What was the Tudor Dynasty?

“The Tudor dynasty ruled England from 1485 to 1603.” (source)

“The founder of the Tudor Dynasty was Henry VII, who emerged triumphant after the brutal Wars of the Roses which split England between the houses of Lancaster and York. This period of civil war is named for the symbols of the warring houses; Lancaster was represented by a red rose, while York was represented by a white rose. Henry VII, a relative of the House of Lancaster, managed to secure the throne in 1485, establishing the Tudor Dynasty, and he rapidly set about consolidating power in the hands of the monarch, stripping the nobility of many of their powers in the interest of avoiding future revolts and civil wars. Henry VII wisely married Elizabeth York, uniting the feuding houses, and he created a distinct symbol for the Tudor Dynasty: the Tudor Rose, which has both red and white petals, symbolizing unity.” (source)



In 1509 his son, Henry VIII, came to the throne. He married Catherine of Aragon on June 11, 1509. They had some children, but most died young. He went to war against France, and met with a little success. (source) (Elton 8)

His son, Edward VI, was his heir to the throne and became king in 1547. He was 18 at this time. “He was more ambitious than his father and spent money on warships and guns, making the English fighting fleet the best in Europe.” (source) When he wanted to divorce his first wife to marry his second, the pope refused. The king was so angry that “he broke with Rome and declared himself ‘Supreme Head of the Church.’” (source) King Edward VI married and then divorced 4 times before finally settling with his 5th wife. (Weir 26)

Next in the Tudor Dynasty came Edward VI’s cousin, Lady Jane Grey, in 1553. She was deposed only 9 days later, and then executed in 1554. After Lady Jane Grey in 1553 came Queen Mary I, daughter of Catherine of Aragon. “In December a law was passed that allowed bishops of the Church of England to sentence heretics to death by burning. Almost 300 people were burned alive during Mary’s reign with Mary’s full approval, earning her the nickname “Bloody Mary.” (source)

Her half-sister, Queen Elizabeth I, was the last of this dynasty, ruling from 1558-1603. After she died without naming an heir, the House of Stuart took over.

Works Cited

Elton, G. R. England Under the Tudors. New York: Routledge. 1992.

Weir, Alison. The Children of Henry VIII. New York: Ballantine Books. 1996.

The True Story of St. Nick

“Nicholas was born to wealthy parents in a tiny village in the country we today call Turkey. Though Nicholas was a child of privilege, he was raised a Christian and at a very young age was devoted to the faith. Nicholas' parents died while he was yet a boy. And not knowing what to do with himself or the fortune he inherited, he turned to his Bible and read the words of admonishment that Christ gave to a wealthy man: 'Sell all thou hath and give it to the poor and follow me.'" (source)

“Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.” (source)

“He is almost always seen [in paintings of him] with three bags or balls as well, symbolizing the three bags of gold he tossed through the chimney of the home of a poor man in his village for the daughters' dowry, so they would not be sold as slaves. Thus he is also seen as the ‘gift-giver.’” (source) It is said that some of these gold balls fell into the stockings that were hung up to dry. In remembrance of this, today many people put oranges in the toes of Christmas stockings. (source)

St. Nicholas died on December 6, 352 A.D. He was put into a sarcophagus at Myra. Now December 6 is celebrated by many around the world as St. Nicholas Day. (Seal 2)

So how did a kind and slender bishop become a portly man in a red suit? There are 4 steps. First, in Washington Irving’s book Knickerbocker’s History of New York, he falsely describes the man as a large, smoking Dutchman. Second, a poem called “The Children’s Friend” is published. This contained an engraving portraying St. Nick “with a thick coat, tall fur hat, and copious beard.” (Walsh 8) Third, Troy Sentinel published “A Visit from St. Nicholas” which portrays him as a fat, short, “jolly old elf.” Fourth, Thomas Nast drew multiple illustrations of the new Santa. He drew Santa wearing the clothes that we see in all Santa’s pictures today. This is how St. Nicholas became the “Santa” of modern times, and such a famous figure. (source, Walsh 8)

Works Cited

Seal, Jeremy. Nicholas: The Epic Journey from Saint to Santa Claus. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing. 2005.

