One of the first things they did was raise the severity of the consequences for those who disputed against Royal Supremacy. This applied to the majority of people. They were some what frightened into accepting the new state of affairs or at least keeping quiet and not voicing any disagreements. To get people to do this, they were threatened with dire repercussions should they rise against the king’s actions. Henry decided that the small minority of opposition would be crushed. This was to enable the king to proceed with his plans and also to act as a stern caution of deterrence to others, further diminishing the already few numbers of active challengers.
The king agreed with Cromwell that all their actions should be taken properly and be made lawfully secure. To ensure this, the necessary legislation was brought in as a means of justification for whatever they chose to do. This was to break the resolve of those who wanted to oppose because they knew the law was on the king’s side. A way of further stifling opposition was through the charge of treason which was punishable by death. A Treasons Act was employed to deal with traitors that could be used when needed. In reference to the antagonism of Royal Supremacy, this act stated that a person would be guilty of high treason if they did or said anything at all deemed unfavourable about the king, his divorce or his remarriage. This in included mere conversation or writing that could be considered as slander against King Henry VIII or his new wife, Anne Boleyn. With this law that prevented even the smallest of royal criticism, it is no surprise that there was so little opposition to Royal Supremacy and the break with Rome.
It therefore became very dangerous and maybe foolish to openly express any discontent with the king or his divorce. To deter even more opposition, it was later made clear that even those who heard or knew of any acts or words of treason and failed to report them, would be punished with life imprisonment. These laws and legislations meant that anyone who protested could be swiftly dealt with and made an example of.
Henry still wasn’t completely satisfied as he wanted as little opposition as possible. He also wanted those who opposed him to be identified and done away with. For this, clauses were put into legislation which had one of the most widespread effects. The whole population were made to swear oaths of acceptance of the new order. Those who refused the oath were punished by death.
Another reason for there being little opposition was because of how the king dealt with high profile opposition such as the demise of Elizabeth Barton, the Holy Maid of Kent. A woman who feared by powerful men across the country, she had warned that Henry’s divorce would lead to his downfall. However she was quickly arrested, imprisoned and executed along with some of her main supporters. The killings of two prominent figures in John Fisher and Sir Thomas More gave even more indication of the king’s zero-tolerance of any opposition no matter whom it’s from. In getting rid of these people, Henry not only showed the extent of his power but also used them as further examples. Because even well known people, like the Observant Franciscans and the Carthusians had lost their lives and freedom in opposing the king, it gave little hope to ordinary people that they could mount meaningful and successful opposition.
In conclusion, there was so little opposition to Royal Supremacy and the break with Rome because the majority of people had already reacted with passive acceptance. This could have been down to a lack of strong Catholic devotion in the country at the time. Also, the king and Cromwell had taken serious measures into making sure that challengers were dealt with properly such as using legislation for treason and to execute traitors. Furthermore, it was unlikely for there to be major opposition because those who rose up against the king were uncompromisingly made examples of.
