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Early Elizabethan England > Accession years 1558 - 59 > Flashcards

Accession years 1558 - 59 Flashcards

1
Q

Who were Elizabeth I parents?

A

Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII.

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2
Q

What year did Elizabeth I come into power?

A

1558.

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3
Q

What 5 areas was Elizabeth’s government made up of?

A
  1. The court
  2. The Privy Council
  3. Justices of the Peace (JPs)
  4. Parliament
  5. Lord Lieutenants
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4
Q

What was the court and its purpose in Elizabethan government?

A
  • Made up of noblemen who acted as the monarch’s advisers and friends
  • Members of the court could also be part of the Privy Council
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5
Q

What was the Privy Council and its role?

A
  • Members of nobility who helped govern the country
  • Monitored Parliament, JPs and oversaw law and order in the country
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6
Q

Who were Justices of the Peace and what did they do?

A
  • Large landowners who were appointed by the government
  • Kept law and order locally
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7
Q

Who were Lord Lieutenants and what was their purpose?

A
  • Noblemen who governed English counties
  • Responsible raising local militia
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8
Q

What was Parliament and its role?

A
  • Made up of the House of Lords (made up of nobles and bishops) and the House of Commons (elected by people)
  • Able to pass laws and approve taxes
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9
Q

What was the main idea behind Elizabethan society?

A

Hiercachal structure based on wealth and power.

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10
Q

What percentage of people in Elizabethan England lived in countrysides?

A

90%

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11
Q

What percentage of people in Elizabethan England lived in towns?

A

10%

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12
Q

What was the hierachal structure of the countryside?

A
  1. Nobles
  2. Gentry
  3. Yeomen
  4. Farmers
  5. Vagrants
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13
Q

Who were nobles?

A

Major landowners; often lords and dukes.

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14
Q

Who were gentry and yeomen?

A

The gentry owned smaller estates than nobles and yeomen owned even smaller pieces of land.

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15
Q

Who were the farmers and vagrants?

A

Farmers either rented land or laboured for others. Vagrants were the homeless.

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16
Q

What was the hierachal structure of the countryside?

A
  1. Merchants
  2. Professionals
  3. Business owners
  4. Unskilled labourers / unmployed
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17
Q

Who were merchants and professionals?

A

Merchants were very wealthy traders. On the other hand professionals were laywers, doctors, clergymen etc.

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18
Q

Who were business owners and unskilled labourers?

A

Business owners referred to highly skilled craftsmen such as blacksmiths, carpenters or tailors. Unskilled labourers had unregular work and were at the bottom of society.

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19
Q

How were lower groups in the social hierachy expected to treat those above them?

A

With obedience and care. Wherever you were, you owed respect to those above you. Households were run along similar lines.

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20
Q

What four challenges did Elizabeth face when she became queen?

A
  1. Legitimacy
  2. Marriage and gender
  3. Crown finances
  4. Religion
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21
Q

What were the issues surrounding Elizabeth’s legitimacy?

A

When Elizabeth’s father Henry VIII divorced Catherine of Aragon and married Anne Boleyn (Elizabeth’s mother), the Pope refused to recongise this.

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22
Q

Why did legitimacy cause Elizabeth problems?

A

As Elizabeth was viewed as a ‘bastard’ child, many Catholics refused to acknowledge Elizabeth as a rightful ruler thus reducing her popularity.

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23
Q

Why was Elizabeth’s marital status under scrutiny?

A

Elizabeth was unmarried which was abnormal in society as she needed an heir. This is becuase Christian traditions suggested that women needed to follow men’s authority.

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24
Q

How did marriage and gender cause Elizabeth issues?

A

Since she was a woman, Elizabeth was already viewed as weak and incapable of ruling. Furthermore, if she solved this issue with marriage - who she married would be controversial.

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25
Q

How did Elizabeth face challenges through finance?

A

When she came to throne, the Crown was already £300,000 in debt. If she raised taxes, she would become more unpopular with the people, increasing unrest.

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26
Q

Why was religion a challenge when Elizabeth became queen?

