1.1 The Situation on Elizabeth's accession Flashcards
How old was Elizabeth when she gained the throne?
25
What year and month did Elizabeth access the throne?
November 1558
If you were 16 in 1558 what percentage of the population would you have outlived?
21%
What was a consequence for some for just having religious beliefs that were different to those that the monarch had?
Death - being burned alive.
What determined the religion on the country?
Whichever religion the monarch was.
What punishment did traitors face in 1558?
Execution
Where and when was Elizabeth imprisoned by Mary I?
Tower of London, 1554
Why was Elizabeth imprisoned by Mary I?
She was suspected of treason.
When was Elizabeth I’s coronation?
1559
Why was Elizabethan England often a violent or dangerous place?
There was no police force or permanent army.
What did people rely on for keeping order?
Societal structure where everyone knew their place and had their own role.
Was equality important to the Elizabethans?
No - in fact, law, order, governments and society were essentially based on inequality.
List the social hierarchy of Elizabethan England.
Monarch
Nobility
Gentry
Yeomen
Tenant farmers
Landless/labouring poor
Vagrants/homeless
What was the monarch the most important part of?
The nobility
What determined people’s place in the social hierarchy?
How much land you have and whether you owned or rented it.
What percentage of the population lived and worked in the countryside?
90%
What are yeomen?
Men who held a small amount of land or estate (classed as the lower gentry)
Who did tenant farmers rent land from?
Yeomen or gentry
What was the hierarchy based on in towns?
Wealth and occupation
List the social hierarchy of towns in Elizabethan England.
-Merchants (who often owned a lot of property)
-Professionals
-Businessmen (usually highly skilled craftsmen who employed others)
-Skilled craftsmen who has learnt a skill or trade
-Unskilled workers and the unemployed.
Give examples of an occupation which would class you as a professional in Elizabethan England.
Lawyers
Clergy
Teachers
Doctors
Give examples of an occupation which would class you as a skilled craftsman in Elizabethan England.
Silversmiths
Glovers
Carpenters
Tailors
(Note: All wealthy business owners)
What did skilled craftsmen organise themselves into to monitor standards?
Guilds
What is a guild?
A trade association which monitors standards, working conditions and who was allowed to practise the trade.
What category of society were apprentices in?
Craftsmen
What did you owe to those above you in society in Elizabethan England?
Obedience and respect
What did you owe to those below you in society in Elizabethan England?
A duty of care
How did landowners show traits of being good members of society by adhering to the rules?
They ran their estates according to the ideas and always showed a duty of care to the tenants who were below them in the hierarchy, especially during times of hardship.
Who was the head of the household?
The father or husband
What was the expectation of how you should approach the father or husband of the family?
To be obedient.
Rank the features of the Elizabethan government.
Court
Privy Council
Parliament
Lords Lieutenant
Justices of the Peace (JPs)
Give some key features of the court.
-Lived near the same palace/house of the monarch.
-Mostly made up of members of the nobility.
-Monarch’s key servants, advisers and friends.
-Attending court required the monarch’s permission.
What were the main roles of those in the court?
-To entertain and advise the monarch
-A public display or wealth and power
-Courtiers had influence over the monarch rather than actual power.
Who were courtiers?
Members of the nobility who spent much of their lives with Elizabeth I
Who made up the Privy Council?
-Leading courtiers, advisers, nobles, very senior officials (e.g., Sir William Cecil)
How many people approximately were on the Privy Council?
19
Who chose who went on the Privy Council?
The monarch
How many times did the Privy Council meet per week?
Three times a week
What was the role of the Privy Council?
-To debate current issues and advise the monarch on government policy.
-Made sure the monarch’s final decisions were carried out.
-Oversaw law and order, local government and the security of England
-Monitored the Justices of the Peace
-Monitored the proceedings of Parliament.
Who made up parliament?
The House of Lords (including bishops) and the House of Commons.
Who could call and dismiss parliament?
The monarch only.
How many people could vote for parliament?
