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The date when Henry Tudor (who became Henry VII) defeated and killed Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth is generally taken as a convenient end marker for the 'Middle Ages' or Medieval period, although Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries 40 years later may be a more meaningful one. At any rate, England under the Tudors (whose dynasty ended with the childless Elizabeth I in 1603) underwent immense changes, eventually emerging as a nation united with its old enemy Scotland and about to begin on its development of a world empire.
The era was marked by increasing population, trade and wealth (at least among the upper classes), shown most exceptionally in the opulent 'prodigy houses' of Elizabethan England. Both Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth developed powerful navies, which were to provide the basis for future overseas colonies and British domination of the seas.