Walsh, Joseph. J. Were They Wise Men or Kings?: The Book of Christmas Questions. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press. 2001.

The Siege of Aleppo

*It was very hard for me to find information about the siege of Aleppo. The information that I found all conflicted, also. By the time I realized that I should switch topics, I had already done too much research. >:-( >:( :( . So here’s what I understand to be the case with Aleppo:*

Modern day Aleppo

“Aleppo is a city and province in northern Syria…It is one of the oldest cities in the region, known to antiquity as Khalpe, to the Greeks as Beroea, and to the Turks as Halep, and it occupies a strategic trading point midway between the sea and the Euphrates; initially, it was built on a small group of hills in a wide fertile valley on both sides of the river Quweiq. The province or governate extends around the city for over 16,000 km and has around 3.7 million inhabitants.” (source) Today it is the second largest city in the country, with a population of about 1.7 million, followed by Damascus. (Rabbo 2)

“The main role of the city was as a trading place, as it sat at the crossroads of two trade routes and mediated the trade from India, the Tigris and Euphrates regions and the route coming from Damascus in the South, which traced the base of the mountains rather than the rugged seacoast.” (source) However, because of political reasons, they usually tried to direct the trading away from the capital some. (Meriwether 3)

“Here at Aleppo the various governors and generals of the Mamluk realm gathered with their armies and met to discuss how they might best oppose the onrushing storm [of northern invaders;] and they drew up various plans…The highways and approaches were blockaded, and guards were set on all the roads. The main body of the army was drawn up before the gates to await the conqueror's arrival.” (source)

“Timur advanced cautiously from the north, knowing through his spies that word had been sent to the Arabs, Kurds, and Turkomans to attack him from the rear; this threat never materialized. In November of 1400 (the ninth day of the first month Rabia, by the Arab chronicler's reckoning) he arrived at the outer defensive lines. The first two days of the battle were spent in minor skirmishing; Timur probed the defenses with small detachments, which were torn to pieces by the Syrian horsemen. On the third day of battle, the two armies faced off across the plain of the city; on one side the Mamluk knights of Syria and Egypt, supplemented by the citizens of Aleppo (for even the women and children went out to meet the foe); on the other the hordes of Timur, with captured war elephants from India leading the center. Both sides raised their warcry: ‘Allahu Akbar!’, ‘God is great!’” (source)

“The battle did not last one hour. Timur had sent the wings of his horde to encircle the Syrians under the cover of the previous night, and they now broke over the assembled army like a wave, shattering the orderly ranks and throwing the field into confusion. When the cowardly and treacherous Tamardash (commanding the right wing) fled the plain of battle, the Syrians broke and ran for the gates of Aleppo. Timur had prepared a tuman (ten thousand) of his finest cavalry for just such an event, and he unleashed them in pursuit. Arabshah describes the advance of the Tatar's horde:” (source)

“‘Then he went over them like a razor over hair and ran like locusts over a green crop.’ The city was overrun. The streets ran with blood; the piled dead reached the top of the walls, forming a ramp for the invaders; the many slaves of the city broke down the gates in their mad headlong flight; all the accumulated treasure of generations was carried off by the victorious men of the steppe; the Jews of the city were herded into their synagogues and slaughtered to the last man.” (source)

Timur had no mercy, so he executed all those he could capture. The siege of Aleppo was a success. After this, he stayed in the city for about a month, then went on to Damascus, leaving the ruined Aleppo behind him.

Works Cited

Meriwether, Margaret L. The Kin Who Count: Family and Society in Ottoman Aleppo, 1770-1840. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press. 1999.

Rabbo, Anika. A Shop of One’s Own: Independence and Reputation among Traders in Aleppo (Culture and Society in Western and Central Asia.) New York City: I.B. Taurus & Co Ltd. 2005.


Timur