Which events were significant
in early modern England?
Objectives
By the end of this
lesson you will be
able to:
■
give examples of
events that are
significant
■
explain different
kinds of historical
significance
This unit is about significant events in the story of power, but how do
you decide what makes an event significant in history? You are going
to look at some events from 1500 to 1800 and decide what made them
significant.
Getting you thinking.
There are several ideas that an historian called Geoffrey Partington
used when he was deciding about the significance of events (see page
22). Here are some:
The people living at the time thought it was very important.
It changed things very much for people living at the time and made
their lives different.
It affected a lot of people’s lives.
It affected people’s lives for a long time.
It affects our lives today.
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Think back through some of the events you have already looked at in
units 1 and 2.Which ideas about significance apply to the Black
Death? Just one? More than one? Where would you put the Battle of
Hastings? What about the Peasants’ Revolt? Which ideas are relevant to
the crusades?
Below are some events from 1500 to 1800 that are significant.Think
about why they are significant.
Event 1
In 1532 HenryVIII split England and Wales from the Catholic Church
and changed the religion of England and Wales.This meant, over time,
that everyone in the country had to change their religious beliefs or
risk death or imprisonment.
Event 2
In 1588 the Spanish Armada was defeated by the English navy,
stopping the invasion of England and Wales by King Philip of Spain.
This event was celebrated across the country as a great victory, with a
service of thanks at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
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