Who was the historical leader responsible for launching a campaign of religious persecution against Protestants in the 1550s, labeling them heretics and executing them by burning at the stake?
Explanation
Mary I of England, also known as Mary Tudor, initiated a harsh crackdown on Protestants during her reign in the 1550s. She branded many as heretics and ordered their execution by burning at the stake, aiming to restore Catholicism in England.