Causes of the Pilgrimage of Grace

Causes of the Pilgrimage of Grace

1. Opposition to Cromwell's policies

   • The North saw itself as under attack from the Crown
     • Cromwell was blamed

2. Food shortages and agrarian issues

   • There had been poor harvests in 1585 and 1536
   • Many other agrarian issues motivated the rebels
     • renewal of tenancies
     • rack-renting
     • enclosure

3. Taxation

   • Opposition to taxation was a constant theme in the rebel's articles
   • There was particular hostility towards the 1534 Subsidy Act
     • Also The Statue of Uses

4. Defense of the faith

   • The rebels cultivated a religious resonance that helped justify its actions
   • The rebels demanded a 'rooting out' of heresy
     • wanted to renounce the Act of Supremacy
     • called for an end to the draining of churches' wealth

5. Dissolution of the Monasteries

   • Aske said this was his 'greatest role'
   • Dissolution caused spiritual and economic hardships
   • Monasteries played an important role in the everyday life in the north

6. Aristocratic feud

   • Some historians argue the uprising was an orchestrated attempt by the nobility to increase their power