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==Introduction==
John Knox was a Scottish cleric, (1513-1572), who died in poverty and largely forgotten. However, he was one of the most important figures in the history of Scotland and he changed that nation and his influence is still felt to this day. He was the letter leader of the Scottish Reformation and a leading an influential theologian. Knox was also very important in the politics of the time and he played a pivotal role in the political evolution of Scotland and the British Isles. This article will argue that John Knox overthrew Catholicism in Scotland, helped to establish Presbyterianism as the state religion, paved the way for the unification of Scotland and England and the emergence of the United Kingdom.
[[File: John Knox statue, Haddington.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Statue of John Knox]]
==Background==
Scotland was a poor country and it was constantly at odds with its larger neighbor to the south, England. The Scottish kings were little more than the vassals of the king of England, especially after the disastrous Scottish defeat at the Battle of Flodden. Scotland was closely allied with the French monarchy and were their sometime allies. The Scottish kingdoms were often torn between the demands of England and France. The nobles of Scotland, especially after Flodden were very restive and often acted as independent rulers, especially those in the Highlands and Islands <ref> Devine, T. M., The Scottish Nation, 1700–2000 (London, Penguin Books, 1999, p. 118) </ref>. The Scottish monarch was usually weak and dependent on their nobles and indeed often their tools. The religious situation in Scotland in the first half of the sixteenth century was very tense. The Catholic Church was corrupt and in need of reform. Many Scottish nobles and townspeople wanted to introduce Protestantism. However, France was very influential, and the Court of the monarch was usually Catholic. In the Highlands of Scotland, the Gaelic speaking population was decidedly Catholic. Religion became intertwined in the traditional and never-ending struggle between the nobles and the monarch. The French supported the Catholic factions and the English supported those who were sympathetic to the Reformation. In 1542 the Scots were once again defeated by the English at Solway Firth. James V of Scotland died soon after this and his young daughter Mary was his heir. Real power lay with the Catholic faction led by Cardinal Beaton and the French Queen Mother Catherine of Guise. In 1546 Cardinal Beaton was assassinated and this was an important point in the Scottish Reformation. After this time, the Protestant nobility began to become more influential in Scotland. After Mary Queen of Scots ascended the throne, there was an effort to reverse the Scottish Reformation. However, she was deposed, and this led to the triumph of Protestantism in Scotland<ref>Devine, p. 201</ref>.