A

Elizabeth was a Protestant while her predecessor (Mary I) was Catholic. At the time, Protestantism was unpopular among Catholics in the North since several had lost power after Henry VIII took over the Church. Consequently, there was a great risk of rebellion.

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27
Q

What were Elizabeth I three strengths?

A
  1. She was well educated and confident
  2. She was a Protestant
  3. Propaganda
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28
Q

Why was Elizabeth’s character one of her strengths?

A
  • She was confident, enabling her to win over her subject and persuade Parliament
  • Elizabeth had an excellent grasp of politics, which she used to rule effectively
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29
Q

How was being a Protestant an advantage for Elizabeth?

A
  • The number of Protestants in England was growing, meaning she could secure her popularity and legitimacy
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30
Q

How did propaganda help Elizabeth?

A
  • Propaganda was used to portray her as a ‘Virgin Queen’ which demonstrated her devotion to England
  • It also showed that she was confident in her powers as a female
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31
Q

What were some ways that the Crown could raise money to reduce their £300,000 debt?

A
  • Rent out more land
  • Raise taxes
  • Loans
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32
Q

How did Elizabeth respond to England’s financial situation?

A
  • Hoarded her income and cut household spending in half
  • Sold £120,000 worth of Crown lands
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33
Q

What three countries did Elizabeth face threats from?

A
  1. France
  2. Spain
  3. Scotland
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34
Q

How did Scotland have connections with the French?

A
  • Mary Queen of Scots (Elizabeth’s second cousin) was married to the French heir to the throne, Francis II. Both Scotland and France were Catholic countries.
  • Member of Auld Alliance
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35
Q

Why did Scotland threaten Elizabeth’s power?

A

Since Mary Queen of Scots was married to French heir to the throne, French soldiers were stationed in Scotland. This meant that Elizabeth was susceptible to a Catholic invasion which could remove her from throne.

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36
Q

How were the French a threat?

A
  • France was wealthier than England, making Elizabeth vulnerable
  • Loss of Calais
37
Q

How did Elizabeth make peace with France?

A

She signed the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis in 1559. This meant that Calais (an important French port) would be returned to France. This avoided war but weakened England.

38
Q

Why did the Spanish threaten Elizabeth?

A

Spain was a very wealthy and devout Catholic country. She feared that France and Spain would make a Catholic alliance against Protestant England. War thus was extremely dangerous and would deepen her debts.

39
Q

What were three reasons for religious instability when Elizabeth came to the throne?

A
  1. Geographical divisions
  2. Puritans
  3. Clergy
40
Q

How did geographical divisions create problems for Elizabeth?

A
  • Majority of North England remained Catholic, especially Durham and Yorkshire
  • East-Anglia and the south-east tended to be more Protestant as they had closer links to the Protestant Nehterlands
41
Q

How did Puritans create religious instability when Elizabeth became queen?

A
  • Puritans wanted to purify Christianity by getting rid of anything not in the Bible, including the monarchy
  • There was a large influx of Puritans from Netherlands after Elizabeth came to the throne
42
Q

Why was there an influx of Puritans in England under Elizabeth’s reign?

A

When Mary I was queen, she executed more than 300 Protestants for heresy. As a result, many escaped in exile to the Protestant Netherlands. However, when Elizabeth became queen, they returned to England as more committed Protestants (Puritans) as she was tolerant.

43
Q

Why did the clergy worsen religious stability in 1558?

A
  • Changing the religion of England from Catholicism to Protestantism needed an act of Parliament
  • However, the House of Lords was largely Catholic and would refuse to support this decision
44
Q

What are three Protestant beliefs?

A
  1. Having a Pope is not necesary
  2. Followers have a direct relationship with God
  3. Bread and wine simply represent the body and blood of Christ (no miracle occurs)
45
Q

What are three Catholic beliefs?

A
  1. The Pope is the head of Church
  2. The Church acts as an intermediary between God and people
  3. During Mass, bread and wine become the acutal body and blood of Christ
46
Q

What are three ways that Protestants practice their religion?

