The Tudors were a dynasty of Kings and Queens who ruled England, Wales and parts of Ireland from 1485 to 1603, a little over a century.. During this period England and Wales came of the remains medieval feudalism into the flowering of the Renaissance.

The period is known for:

The Battle of Bosworth Field when Henry VII (to be) defeated Richard III to seize the crown and end the War of the Roses for ever by marrying Elizabeth of York He is known for improving the administration of the country and being very careful with the nation's purse. Sir John Harington godson of Queen Elizabeth, wife of Henry VII and tutor of Prince Henry was the inventor of the first water closet. Those of a less generous nature have said that
the English have been sitting on it ever since!

The 6 marriages of Henry VIII in his search for a son to succeed him are the driving force of many changes during this reign. This resulted in the realm of England being declared an Empire, making it an autonomous nation-state and the break with the Pope and the Church of Rome with Henry becoming Head of the Church of England. This was closely followed by the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Later the Council of Ireland appointed Henry King of Ireland.

Edward VI made the Church of England definitely protestant and introduced the Prayer Book in English. He founded many Grammar schools to replace those chantry schools lost in the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Mary I tried to bring England back to the Church of Rome and lost the last English possession in France - Calais. She married Philip of Spain, who was later to become the Spanish monarch.

The final Tudor, Elizabeth I, made England into a prosperous nation largely through the wool trade and the activities of the "privateers" who raided Spanish treasure ships. Elizabeth was a protestant and faced the might of catholic Spain which led to the invasion attempt of the Spanish Armada in 1588. This was defeated by the maneuverability of the English fleet and the bad weather combined. Spain continued to attempt invasion by first establishing a base in Ireland which led to many attempts, by the English, to subdue the Irish, by war and by plantations of the younger sons of English noblemen. There were several unsuccessful attempts to place colonies in the "New Found World". Her reign saw many improvements in the nation due to the translation and publication of many foreign books on scientific subjects. The first newspaper was published in London in the 1580's. Elizabeth ordered that an English translation of the Bible be placed in
every church for all to read.

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