The Renaissance was a time of unparalleled advancements in the arts, sciences and culture. Riding the wave of the printing revolution it spread quickly across Europe. Yet, it as late in reaching some parts of Europe, like England.
Why was that? Why was the Renaissance late coming to England?
In this article, we’ll explore the top 5 reasons why the Renaissance took longer to take hold in England than elsewhere.
Why Was The Renaissance Late Coming To England?
The Renaissance was a time of monumental change across Europe. It changed the way people thought and acted, as well as their outlook on life. It was a period of economic growth and great accomplishments in many aspects of life with a profound impact on art, science, literature, education, trade & commerce, religion and culture.
After starting in Florence, the Renaissance quickly spread to different parts of Europe. But not all parts of Europe adopted the Renaissance at the same time. And this was true of England, as well as Ireland and Scotland.
So why was the Renaissance late coming to England?
Here are the top 5 reasons why this could have been the case:
- The War of the Roses prevented political stability and a strong monarchy
- Higher education and religion reforms reached later than continental Europe
- The Black Death decimated England’s population preventing the flow of knowledge and ideas
- The Renaissance was an urban phenomenon while England was a very rural country
- England was a very isolated nation and considered the backwaters of Europe by the continental powers
Let’s now look closely at each of these possible reasons why the Renaissance was late coming to England.
#1. The War of the Roses prevented political stability and a strong monarchy
Political stability is almost always a prerequisite for any kind of cultural or scientific advancement. And the War of the Roses that lasted from 1455 to 1487 was a major reason why England didn’t have the kind of political stability necessary for the Renaissance to take root.
The War of the Roses was a series of civil wars fought between two branches of the royal family, the House of Lancaster and the House of York, for control over England. It caused disruption, destruction and devastation throughout the nation.
When people are forced to focus on day-to-day survival, artistic creativity and intellectualism are set aside for more prosaic matters. So, the absence of a strong monarchy and political stability due to the War of the Roses was certainly one factor that prevented the Renaissance from reaching England earlier.
The War of the Roses ended in 1487 when Henry VII, of the House of Tudor, became King, ushering in a period of stability and allowing the Renaissance to take root. So it is no wonder that the English Renaissance blossomed during the Tudor Dynasty’s reign – from 1485 to 1603.
In fact, English Renaissance was first embraced by Henry VIII and it saw its peak in the reign of Elizabeth I, producing remarkable people like William Shakespeare, John Donne, Edmund Spenser and Christopher Marlowe.
#2. Higher education and religion reforms reached later than continental Europe
England was behind the curve when it came to reforms in higher education and religion. The Renaissance, with its focus on learning and humanism, was all about embracing classical thought, knowledge and culture.
But England failed to keep up with the continent when it came to reforming its universities, education, and even religion. The primary reason for this, ironically, was Henry VIII. Henry was raised a devout Catholic and at the start of the reformist movements, he could see no reason for religious reform.
It was only when the Pope refused Henry’s request to divorce Catherine of Aragon, that he started feeling the pull of the Reformation which was already spreading across continental Europe.
In fact, while Martin Luther had published his 95 Theses way back in 1517, Henry VIII did not fully embrace the Reformation until 1534 – a good 15+ years later.
And it was only after this transformation of Henry VII that education in England began to change to start embracing the philosophies of the Renaissance.
#3. The Black Death decimated England’s population preventing the flow of knowledge and ideas
The Black Death which hit England in 1348 was one of the most devastating pandemics ever, killing over half the country’s population. The survivors were left traumatized and the economy was in ruins.
The death and destruction caused by the Black Death meant that ideas and knowledge could not spread as easily as before. Of course, continental Europe was not spared either but this only made it more difficult for ideas (which had to be carried by people) to leave Italy and continental Europe and reach England.
#4. The Renaissance was an urban phenomenon while England was a very rural country
There are many reasons why the Renaissance was an urban phenomenon. In continental Europe, where the Renaissance grew the fastest, cities had become hubs of trade, industry and finance.
Cities had a higher concentration of educated people who were essential for creating an intellectual atmosphere in which the Renaissance could thrive. Continental cities were also centers for political and religious power – and therefore for the patronage of the arts.
However, in England, most of the population was rural and so they lacked the infrastructure necessary to support the growth of Renaissance ideas and art forms. Also, rural areas cannot be as easily defended as cities making it less likely for anyone to invest in art and architecture in rural areas.
This is another reason why the Renaissance was late in coming to England.
#5. England was an isolated nation and considered the backwaters of Europe
We know England and Britain as a former superpower and a major global power today. The history of the British Empire is one that most students around the world study. But we don’t often think of what England was before the age of Empire and how it was seen in continental Europe at that time.
But back in the Renaissance period, England was a fairly isolated nation. It was one of the furthest away from the epicenter of Renaissance Europe – Italy.
This distance, combined with its rural nature and lack of urban infrastructure made England the backwaters of Europe. Travel at the time was slow and expensive, so ideas and knowledge from the Renaissance did not flow as quickly to England as they did to other parts of Europe.
To Sum Up
So why was the Renaissance late in coming to England? As we saw in this article, there are many potential reasons why this happened. Of course, we can only speculate why something did not happen. But the most likely reasons are the ones we have outlined here.
The English civil war, or War of the Roses, which lasted from 1455 to 1487 had a devastating effect on the country and this held back its development.
Henry VIII’s initial refusal to immediately embrace religious reform meant that education in England was held back. The Black Death decimated the population, preventing ideas and knowledge from spreading throughout the country.
Since the Renaissance was an urban phenomenon and England was very rural, so it lacked the infrastructure of cities necessary to support its growth. Finally, at the time England was an isolated nation and considered the backwaters of Europe, making it hard for ideas to reach from continental Europe.