontefract Castle. It seems to a certain extent he
was frozen out of the leadership once the nobles joined the Pilgrimage. He was not, for
example, involved in the negotiations with the Duke of Norfolk at Doncaster in December
1536. After these negotiations, and once the pardon had been issued, Aske was one of the
first to pull off his pilgrim’s badge and lead the dispersal of the rebels. When others
questioned whether one could trust King Henry it was Aske who insisted on the need to keep
the King, but to get rid of Cromwell and advisers like him who were behind the new religion.
After spending Christmas was the King, at the King’s invitation, Aske travelled north with the
Duke of Norfolk, but once new revolts broke out in Yorkshire in January 1537, Aske was under
suspicion. Sent to London with a ‘safe conduct’ in March 1537, Aske was arrested, tried and
executed for treason.

10. Extension – the Pilgrimage of Grace was a total failure. Does that mean there was no
point whatsoever in revolting against the king?
Task: Using the pictures, explain what happened in the
Pilgrimage of Grace.
LO: To summarise key features of life in the early modern period. .

11. LO: To summarise key features of life in the early modern period. .
The Pilgrimage of Grace
Why did the Pilgrimage Fail?
Perhaps the leaders of the revolt showed a lack of imagination, being too ready to
wait for the King to respond to their demands. Perhaps they were too ready to
accept the promises of the King at Doncaster and disbanded the rebel force too
soon. They could have pressed on. They had over 50,000 men at arms throughout
the north, whereas King Henry VIII’s army was no more than 8,000. They could
probably have beaten the King using force, but not diplomacy.
Henry out-thought them and outmaneuvered them. By disbanding their force they
handed the initiative to King Henry VIII – or were the leaders worried what might
happen and didn’t quite trust the commons? The rebels were too easily duped by
the Duke of Norfolk with his negotiations and promises – promises he must have
been quite certain that King Henry VIII would not keep. Why do you think the
Pilgrimage failed?

12. LO: To summarise key features of life in the early modern period. .
The Significance of the Pilgrimage of Grace
The Pilgrimage of Grace is misleadingly named – it was not a pilgrimage at all, but a
full-blown revolt in the north of England against what was perceived as the misrule
of King Henry VIII. It was not just about religious disputes – it was as much about
taxes and food prices as religion.
The Pilgrimage of Grace was a total failure. There is no other way to describe it.
King Henry VIII emerged stronger, and more firmly in control, than before the revolt
took place. He was even more firmly ensconced as an absolute monarch. No one
dared oppose him, because he had made it quite clear how ruthless he was when
faced with opposition. The ‘pilgrims’ achieved nothing – in fact they achieved less
than that – all they managed to do was to accelerate the very changes they were
opposed to. All monasteries were closed and more changes were made to religious
changes.

13. LO: To summarise key features of life in the early modern period. .

14. COMPLETE FAILURE COMPLETE SUCCESS
LO: To summarise key features of life in the early modern period. .
Task
In your exercise book, draw out the judgement line and decide where
you would place the Pilgrimage of Grace and explain why.

15. Compare the Peasants’ Revolt to the Pilgrimage of Grace. In what ways were they similar? Explain
your answer with reference to both the Peasants’ Revolt and the Pilgrimage of Grace. [8 marks].
You might want to consider:
Causes of the Peasants’ Revolt and the Pilgrimage of Grace.
The leadership of Wat Tyler and Robert Aske.
What happened during the Peasants’ Revolt and the Pilgrimage of Grace.
How King Richard II and King Henry VIII dealt with the rebels.
The outcome of the Peasants’ Revolt and the Pilgrimage of Grace.
LO: To summarise key features of life in the early modern period. .