In January, English history reached a turning point when the final monasteries across the country were forcibly closed, the climax of a revolutionary and radical policy initiated by King Henry VIII. It was the final phase of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, a process which had begun in the 1530s but which now reached its conclusion. The King, having already dissolved the majority of the minor monasteries and abbeys during the previous years, now went about shutting the remaining few larger monasteries and abbeys which were still in England. The dissolution of the monasteries had social and economic implications.

Monasteries were established centers of religious devotion, learning, medicine, and charity. They were also important landowners, possessing huge estates nationwide, and they were quite rich. Yet the main motive for King Henry VIII to make such a drastic decision was not only religious reformation but the concentrating of wealth and power as well. By assuming control of the monasteries, the King ensured that all their property, riches, and income would be redirected into his treasury, making him wealthier and in command of the country's resources. The incomes that formerly supported the monastic communities, including income from land rents, tithes, and offerings, were now redirected straight into the royal coffers.

This redirection of wealth allowed Henry to pay for his great works, like his wars and maintenance of his court. The shutting down of the monasteries also created a new look to England, as many monasteries had been integrations into the communities in which they existed, providing education, ill care, and aid to the poor. The dissolution process was also unpopular and controversial.

Monks and nuns were expelled from their convents, and there were demonstrations and revolts against the closures. The traditional Pilgrimage of Grace of 1536 was a spontaneous uprising against the dissolution policies, with huge crowds of people from northern England, where monasteries had their greatest power, rising in revolt against the King's move. Despite these uprisings, Henry remained firm in his determination to close the monasteries, and by January of the final wave of dissolutions, the policy was being enforced rigorously. The closure of the monasteries had lasting effects on English society.

It significantly diminished the power of the Catholic Church in the country. It allowed Henry VIII to declare his supremacy as the supreme ruler, both politically and religiously, particularly after his break with Rome and the establishment of the Church of England. The dissolution also led to the redistribution of monastic lands to the crown's supporters, further entrenched the authority of the nobility, and altered the distribution of wealth and landholding in England. Lastly, the closing of the monasteries in January brought to a head a titanic shift in the religious, social, and economic life of England. The consequences of this act would be experienced for centuries to come, directing the path of the nation's growth, from its religious landscape to the structure of its economy and government.