1 - Kingdoms of Britain in 1603 Flashcards
Name Name 4 issues that faced society in 1603
Population increase (production cant keep up)
Famine
Unemployment
Inflation
What is meant by ‘the great chain of being’?
The idea that everybody’s place in society was given by god and there was a hierarchy
What was the role of the Jps?
Enforce government policies
Acted as judges in lesser cases
Issued fines
Why did riots become common and who dealt with them?
Anger over the social climate
JPs
What was the climate of trade in the country?
Trade was broadening abroad
London was the financial center
What is the royal prerogative?
teh power of the king to act on his own authority, wars, foreign policy ect
What is the divine right of kings?
the idea that the crown only answers to god, making him the sole lawmaker
What is the argument against the power of the crown?
Common laws have been created over centuries and shouldn’t be changed by one individual
What is the ‘court’?
Not an actual place, just those who surround the crown
What was the privy council?
The formal organ for advice or admin
the king was expected to listen but not bound to act on their advice
Who were the gentlemen of the Bedchamber?
Those appointed by the king to wait on him (informal)
What were the benefits of being a gentleman of the bedchamber?
proximity to the king allowed you to have influence on decisions
gifts like land and pensions
What were the three bodies of the English legal system in 1603?
the king
the court
parliament
What power did parliament have over the king?
They were able to refuse subsidies
Why may ordinary revenue not be enough to support the king?
Inflation rises, giving parliament more influence as the king asks for more subsidies
What were the limitations on parliament?
Can be convened and dismissed by the crown
often summoned irregularly
Who were the main 3 groups living in Ireland?
1 - the native peasants
2 - the old english
2 - the new english
Who were the ‘old english’?
Catholic english settlers who had lived there a long time - owned 1/3 of the land
Who were the ‘new english’?
protestant English settlers who had recently migrated - controlled the government in Dublin
Who were the native peasants living in ireland?
catholics who made up most of the population - were often poor and excluded from politics
How did ireland differ from scotland as a nation?
Was not independent like Scotland and acted more as a colony - had English laws
Why was Ireland problematic?
there was social unrest because -
English laws were imposed on them
Protestantism had been imposed on them
English politicians often ignored Irish culture and language
Why was the scotish political system abnormal?
The kirk (church) had a lot of power and the government were less involved in the lives of everyday people
What was introduced in scotland, against royal wished
Presbyterianism
What is Presbyterianism?
a strict for of Protestantism that places more emphasis on bible instead of tradition - didn’t have bishops so gave more power to individuals
What was the general assembly?
Where religious decisions would be made - often provided a meeting place to discuss other things
Why would James regulalry attend the general assembly?
to protect his own interests
What was James’ goal with scotland and england?
to unify - but the english were not on board
When james left scotland how involved was he in its running?
he was a very absent leader
Were parliament keen on james in scotland?
No, they often criticized him
When james came to power what were the issues with politics?
corruption
salaries were low so civil servants and courtiers relied on grants
Elizabeth didn’t grant these regularly so left many upset
he gave out too much patronage
What was the economic situation like following the death of elizabeth?
good
£90,000 surplus and only a £400,000 debt
this debt was covered by ducth and frecnh debts and uncollected subsidies
Did james maintain a positive ecenomic situation when he came to the throne?
no
it took less than 3 years to amount over 800,000 in debts
What was the Elizabethan legacy?
Elizabeth may have managed finances well, but at the expense of James - only making short term fixes
What short term fixes did Elizabeth make?
selling crown lands and cutting expenditure (creating an impoverished crown
selling crown land for much less than it was worth (selling it at £68 a year when it was worth over 1000)
What was the position of Catholics in 1603?
many were law abiding but wanted an end to resusancy
had been placed under pressure over their loyalty to the pope over the leader of their country
their numbers were dwindling
What was james’ attitude towards war?
wanted to act passively, and did not want to become dependent on parliament for money in the event of a war
What foreign policy did james inherit?
a war with Spain
alliance with the dutch
became leader of the most powerful protestant power