Only very few, and elections were held before each new parliament was selected.
How many times did Elizabeth call parliament during her reign?
10
What was the role of Parliament?
-To grant extraordinary taxation
-To pass laws (Acts of Parliament)
-Offer advice to the monarch
What were the laws called passed by those in Parliament?
Acts of Parliament
What is extraordinary taxation?
Occasional and additional taxation to pay for unexpected expenses.
When may extraordinary taxation take place?
During wartime.
Who chose the Lords Lieutenant for each county?
The monarch
Who did the Lords Lieutenant tend to be?
Members of the nobility and were also on the Privy Council.
Why were the Lords Lieutenants essential?
Maintaining the monarch’s power and England’s defences.
What was the role of the Lords Lieutenant?
-In charge of raising and training the local militia and overseeing county defences.
-Oversaw the enforcement of policies.
-Part of local government.
Who were JPs?
Large landowners who kept law and order in their local areas. They were very unpopular and the job was simply a position of status.
How much did JPs earn?
Nothing.
Who did JPs report to?
The Privy Council
What was the role of the JPs?
-To make sure all social and economic policies were carried out
-Heard county court cases for serious crimes.
-Part of local government.
How often were court cases for serious crimes?
Every three months
Who were the militia?
A military force of ordinary people rather than soldiers.
When were the militia raised?
Mainly in emergencies
Why did monarchs believe they had the right to rule?
It was given to them by ‘the grace of God’ known as the divine right.
What could Elizabeth do because of her divine right?
-Make government policies
-Declare war and peace
-Call and dismiss parliament
-Agree or reject any laws they voted for
-Rule in some legal cases (if the law was unclear or if people appealed a judgement)
-Grant titles, lands, money and jobs.
What was it called to give someone an important job/position bestowed upon them by the monarch?
Patronage
Could wealthy people give patronage?
Yes, but the monarch was the ultimate patron.
Why is patronage useful?
The monarch could get support from the people and control them.
She could also take things away from people who displeased her.
What was the most important Privy Councillor called?
Secretary of State
What was the role of the secretary of state?
Closest to the Queen, advised her on matters that were most important to the crown.
Who was the most significant Secretary of State during Elizabeth’s reign?
Sir William Cecil
What year did William Cecil step down from his role as Secretary of State?
1573
What role did William Cecil move to after being Secretary of State?
Nobility - he was then known as Lord Burghley.
What was the ‘Crown’?
With the capital C, it refers to the monarch and their government.
What was a ‘patron’?
Someone who gives encouragement or financial support to an individual or cause.
What year did William Cecil become Lord Burghley?
1571
In what way was Elizabeth a patron? (Example)
She was a patron of many explorers during her reign and funded voyages and publicly praised their efforts.
Who had to approve of extraordinary taxation?
Parliament
What were direct orders from the Queen known as?
Proclamations
How often did people vote against the monarch?
Rarely
What describes scenarios when only the monarch has a right to decide?
The royal prerogative.
What were the key points of discussion Elizabeth disliked?
Foreign policy
Marriage
Succession
What is succession?
The issue of who would be the heir to the throne after the existing monarch died.
By what nickname is Elizabeth known as for not having any children and never marrying?
The Virgin Queen
What did it mean to be legitimate?
Being born while the reigning King and Queen were still married in wedlock.
Why was Elizabeth’s legitimacy questioned?
Henry VIII had divorced his first wife Catherine of Aragon to marry Elizabeth’s mother, Anne Boleyn. Catherine of Aragon was still alive when Elizabeth was born and the divorce had not been granted by the Catholic Pope.
What year did Henry VIII want to divorce Catherine of Aragon?
1533
Why did Henry VIII want to divorce Catherine of Aragon?
He wanted a male heir and Catherine had given birth many times, but only one had lived past infancy, Mary I. He believed a woman could not rule the country with the same authority as a man and Catherine was “incapable” of giving him the son he wanted.
Who was the head of the Roman Catholic Church?
