The Reign of Mary I and Religious Persecution

The Reign of Mary I and Religious Persecution

Learning Objectives

At the end of the lesson you will understand the historical context of Mary I's religious persecution during her reign.
At the end of the lesson you will be able to compare the severity and frequency of executions under Mary I to those of other English monarchs.
At the end of the lesson you will recognize the influence of bias in historical accounts.
At the end of the lesson you will analyze the political and religious climate of 16th-century England.
At the end of the lesson you will evaluate the motivations behind Mary I's decisions to persecute Protestants.

What do you already know about Mary I's religious persecution?

Mary I's execution of Protestants compared to other monarchs

Mary I executed 284 individuals over five years.
Other monarchs executed fewer by burning.
Mary's methods were consistent with her era's norms.

The influence of religious and political advisers on Mary I

Cardinal Pole was an influential figure during Mary I's reign.
Advisers influenced Mary's decisions to persecute Protestants.

The historical context of 16th-century religious persecution

Execution was a common punishment for dissent and crime.
Mary's Spanish father-in-law executed 30,000 Protestants.

The role of bias in historical documentation of Mary I's reign

Protestant writer recorded Mary's actions, likely with exaggerations.
Bias can influence historical accounts.

Public reception of Mary I's reign and religious policies

Mary's reign began with hope for Catholic restoration.
Mary showed clemency by forgiving participants in Wyatt's rebellion.

Definition List

Persecution: The act of oppressing or harassing with ill-treatment, especially because of race, religion, gender, or beliefs.
Bias: Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.
Cardinal Pole: An English cardinal of the Catholic Church who was an influential figure during the reign of Mary I and a supporter of the Counter-Reformation.
Wyatt's Rebellion: An uprising in England in 1554, led by Sir Thomas Wyatt, against Queen Mary I's planned marriage to Philip of Spain.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.