The Rise of Northumberland

Students often see succession disputes as abstract political maneuvering, but framing them through Jane’s brief reign and Mary’s popular rise makes the stakes real. Active learning lets learners step into roles, test arguments with primary evidence, and confront misconceptions by experiencing the uncertainty of 1553 firsthand.

• Year 12
• History
• 3 activities
• 30 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Evaluate the extent to which John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, acted in his own self-interest versus the interests of the Crown.
2. Analyze the financial reforms implemented by Northumberland and assess their effectiveness in restoring Crown solvency.
3. Explain the strategic and political motivations behind Northumberland's decision to end the wars with France and Scotland.
4. Compare and contrast the claims to the throne of Lady Jane Grey and Mary Tudor, considering legal and popular support.
5. Critique the success of Northumberland's 'Devise for the Succession' in light of historical outcomes.

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Devise for the Succession

In small groups, students analyze the various versions of Edward's 'Devise'. They must identify the 'edits' made as the King's health failed and discuss whether the plan was the work of a 'dying boy' or a 'manipulative minister'.

Prepare & details

Evaluate whether Northumberland was a 'wicked duke' or a capable administrator.

Facilitation Tip: During Collaborative Investigation, circulate and ask groups to point to the exact clause in the Devise that contradicts the 1544 Succession Act, reinforcing close reading of legal language.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Simulation Game

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Nine Days of July

Students role-play the events of July 1553. One group represents Northumberland in London, another represents Mary in East Anglia, and a third represents the 'wavering' nobility. They must track the shift in support as Mary's army grows and Northumberland's melts away.

Prepare & details

Explain how Northumberland restored financial stability to the Crown.

Setup: Flexible space for group stations

Materials: Role cards with goals/resources, Game currency or tokens, Round tracker

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Why did Mary win?

Students analyze the reasons for Mary's success. They discuss in pairs whether it was due to 'religious loyalty', 'hatred of Northumberland', or a deep-seated belief in the 'rightful Tudor line' and share their findings.

Prepare & details

Analyze why Northumberland ended the wars with France and Scotland.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Start with the Devise to anchor the topic in evidence, then use simulation and discussion to humanize figures too often reduced to caricature. Avoid framing Northumberland solely as a villain or savior; instead, have students weigh actions against Tudor priorities like stability and finance. Research in history education shows that role-play and structured debate improve retention of complex causation chains.

What to Expect

By the end of these activities, students will articulate why the Devise failed and Mary succeeded, using both legal reasoning and popular sentiment. They will also distinguish between ambition and duty in Northumberland’s actions, grounding claims in period sources rather than modern labels like 'hero' or 'villain.'

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Simulation: The Nine Days of July, watch for students calling Jane an ambitious usurper.

What to Teach Instead

Redirect by having students read Jane’s own letters from the Tower, where she denies ambition and insists on obedience to the law, then ask them to re-evaluate her portrayal during the debrief.

Common Misconception

During Think-Pair-Share: Why did Mary win?, watch for students assuming widespread Catholic support alone carried Mary to power.

What to Teach Instead

Use the peer discussion to isolate legal legitimacy as a separate factor; provide excerpts from Protestant city petitions to Mary to show support transcended theology.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After Collaborative Investigation, facilitate a class debate using the prompt: 'Was John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, primarily a self-serving schemer or a competent administrator trying to secure England's future?' Ask students to cite specific evidence from the period to support their arguments.

Quick Check

During the Nine Days of July simulation, provide students with a short list of Northumberland's actions (e.g., ending wars, selling Crown lands, enacting the Devise). Ask them to categorize each action as primarily aimed at restoring Crown finances, securing his own power, or advancing the Protestant cause, justifying each choice.

Exit Ticket

After Think-Pair-Share, students write a two-sentence summary explaining why the 'Devise for the Succession' ultimately failed. They should include one reason related to legal challenges and one reason related to popular sentiment.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to draft a speech Jane Grey might have given to Parliament defending her legitimacy, citing at least two clauses from the Devise or 1544 Act.
• Scaffolding: Provide a partially completed Venn diagram comparing the 1544 Act and the Devise, with missing legal terms for students to fill in.
• Deeper exploration: Assign a short comparative essay: ‘How did the language of legitimacy differ between Northumberland’s letters and Mary’s proclamations?’

Key Vocabulary

Devise for the Succession	A legal document, or will, drafted by Edward VI at Northumberland's urging, which named Lady Jane Grey as his successor, bypassing Mary and Elizabeth.
Crown Lands	Land and property owned by the monarch. Northumberland's administration sought to manage and exploit these resources to increase royal income.
Somerset's Protectorate	The period when Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, acted as Lord Protector for the young Edward VI, preceding Northumberland's dominance.
Act of Six Articles	A 1539 statute passed under Henry VIII that affirmed Catholic doctrine, which had been largely repealed by Edward VI's Protestant reforms.
Treaty of Boulogne	A 1550 treaty that ended the war with France, requiring England to return Boulogne in exchange for a large sum of money.