A
  1. Services in English
  2. Churches are plainly decorated
  3. Priests wear simple clothes
47
Q

What are three ways that Catholics practice their religion?

A
  1. Services in Latin
  2. Churches are extravagantly decorated
  3. Priests wear vestments
48
Q

Who created the religious settlement and when?

A

Elizabeth I in 1559.

49
Q

What was the purpose of the Religious Settlement?

A

Aimed to establish a form of religion that was acceptable to both Catholics and Protestants. AKA the ‘Middle Way’.

50
Q

What were three features of the religious settlement?

A
  1. Act of Supremacy
  2. Act of Uniformity
  3. Royal Injunctions
51
Q

What did the Act of Supremacy do?

A
  • Made Elizabeth ‘Supreme Governer of the Church of England’
  • All clergy and royal officials had to swear an oath of allegiance to her
  • Established the Ecclesiastical High Comission to maintain discipline in the Church
52
Q

Why was the Act of Supremacy successful?

A

Allowed Elizabeth to control the Church, without explicitly stating her as ‘head’. This pleased Catholics since they believed only the Pope was at the top, yet still maintaining Protestant leadership.

53
Q

What did the Act of Uniformity do?

A
  • Established the appearance of Churches and how religious services were held
  • Introduced the Book of Common Prayer to be used in all Churches
54
Q

Why was the Act of Uniformity successful?

A
  • Wording was deliberately unclear so beliefs about body and blood of Jesus could be interpreted differently
  • Clergy who didn’t follow the guidlines were punished and people who didn’t attend Church were fined
55
Q

What were royal injuctions?

A

Instructions that reinforced the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity by including how people should worship God and how Churches should be structured.

56
Q

What did royal injuctions include?

A
  • Priests wore special vestments
  • Each parish had to have a copy of an English Bible
57
Q

How were royal injuctions a success?

A

New rules were approved by both Catholics and Protestants.

58
Q

What were the impacts of the religious settlement?

A
  1. 8000 out of the 10,000 clergy accepted the settlement
  2. Many Bishops under Mary I rejected Middle Way and had to be replaced
  3. Many ordinary people outwardly accepted Elizabeth’s wishes, but held onto their Catholic beliefs privately
59
Q

What three roles did the Church of England have in society?

A
  1. Ran Church Courts that dealt with slander, wills, marriage etc
  2. Bishops carried out visitations (inspections) to see if the clergy and churches were obeying the religious settlement
  3. Legitimised Elizabeth’s rule by encouraging people to remain loyal
60
Q

What was the Church’s specific role in village life?

A
  • It could provide guidance to communities in times of hardship
  • Funded by taxes or tithes
  • Conducted church services like weddings or baptisms
61
Q

How did Churches take on a wider role in town parishes?

A
  • Had to deal with larger issues such as vagrancy
  • Catered to a variety of religious beliefs
62
Q

Who were Puritans?

A

Radical Protestants who wanted to purify Christianity by getting rid of anything that wasn’t in the Bible.

63
Q

What were the two things within the religious settlement that the Puritans challenged?

A
  1. Crucifixes
  2. Vestments
64
Q

Why were crucifixes allowed under the religious settlement?

A

Elizabeth did not want to upset her Catholic subjects, so she chose to have a crucifix in each church. She also did this to make sure no Catholic bishops resigned.

65
Q

Why did the Puritans oppose crucifixes?

A

They believed that the crucifix represented idols.

66
Q

Why did Elizabeth want priests to wear special vestments?

A

She wanted to follow the rules set out in Royal Injunctions. Elizabeth was supported by the Archbishop of Canterbury who held a special exhibition showing what they should wear. This led to 37 Puritan priests losing their posts.

67
Q

Why did Puritans oppose vestments?

A

They felt that special clothing distracted from worshipping God and also separated priests from ordinary people.

68
Q

What was the extent of Puritan challenge?

