History of the Reign of King Henry VII facts for kids

History of the Reign of King Henry VII is a book written in 1622 by the famous English writer Francis Bacon. It tells the story of Henry VII, the very first king from the Tudor family. Henry VII became king in 1485 after winning the throne from his rival, Richard III. Bacon finished writing this book in late 1621 and sent a copy to King James I. It was published the next year.

This book is the only complete history book Bacon ever wrote. He started another book about Henry VIII for Prince Charles, but he only wrote a short introduction. Bacon's ideas about Henry VII were very important and influenced people for the next 300 years.

Why Francis Bacon Wrote This Book

Francis Bacon's History of the Reign of King Henry VII was published in November 1621. At this time, King James I was ruling England. Francis Bacon was a well-known English historian and thinker. He had a very important job in the government as Lord Chancellor.

However, in 1621, Bacon lost his high position and was even held in the Tower of London for a few days. He was no longer part of King James I's royal court. Bacon wrote many books about science, philosophy, and history. History of the Reign of King Henry VII was written during this time when he was away from the king's court. It is a great example of how history was written during the Tudor and Stuart periods in England.

Professor David M. Bergeron, an English expert, believes Bacon wrote History for two main reasons. First, he wanted to make King James happy and get back into his good graces. Second, he wanted to show that just as Henry VII had brought together different families after a war, King James I had united the kingdoms of England and Scotland. Bacon himself hinted at this in the introduction to his book. He wrote that he wanted to honor Henry VII, who was an ancestor of King James. He also mentioned that Henry VII was a wise and excellent king, even though his times were difficult.

Bacon hoped his book would help the royal court and benefit people. This was important for two reasons:

• Bacon had lost his political power, so writing this book helped him keep a good relationship with King James I.
• The book also fit with the style of writing during the Jacobean era. Many writers at that time used history to prove that the Tudor family had a rightful claim to the English throne.

What the Book is About

Bacon wrote History to tell the story of Henry VII's personal life, his politics, and how society was during his rule. The book follows a timeline, starting with the death of Richard III in 1485 at the Battle of Bosworth. Henry's army defeated Richard there.

Bacon writes about Henry's marriage, his coronation as king, and the coronation of his wife, Elizabeth of York. He also describes wars, peace agreements, and the political connections Henry had with other European rulers in the 1400s. The book also looks at Henry's policies both inside England and with other countries. Bacon often includes sections that explain the laws passed by Henry's parliament.

The book ends with Bacon's thoughts on Henry VII's personality. Many historians believe Bacon did this to improve his relationship with King James I after his own political troubles. Bacon divided History into forty sections. Each section title follows the order of events during Henry's time as king. They briefly tell the reader what the section will be about, like a place, a purpose, or an event. Some examples of these sections include:

• The Defeat of Richard III: Bosworth, 22 August 1485
• The King’s Marriage to Elizabeth of York, 18 January 1486
• Lambert Simnel’s Imposture (about someone pretending to be a prince)
• Foreign Affairs: Brittany and France 1489-90
• Parliament and Lawgiving, 1488-9
• Perkin Warbeck’s Imposture as Richard Duke of York, 1491-1499 (another person pretending to be a prince)
• The Cornish Rebellion, 1497
• Sebastian Cabot Discovers Newfoundland, 1497
• Marriage between Catherine of Aragon and Prince Arthur, 14 November 1501
• King Henry’s Fiscal Policies; Empson and Dudley (about how Henry managed money)
• King Henry’s Character

How Bacon Wrote History

The History of the Reign of King Henry VII is Bacon's only complete book. It is known as a historical biography, meaning it tells the life story of a real person from history. Bacon used a new way of doing research and writing for his time, the Renaissance. He was the first to combine "history and scientific philosophy." This made him a very important person in the development of British empiricism, which is a way of gaining knowledge through experience and observation. He was also one of the first to think deeply about how scientific research should be done.

As a historian during the Renaissance, Bacon saw the beginning of modern historiography, which is the study of how history is written. This led him to think about and explain different ways of writing and analyzing history. Bacon talked about two types of history: civil history and natural history. He said civil history was a way of learning that could teach the mind. Natural history, he said, was useful for understanding things by using scientific knowledge. History of the Reign of King Henry VII is considered a work of civil history, according to Bacon's own ideas.