Wives of Henry VIII and Some Other People He Executed

Henry VIII had six wives. They were Kathryn (or Catherine) of Aragon (annulled), Ann Boleyn (executed), Jane Seymour (died shortly after childbirth), Ann of Cleves (divorced), Catherine Howard (executed) and Katherine Parr. There were times when being the queen was an enviable position; there were times when it was not so desirable.

Catherine of Aragon was daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand, the same people who sent Columbus to the Americas. The famous Ann Boylen was beheaded (divorce law in the U.S. is much less drastic). Queen Elizabeth I was the daughter of King Henry VIII; she is known as the Virgin Queen. She ruled until 1603, and her era is known as Elizabethan England. She executed her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots, who ruled before her.

The author is not an expert in these matters, so he must leave a bit of uncertainty about them. Henry VIII wanted a male heir to the crown, apparently. Why he didn't give it a rest after Jane Seymour is not at all clear. She gave him a son who was later to become Edward VI, successor to Henry VIII. Having a male heir is apparently an issue of some importance among these people.

Internationally, Spain was a world power, having explored the New World and the Philippines. They had a powerful navy. Obviously, Henry VIII was behind in terms of exploration of the New World. It wasn't until Elizabeth's reign that the Spanish Armada was defeated. Cardinal Wolsey of the Catholic Church was close to Henry VIII during the marriage to Kathryn of Aragon, and there was a great deal of complex diplomacy with the Holy Roman Empire and others on the continent.

Other Executions during Henry VIII's Reign

Thomas More, the philosopher, lawyer and author of "Utopia" was beheaded by Henry VIII. It is interesting to inquire into who won the competition between More and Henry VIII. The argument for More is that he lived as a lawyer, and one hears the word "Utopian", but one never hears a word such as "Henrarian", etc. The argument for Henry VIII is that there are a lot of children named Henry, he lived as a King, and he had More's head to prove it.

These arguments are really inconclusive. Suffice it to note that Henry is more often remembered in those Edwardian leotards, while Thomas is almost always shown in that chique black hat. More's "Utopia" is an excellent book that has survived the ages. Other famous - or infamous, depending on one's outlook - utopias include Plato's Republic and B.F. Skinner's Walden II.

Reynolds, Houghton, Webster and Lawrence were other victims of Henry VIII. According to the Reference section at Search.com, Reynolds was executed in 1535 for refusing the Oath of Supremacy to Henry VIII. The others were killed in similar religious disputes, though the disagreements were political in nature as well. It is worth noting that religious executions were common in those days. Queen Mary executed Protestant Ministers, and Queen Elizabeth executed Mary, a Catholic.

Because of this type of religious conflict, there was no shortage of people willing to leave England when the opportunity to colonize the Americas arose in 1585. The first colonies disappeared. By 1607 the first lasting colony would be established. American institutions were a response to the societal problem of religious conflict: many of the colonies adopted rules that protected religious freedom. State constitutions often provided protection for religious freedom, and the First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion.