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How did the Oxford movement use the idea of apostolic succession?

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St. John Henry Newman English prelate, theologian, and poet John Henry Newman converted to Roman Catholicism in 1845. He was made a cardinal in 1879.

The Oxford movement, led by figures such as John Henry Newman, utilized the concept of apostolic succession to assert the independence and authority of the Church of England during a period of political uncertainty in the early 19th century.

Between 1828 and 1832, legislative changes threatened the established status of the Anglican church. In response, movement leaders sought to demonstrate that the church did not derive its authority from the state. Instead, they argued that the Church of England was a truly "catholic" institution because its bishops could trace their authority and office back in an unbroken line to the Apostles. By emphasizing this lineage, the Tractarians aimed to validate the church's doctrinal authority and its identity as a faithful successor to the early, undivided church.1