Pilgrimage of Grace Dbq Ap European History

Joshua Seeley 10/22/12

The Pilgrimage of Grace was a march by people who opposed Henry VII in order to protest the way the country was ruled and the Religious reformation England was undergoing. Pilgrims were unhappy with a parliament that in their eyes corrupt, and the fact that England had split from the Catholic Church and that Scots and robbers were roaming the countryside. The opposition to the march included the King, his court and the nobility. They wished to disperse the marches and to restore order. The marches took place in the north eastern parts of England where the crown's influence was not as strong. The Pilgrimage of Grace and the goals of the marchers and opposition not only give a glimpse of England in the Early 16th century but show how willing the English people were to have a reformed government ruling for the people like Oliver Cromwell's after the English civil war.

One of the 1st and foremost goals of the marchers was to protest the King's decision to split England from the catholic church and to declare himself head of a new English Church which was ruled completely by the King or Queen of England, this was known as the Anglican church. The Oath of honorable men was taken by marchers during the pilgrimage, " You shall not enter into our Pilgrimage of Grace for worldly gain, do so only for your love of God, for the Holy Catholic Church militant,"(Doc1) The marchers were primarily Catholics angered at their King's decision to change their countries religion just because he wanted to divorce his wife. They also sent a petition to the King and his council which included pleas for him to abolish the works of Reformists like Luther from England, to restore the land and authority of the Catholic Church in England and to have Thomas Cromwell condemned for treason, as stated in document 5. The marchers were angry at the King, his recent decisions and his council. They decided to protest by marching.

A secondary goal of the marches was to gain reforms in English government which included a parliament that actually represented the people and was not a puppet of the throne. Also they wished for the King to secure the English borders and roads from robbers and raiding scots. A marcher's proclamation which was read before many marches began, "Because the rulers of this country do not defend us from being robbed by thieves and scots...We must be ready to help one another when thieves or scots would rob or invade us." (Doc2) The marchers were angered at their leader's failure to protect them and the properties from the Scots and petty criminals. In a pamphlet which was eventually attributed to Thomas Tempest, who was a former member of parliament we learn that many are unhappy at how the current parliament is run as a puppet of Thomas Cromwell. "The current parliament has little