Thomas Penn Winter King Analysis

Thomas Penn’s, Winter King, tells of the first king from the House of Tudor to rule England. Henry Tudor ruled England from 1485 until his death in 1509 . The house of Tudor ruled the English monarchy for the next century until 1603. During his reign England experienced peace, economic growth and political stability. Despite his tenuous claim to the throne, Henry managed to seize the throne and guide the monarchy through a period of transition. Penn uses the writings of diplomats to tell of Henry’s childhood, political ambitions, achievements, political strategies, personality, weaknesses and impiousness. Penn narrates that Henry VII born Henry earl of Richmond was born during the tumultuous period of the war of the Roses . Born on 28 January

As a result, he increased the commons taxes to an unacceptable level. The Cornish in the Southwest of England resisted the oppressive taxes led by An Gof and Thomas Flamank. The resent of over taxation led An Gof a local blacksmith named Michael Joseph declined to pay taxes and accused the tax collector of corruption . The action sparked the rebellion with thousands of rebels moving through the south toward London. Unfortunately, Henry’s army heading north had departed. The angry and frustrated Cornishmen set camp at Blackheath in preparation for the final attack. Henry’s kingdom in disarray recalled royal troops to crash the rebellion. The rebels hesitated in making the decision between negotiation and combat leading to their defeat . The leaders, were hanged, their bodies dismembered and scattered around cities, while their heads were boiled, tarred and put on spikes. Henry VII ended the wars of the roses first by defeating Richard III then by securing the throne for the House of Tudor . As a halfblooded Lancaster and Yorkist, he married the Yorkist Elizabeth and consolidated his claim on the throne. Furthermore, with both Lancaster and Yorkists represented on the throne, the citizens had nothing to fight over. Although sympathizers of Edward and the Yorkist remained, the issues subsided with the death of Warwick and Warbeck. The peace during his reign paved the opportunity for renaissance and reformation