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Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation (1517-1648) refers to the widespread religious, cultural, and social upheaval of 16th-century Europe that broke the hold of the medieval Church, allowing for the development of personal interpretations of the Christian...

Definition
Fourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade (1202-1204 CE) was called by Pope Innocent III (r. 1198-1216 CE) to retake Jerusalem from its current Muslim overlords. However, in a bizarre combination of cock-ups, financial constraints, and Venetian trading ambitions...

Definition
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer served as the first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury from 1533 to 1555 and was one of the prime architects of the English Reformation during the reigns of Henry VIII of England (r. 1509-1547) and Edward VI of England (r...

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Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III (not to be confused with anti-pope Innocent III), r. 1198-1216 CE, is depicted in this print from Chronologia Summorum Romanorum Pontificum, published in 1675 CE. The text at the bottom reads "Innocent III, ". Measures 120...

Definition
Sir Thomas More
Sir Thomas More (1478-1535 CE) was a lawyer, scholar, statesman, and Lord Chancellor to Henry VIII of England (r. 1509-1547 CE) who was executed in July 1535 CE for his refusal to endorse Henry's break of the Church in England from the Catholic...

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Catherine of Aragon & Henry VIII
A 19th century CE painting by Henry Nelson O'Neil showing the court of 1529 CE which convened to annul the marriage of Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536 CE) and Henry VIII of England (r. 1509-1547 CE). The marriage would not be annulled until...

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Statue of Henry VIII
Statue of Henry VIII of England (r. 1509-1547), designed by John Strong, 1702.
Saint Bartholomew Hospital, London.

Definition
Investiture Controversy
The Investiture Controversy, also referred to as the Investiture Contest or Investiture Dispute, was a conflict lasting from 1076 to 1122 between the papacy of the Catholic Church and the Salian Dynasty of German monarchs who ruled the Holy...

Definition
Donation of Constantine
The Donation of Constantine (Donatio Constantini or the Donatio) is a medieval forgery dated to the 8th century purporting to be an original 4th-century document in which the Roman emperor Constantine the Great (r. 306-337) granted supreme...

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Henry VIII Gate, Windsor Castle
The Henry VIII Gate of Windsor Castle, England. The castle was first built by William the Conqueror c. 1070 CE and then added to by many monarchs thereafter. The gate was built by Henry VIII (r. 1509-1547 CE) to give access to the Lower Ward...