Challenges to the rule of Queen Elizabeth I Flashcards
Mary, Queen of Scots
Why was Mary Queen of Scots a threat to Elizabeth?
She had 2 claims to the English throne:
* Many people believed Elizabeth to be
illegitimate - her Mum married Henry VIII after he divorced - didn’t recognise divorce and so viewed his second marriage to Elizabeth’s mother as illegal
* Elizabeth had converted England’s official religion to Protestantism - Mary was a Catholic and many viewed her as their figurehead and a rightful replacement to the throne.
What should Elizabeth do with Mary?
What were Elizabeth’s options with dealing with MQS?
- Getting Mary out of the country
- Keeping Mary imprisoned
- Executing Mary
What should Elizabeth do with Mary?
What did MP’s advise to do with Mary and why?
execution
* Elizabeth faced many challenges and plots against her - most of them were led by Catholics aiming to get Mary on the throne and return England to Catholic rule
Mary is executed
When, where and why was Mary executed?
- 8 February 1587
- Fotheringhay Castle
- put on trial, found guilty of
- treason
Mary is executed
What was Elizabeth’s reaction to Mary’s execution?
- believed that executing Mary would lead to bigger problems e.g international backlash - why she held off executing her for so long
- when Mary was found guilty of treason - she hesitated to sign her death warrant…
- …when she did - she refused to submit it, but her secretary secretly took it…
- …when she found out - she was furious and he was put in the Tower for 18 months
Mary is executed
What were the consequences to Mary’s death?
Not as serious as Elizabeth had feared:
France - wanted to maintain their alliance with England, fearing spain
Spain - were already at war with England
Scotland - King James VI was on the throne of Scotland, he was Elizabeth’s heir and so he took no action
English Catholics- remained loyal to Elizabeth
Rivalry with Spain
What led to the war between England and Spain?
- Religious differences - Spain was Catholic, England was Protestant the two rulers had conflicting spiritual outlooks
- Marriage rejection - King Philip of Spain had been married to Elizabeth’s sister, Mary I. When Mary died he offered to marry Elizabeth but she rejected him.
- Piracy - English sailors like Hawkins and Drake attacked Spanish ships and stole treasure in the New World. King Philip was furious, but Elizabeth encouraged and rewarded these adventurers.
- The civil war in France - France was the traditional enemy of both England and Spain - France was in civil war it was preoccupied with its own issues and no longer posed a threat - alliance was no longer necessary
- Spain supported Catholic plots - evidence of Spanish support for plots to restore Catholicism to England
- The Dutch Revolt - In 1572, Protestants in the Netherlands revolted against Spanish rule. Elizabeth I secretly supported the Dutch rebels to weaken Spain and prevent it from threatening England
- Elizabeth’s army joined the Dutch rebels - Elizabeth sent soldiers to help the Dutch fight Spain. This was the first time English and Spanish armies fought each other, meaning they were now at war
Rivalry with Spain
Why were the Netherlands so important in the leading up to the war?
ruled by Spain but the English saw the Netherlands as a vital place for trade
By 1572, Protestant ideas had spread in the Netherlands. Protestant Dutch rebels started fighting for independence from Catholic Spain, leading to the Dutch Revolt.
King Philip of Spain sent an army to crush the Dutch rebels…
…after their leader, William of Orange, was killed, Elizabeth was asked to become Queen of the Dutch - refused but sent an army to help them fight Spain
The Spanish Armada
How did the two sides line up - England?
think: commanders, fleet, sailors and soldiers, food supplies, weapons..
England:
Commanders - Lord Howard of Effingham – little experience of fighting at sea - Drake and Hawkins were both very experienced
Fleet - 200 ships - 54 strong, light and fast battleships, and 140 converted merchant ships
Sailors and soldiers - 14,000 men on board and 20,000 soldiers on land
Food supplies - Fresh food supplied daily
Weapons - 200 smaller cannon, could fire over long distance and were quick to load
Tactics for fighting at sea - Destroy enemy ships by firing cannon at them from a distance
Annual income - £300,000
The Spanish Armada
How did the two sides line up - Spain?
think: commanders, fleet, sailors and soldiers, food supplies, weapons..
Spain:
Commanders - Duke of Medina Sidonia - little experience of sailing
Fleet - 130 ships - 64 battleships, 22 huge galleons and 45 converted merchant ships
Sailors and soldiers - 30,000 men on board the fleet and 20,000 soldiers on land
Food supplies - Not fresh – six months’ worth of supplies were stored on the ships
Weapons - 2,000 large cannon - could fire heavy cannon balls, but only over a short distance and were slow to load
Tactics for fighting at sea - Get close so men could board and capture the enemy ships
Annual income £3 million
Spanish Armada
When was the Spanish Armada?
1588
What happened during the Spanish Armada?
When did the Spanish Armada set sail, and what delayed it?
- left Lisbon on 28 May 1588 - delayed by storms and repairs
- finally sailing for England on 21 July
What happened during the Spanish Armada?
How did the English first react to the Armada’s arrival?
- The Armada was spotted from Lizard Point
- warning beacons were lit along the English coast
What happened during the Spanish Armada?
What happened near Calais?
- The Armada anchored - waiting for Duke of Parma’s reinforcements
- the English sent fire ships, causing panic and the fleet scattered
What happened during the Spanish Armada?
What happened at the Battle of Gravelines?
The English attacked at close range, causing heavy damage to the Spanish fleet
What happened during the Spanish Armada?
Why did the Armada fail?
- Many ships were wrecked in storms near Scotland and Ireland
- nearly half the fleet was lost before returning to Spain
What happened during the Spanish Armada?
How many casualties were there for both sides?
Spain:
* ships lost - 51
* deaths - 20,000
England:
* ships lost - 0
* deaths - 100
* …in the following weeks several thousand men died from illness and disease
How did England defeat the Spanish Armada?
What factors helped England defeat Spain?
- Leaders
- Planning
- No reinforcements
- Tactics
- Ships
- Weapons
- Support
- Weather
How did England defeat the Spanish Armada?
How did the leadership of the Spanish Armada contribute to its defeat?
The Duke of Medina Sidonia was inexperienced in naval battle, leading to poor planning and tactical errors
How did England defeat the Spanish Armada?
Why did the Spanish crescent formation fail?
formation plan
The English fire ships broke up the formation, leaving the Spanish fleet vulnerable to attack
How did England defeat the Spanish Armada?
How did English weapons and tactics give them an advantage?
- English ships used long-range, fast-reloading cannons
- Spanish relied on close combat, making them ineffective
How did England defeat the Spanish Armada?
Why did the Spanish fail to pick up reinforcements?
The Armada couldn’t anchor to collect Duke of Parma’s army, leaving them understrength
How did England defeat the Spanish Armada?
How did the design of Spanish and English ships affect the battle?
Spanish ships - slower and harder to maneuver
English ships - faster and better suited for bad weather
How did England defeat the Spanish Armada?
Why did the Spanish overestimate the support they would receive in England?
believed English Catholics would rebel against Elizabeth I and support them,…
…but most remained loyal to the Queen, leaving the Armada without local allies