The Pope
What was the consequence of the Pope not granting the divorce between Henry and Catherine?
The English Reformation, Henry created the Church of England separate from the catholic church. He became the head of the church and granted himself a divorce.
What is the term for wanting to grant yourself a divorce?
Annulment
When did Henry VIII marry Anne Boleyn?
25th January 1533
What day was Elizabeth I born?
7th September 1533
What was a consequence for those who refused to accept Elizabeth’s legitimacy?
They might be executed.
What year was Anne Boleyn executed?
1536
Why was Anne Boleyn executed?
Treason
What did Henry VIII claim Elizabeth to be after her mother’s death?
Illegitimate - and then excluded her from the succession. (Note: Later reversed this decision!)
What must a Roman Catholic show towards the Pope?
Allegiance
Who did Elizabeth turn down when he asked her to marry him?
Philip II of Spain - her own brother in law.
Also King Eric of Sweden and French heir to throne, Duke of Alencon.
Between what years did Mary I reign?
1553-1558
What is a Queen regnant?
A queen who reigns (so Mary was England’s first queen regnant).
Under Mary I’s rule, who did England ally with in a war with France and lost?
Spain
What was the cause of disease, hunger and poverty under Mary I’s reign?
Several bad harvests
Who had Mary I married which caused a rebellion?
Philip II of Spain
How many people approximately did Mary burn for their religion being different from Catholic?
300
In what way was Elizabeth well educated?
She had an excellent grasp of politics.
She spoke Latin, Greek, French and Italian.
What year was Elizabeth held prisoner in the Tower of London?
1554
Who had ordered Elizabeth to be held in the Tower of London and on what grounds?
Mary I for treason
What did Elizabeth want her mother to be seen as?
A martyr to her Protestant cause (in a positive way).
How could monarchs raise money?
-Rents and incomes from their own lands
-Taxes from trades
-Special addition taxes
-Profits of justice (fines from those convicted of crimes)
-Loans (sometimes ‘forced’ so never repaid)
What was the monarch’s own land known as?
Crown lands
What were taxes from trade known as?
Customs duties
What were special addition taxes known as?
Subsidies
Who had to agree to subsidies?
Parliament
By how much was the Crown in debt when Elizabeth took to the throne in 1558?
£300,000
What was the total annual income of the Crown at the time?
£286,667
Who was England’s traditional enemy and who were they allied with?
France, allied with Scotland.
What was the French-Scottish alliance known as?
Auld Alliance
Who was the Scottish monarch on the throne?
Mary Queen of Scots
What was the relationship between Elizabeth and Mary Queen of Scots?
They were cousins - she also had a strong claim to the throne. She was the granddaughter of Henry VIIIs sister.
How was Mary Queen of Scots related to France?
She was half French
She was married to Francis, heir to the French throne.
What year did Mary Queen of Scots become Queen of France?
1559 when her husband became King Francis II
What did Mary Queen of Scots declare herself when Mary I died?
Legitimate Catholic claimant to the English Throne.
What did the Catholics do in response to Mary’s claim?
They rallied behind her as they disliked Elizabeth as they thought her to be illegitimate.
Why was there constant fighting and raids between England and Scotland?
The border was remote and hard to defend.
What year did Mary of Guise (MQS’ mother) rule Scotland for her daughter and have French troops stationed on the border?
1558
Since what year had England held the French port of Calais?
1347
Why was the Calais port useful?
It meant England had a military base there and was a good trade post.
In the 1550s, who did England side with in the war against France and why?
Spain - because Mary was married to the Spanish king.
What conflict ended in 1559?
The Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis.
What did the Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis mean?
England had to return Calais to France.
What did Elizabeth want to do when she became Queen?
Regain Calais, righting the mistake of Mary I.
Why was the thought of France and Spain not being at war anymore worrying?
They were both Catholic countries and Elizabeth was Protestant and divisions between Protestants and Catholics were already causing conflict around Europe. They could unite against the English Protestant Queen.
What was one of Elizabeth’s character flaws?
Being indecisive
