Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2016
Last exams 2025
Cromwell's Management & Use of Parliament (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
What was Parliament Like at the Start of Henry VIII's Reign? - Summary
At the beginning of Henry VIII's reign, parliament was quite different from the modern system. Although it also contained two chambers:
The House of Lords. This house contained landowners and bishops
The House of Commons. Gentry and merchants held power in this house
The king held ultimate authority. Parliament served as a forum for discussing important issues affecting the country. Henry VIII carefully managed parliament. He needed to ensure that parliament followed his wishes. He used persuasion and occasionally force to make parliament support his policies.
During Henry VIII's early reign, parliament met less frequently than in modern times. Parliament typically assembled only when the king thought it necessary. Its main role was to pass laws, approve the king's decisions and grant him taxes when needed. Parliament's decisions still carried weight. This can be seen in the Amicable Grant. Therefore, parliament influenced Henry's government in Tudor England.
Henry VIII & Parliament
Henry did not consider parliament as an important institution
He only wanted to make decisions through the Royal Council
Henry could make royal proclamations that did not require approval from parliament
Due to the divine right of kings, Henry believed he had ultimate power
He believed that all members of parliament should obey his decisions whether they agreed with them or not
Cromwell wanted Henry to approach parliament differently
Cromwell's Development of the Role of Parliament
Cromwell's changes to parliament | Impact |
|---|---|
Parliament meeting more regularly | Both Henry VIII (as king) and Cromwell (as an MP) used their presence to influence MPs to support the government's decisions |
Using more Acts of Parliament | In the first 22 years of Henry’s reign, parliament only passed 203 Acts. From 1532 to 1540, there were 333 Acts of Parliament |
Gaining support from significant people in parliament | Cromwell understood that, if Henry involved people in decision-making, he would gain more support from the nobility in the House of Lords and merchants and gentry in the House of Commons. Many people would agree with his policies and have respect for him as king |
How Did Cromwell Manage Parliament?
On the surface, Cromwell's actions gave parliament more power
Henry and Cromwell took many actions to restrict and manage parliament such as:
Controlling what parliament discussed
MPs had to draft proposals to Cromwell before their ideas could be discussed in parliament
As a skilled lawyer, Cromwell knew how to write drafts of laws that would be successful in parliament
Cromwell continuing his role as MP
Cromwell could manipulate MPs to ensure government laws had enough support to pass
Cromwell gave bribes to some MPs
Using threats and intimidation to pass laws
If members disagreed with the policy, they were told ‘they need not attend’ parliament again
Henry threatened MPs who opposed that Act of Annates in 1532
Worked Example
Describe one feature of Cromwell’s management and use of parliament
2 marks
Answers:
One feature of Cromwell’s management and use of parliament was ensuring that parliament had a bigger role in passing laws (1). From 1532 to 1540, there were 333 Acts of Parliament (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Ensure you make your details as specific as possible to access the two marks available. The details of this example include the amount of Acts of Parliament passed between two specific dates.
This question previously asked students to describe two features of a given event. This question was out of four marks. However, as of 2025, Edexcel will split this question into two subsections, asking you to describe a feature of two different events. Each subsection is worth two marks.
Consequences of Cromwell’s Growing Use of Parliament
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Thinking about consequences is an important skill in GCSE History. It will help you to answer 12 and 16-mark questions where you have to explain your ideas. For each key event in Henry VIII and His Ministers, replicate this diagram showing an aspect of Tudor England before and after the event. This will help you to explain if the event was important, created a positive or negative change or had short- or long-term significance in Tudor England.
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