Challenges to Elizabeth at home and abroad, 1569-88

Question 1

What were the main aims of the three plots against Elizabeth?

Answer 1

Remove Elizabeth from the throne and replace her with Mary

Question 2

Who were the key people involved in the plots?

Answer 2

Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington

Question 3

Who intercepted the letters in the Babington Plot and how did this affect Mary?

Answer 3

Walsingham (Secretary of State), who deciphered the codes within them which showed that Mary was directly involved

Question 4

What did the Babington Plot prove?

Answer 4

Mary’s guilt which finally persuaded Elizabeth to sentence her to death

Question 5

What were the positives and negatives of Mary’s death?

Answer 5

Removed an important threat to Elizabeth but gave Phillip of Spain another reason to want to remove Elizabeth

Question 6

Who was Francis Drake and what did he get?

Answer 6

• Most famous privateer who stole large amounts from Spain
• Was knighted by Elizabeth which sent a clear message to Spain

Question 6

What did Elizabeth refuse when she came to the throne?

Answer 6

Phillip II’s offer of marriage (previously married to Mary I)

Question 6

What created big problems between England and Spain?

Answer 6

• Phillip seeing himself as the leading Catholic monarch in Europoe
• Elizabeth’s support for Protestants and treatment of Catholics

Question 6

What did English merchants do against Spain?

Answer 6

Challenged Spain’s dominance of the New World and attacked Spanish ships and ports

Question 6

What led to war with Spain?

Answer 6

Elizabeth’s support for Dutch rebels after they declared inderpendence from Spain

Question 7

How did Elizabeth support Dutch rebels?

Answer 7

• Allowed Dutch rebels to take shelter in English ports (Sea Beggars)
• Took money from Spanish ships (Genoese Loan)
• Provided financial help to the Dutch rebels

Question 8

How did Robert Dudley cause worsened relations between the English and the Spanish?

Answer 8

Led failed military expeditions in the Netherlands

Question 9

What made Elizabeth feel that she could no longer avoid conflict with Spain?

Answer 9

After the Treaty of Joinville (1584) made an alliance between the French and Spanish

Question 9

What did Elizabeth sign in 1585?

Answer 9

The Treaty of Nonsuch in support of the Dutch rebels

Question 10

What happened in April 1587?

Answer 10

• Drake sailed into Cadiz Harbour and destroyed 30 ships and a large amount of their supplies

Question 11

How did Drake’s raid help England?

Answer 11

England knew that Spain was preparing an attack and this raid delayed their preparations by a year and this gave the English more time to prepare

Question 12

Why did Phillip use the Armada?

Answer 12

He had been provoked by the English in a number of ways:
- Religion
- Politics
- English threats to dominance in the New World

Question 13

What did the Armada plan involve?

Answer 13

130 ships, 30,000 men stationed in the Netherlands that would be transported across the Channel to march on London, depose Elizabeth and create a new Catholic government in England

Question 14

What were the reasons for English victory over the Armada?

Answer 14

• Tactics (e.g. fire ships)
• Weather
• Faster ships (galleons)
• Poor Spanish supplies
• Poor Spanish leadership and communications

Question 15

What were the consequences of English victory over the Armada?

Answer 15

• Propaganda and religous victory
• English pride
• Dutch rebels were encouraged to renew their fight
• Showed strength and skill of the English navy
• Cost Spain very dearly, financially and politically