A
  • Some Puritans were openly anti-Catholic such as John Foxe
  • However, they had limited support in the North, so the government ignored Puritan demands for reforming the Church of England
69
Q

What was the Counter Reformation?

A

The Catholic Church’s attempt to reverse the gaining popualarity of Protestantism.

70
Q

What are recusants?

A

Catholics who practiced their religion in secret.

71
Q

What caused Catholics to rebel against Elizabeth’s religious settlement?

A
  • The Pope had instructed Catholics to not attend Church of England services
  • ⅓ of nobility was made up of recusants who lost much of their influence when Mary I died, so they resented Elizabeth
72
Q

What were three aspects of the Catholic challenge abroad?

A
  1. France
  2. The Papacy
  3. Spain
73
Q

Why were there religious tensions between France and England?

A

When religious war broke out in France in 1562, Elizabeth backed the French Protestants in hope of regaining Calais. This policy failed, since French Protestants later made peace with the Catholics.

74
Q

How did the papacy directly challenge Elizabeth’s rule?

A

The Counter Reformatiion made the Pope keen to end Protestant rule in England. Therefore in 1570, he excommunicated Elizabeth, ecnouraging France and Spain to attack England.

75
Q

Why did Spain present a challenge to Elizabeth’s reign?

A

Elizabeth’s support of the Dutch Protestants and her seizing of the Genoese Loan greatly angered Spain. Therefore, the Privy Council now feared a Spanish invasion.

76
Q

What was the Spanish Inquisition?

A

When King Philip II of Spain took over the Netherlands to end Protestant influence and enforce Catholicism.

77
Q

What was the Dutch response to the Spanish Inquisition?

A

In 1566, Dutch Protestants rebelled against the Spanish. As a result, many were persecuted and fled to England in exile.

78
Q

How was Elizabeth involved with the Dutch Rebels?

A

Elizabeth outwardly condemned the Dutch Rebels (known as the Sea Beggars) but sheltered them and allowed them to attack Spanish ships.

79
Q

What did Elizabeth do that further angered the Spanish?

A

When the Italian city of Genoa lent gold to the Spanish government, they sent it via ships. However, Elizabeth intercepted the Genoese Loan in 1568, arguing it belonged to the Italian bankers and not Spain.

80
Q

Who was Mary Queen of Scots (Mary QoS)?

A

She was Henry VII’s great-granddaughter and Elizabeth’s second cousin. This meant she had a claim to the throne.

81
Q

Who was Mary Queen of Scots married to?

A

Francis II - King of France.

82
Q

Why was Mary Queen of Scots a problem for Elizabeth?

A
  • Mary was a Catholic, which meant that other Catholics would support her claim to the throne
  • Mary’s claim to the English throne was legitimate, which undermined Elizabeth’s right
83
Q

What happened to Francis II in 1560?

A

He died.

84
Q

Who did Mary QoS remarry after Francis II’s death?

A

Lord Darnley whom she produced an heir - James - with.

85
Q

What was the controversy that surrounded Lord Darnley and Mary Queen of Scots?

A

Darnley was murdered and Mary married the Earl of Bothwell. People suspected Mary had been involved with her prior husband’s death.

86
Q

How did Protestant Scottish Lords react to Darnley’s suspicious death?

A

In 1568, Protestant Scottish Lords believed she had murdered Darnley, so they imprisoned Mary and forced her to abdicate to her son, James.

87
Q

What did Mary Queen of Scots do after she was imprisoned?

A

She escaped and raised an army which was later defeated. Subsequently, she fled to England, asking for Elizabeth’s help.

88
Q

Why did Mary Queen of Scot’s prescence in England threaten Elizabeth?

A
  • By remaining in Enfland, Mary could trigger a Catholic rebellion and overthrow Elizabeth from power
  • Taking action against Mary (an anointed monarch) would reduce Elizabeth’s power and status as queen
89
Q

What did Elizabeth decide to do with Mary QoS?

A

Elizabeth opted to imprison Mary in England, but not name her as heir to the throne since this could cause Catholics to assassinate her and put Mary in power.

Early Elizabethan England (2 decks)

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