Breadth Study 1: Crown and Parliament

Question 1

Why did the relationship between crown and parliament come under strain and when

Answer 1

1585- because England went to war with Spain (until 1604)

Question 2

What was Elizabeth forced to do because of the War with Spain

Answer 2

Forced to call parliament more regularly to raise taxation
-created the development and confidence of parliament

Question 3

What were the main concerns of parliament in 1590s

Answer 3

-The queens’ and her officials’ misuse of monopolies
-high taxation
-abuse of royal prerogative to grant monopolies

Question 4

Why did Elizabeth grant monopolies

Answer 4

Due to the ongoing war, had less money for patronage
-Courtiers would pay for the privilege

Question 5

Example of Elizabeth granting monopolies

Answer 5

Walter Raleigh had monopolies in tin and playing cards
-system appeared corrupt, created tension between 1597-1601

Question 6

What did MPs do in 1597

Answer 6

-complaints over monopolies
-some MPs wanted to introduce a parliamentary bill to tackle the issue
-PETITIONED Elizabeth instead (did not want to challenge her royal prerogative directly)

Question 7

How did Elizabeth diffuse the 1597 situation

Answer 7

Promised that all monopoly licences would be examined

Question 8

What did the 1597 parliament represent

Answer 8

-First direct criticism of Elizabeth’s policies
-although no challenge to her prerogative
-Extent to which parliament’s confidence had grown

Question 9

Why was the Common’s anger more extreme in 1601

Answer 9

-Elizabeth called for more taxation
-BUT had done nothing about her promise to deal with monopolies

Question 10

1601 Parliament -MPs with legal training

Answer 10

253 MPs- had also come across monopolies in law courts and were unable to get justice

Question 11

What unprecedented event happened in parliament in 1601

Answer 11

-A mob burst into parliament, begging MPs to do something about the abuse of monopolies

Question 12

How did Elizabeth respond to the discontent of 1601

Answer 12

-Met with a delegation of 140 MPs and gave her ‘golden speech’
-also received the taxation she initially called for

Question 13

What was Elizabeth’s golden speech

Answer 13

-admitted to some ‘lapses of error’
-still upheld her prerogative rights
-appeared gracious but conceded very little
-triumph of political manipulation
-BUT had to ‘manage’ parliament

Question 14

example of an MP challenging Elizabeth

Answer 14

Peter Wentworth raised the issue of succession and was imprisoned in 1593

Question 15

Sovereignty of statute law

Answer 15

laws passed by parliament could only be changed by future parliament
-parliament had the sole right to pass laws and these laws obeyed by everyone

Question 16

How did the role of parliament change after the reformation

Answer 16

set a precedent that if a monarch wanted to alter the political or religious settlement it had to be done through parliament

Question 17

What did the events of the 1530s create the notion of

Answer 17

‘king-in-parliament’- idea that the most powerful institution of the country was the king, acting in conjunction with parliament rather than without it

Question 18

idea of ‘king-in-parliament’ in religion

Answer 18

‘king-in-parliament’ had authority over the church BUT the king alone did not
-God had granted Henry the royal supremacy BUT the people had given Henry the authority to assume the supremacy through parliament

Question 19

What increased parliaments’ power

Answer 19

Mary and Elizabeth using parliament to legislate their religious changes
-gained the right to legislate religious changes and on the royal succession

Question 20

What did monarchs do to try and regulate speech in parliament

Answer 20

-parliamentary managers who would inform the ruler of what was being saidq

Question 21

early example of MP asking monarch to allow MPs to speak freely

Answer 21

1523- Thomas More made a speech requesting more free speech

Question 22

example of parliamentary confidence growing (Mary)

Answer 22

1555- Mary faced a revolt by MPs who refused to accept a bill that would confiscate the lands of those exiled from England

-took a vote defeating the bill

Question 23

Peter Wentworth speech 1576

Answer 23

-attacked Elizabeth’s attempts to control discussion in parliament
-imprisoned for a month

Question 24

MPs of the HoC growing

Answer 24

1512- 302
1596- 462

Question 25

What did the growth of MPs lead to

Answer 25

need to ‘manage’ parliamentary business more

Question 26

When did the Commons bring up the issue of marriage and succession

Answer 26

1563 and 1566

Question 27

When did Elizabeth try to restrict parliament’s right to free speech

Answer 27

1566 and 1576