Early Elizabethan England Flashcards
Elizabeth’s government.
The court- Noblemen-monarch’s advisers/friends. Displayed her power/wealth.
The privy council- Governed the country. Monitored parliament, the Justices of Peace and oversaw law and order and the security of the country.
Parliament- Made up of the House of Lords and Commons. Passed laws and approved taxes
Lord’s lieutenants- Noblemen-governed English countries and raised the local militia.
Justices of Peace- Large landowners who kept law and order locally and heard court cases every three months.
What was extraordinary taxation?
Extra taxes required to pay for unexpected expenses, especially war.
Who lived in the countryside?
The nobility-Major landowners.
The gentry-Owned smaller estates.
The yeoman farmers-Owned a small amount of land.
Tenant farmers-Rented land from the yeoman farmers/gentry.
The landless and labouring poor- Didn’t own/rent land and had to work to provide for families.
Homeless and vagrants-Moved from place to place to look for work.
Who lived in the town?
Merchants-Traders.
Professionals-Lawyers, doctors.
Business owners-Highly skilled craftsmen.
Craftsmen- Skilled employees
Unskilled labourers and the unemployed- People with no regular work and could not provide for their families.
What were the issues Elizabeth faced whilst being queen?
-Legitimacy was challenged as the pope refused to recognise her mother’s marriage with Henry VIII.
-She was unmarried and if she did get married her power would decrease and her husband would be expected to govern the country.
-Her inexperience would mean she needs help from the government.
What were the problems of marriage?
-If Elizabeth married a protestant, it would anger the Catholics.
- If she married a catholic, it would upset the protestants.
-Marriage could involve England in expensive wars, damaging finances and requiring taxes. The crown was already in £300,000 worth of debt.
However, Elizabeth needed an heir because if she doesn’t have one it could lead to the throne being vacant and eventually a civil war.
Financial weakness in 1588.
-Crown was £300,000 in debt and had an annual income of £286,667.
-Over £100,000 was owned to foreign money exchangers which charged a high interest rate of 14%.
-Mary had sold many of the crown lands to pay for the war with France.
How could Elizabeth solve her financial problems?
-The queen could ask for subsidies (special addition taxes).
-This would be unpopular with ordinary people.
Another way to improve the quality of money is by increasing the silver/gold content.
-New coinage would be treated alongside the less valuable coins. People would struggle to exchange old coins for new ones.
What did Elizabeth do to resolve the financial issue?
-She did not raise taxes but instead hoarded her income and cut her household expenses by half.
-Like her predecessors she sold crown lands, raising £120,000.
By 1574 the queen could claim that the crown was out of debt for the first time since 1558.
Challenges from abroad facing Elizabeth in 1558.
-The French threat: France was wealthier and had a bigger population. Mary (Queen of Scots) was married to the French king Francis II. Mary had a strong claim to the throne and the English Catholics might rally to her if the French invaded.
-The Auld Alliance: Frances’s alliance with Scotland threatened England.
-War was expensive and the crown was in debt.
-France had ended its war with Spain and might unite against protestant England.
-Under the treaty of cateau-cambresis. England had lost Calais to France as war would be expensive.
Religious divisions in England and Europe in the 16th century.
-Protestants tended to be found in northern Europe, especially in Scandinavia, Netherlands and Germany.
-Protestants fled persecution in Europe and came to England. Number of English protestants was growing.
-Puritans wanted to purify the Christian religion by getting rid of anything not in the bible.
-North of England was mainly catholic.
-Reformation divided the Christian church into protestants and Catholics from 1517.
What are the different beliefs between Catholics, protestants and puritans?
Catholic- The pope is the head of the church and is helped by cardinals, bishops and archbishops. Church can forgive sins. Transubstantiation -Bread and wine. Body and blood of Jesus. 7 ceremonies. Priests are unmarried.
Protestants-No pope but maybe archbishops/bishops.
puritans- No pope, cardinal etc.
protestants/puritans- Only god can forgive sins. bread and wine is no miracle. 2 ceremonies. Priests can marry.
What are the different practices between Catholics, protestants and puritans?
Catholics- Services in Latin. Priests wear vestments.
Churches are highly decorated.
Protestants-Churches are plain and simple.
Puritans- Churches whitewashed with no decorations.
Protestants/Puritans-Priest wear simple vestments. Services are in English.
Where did most of the support come from for Catholics, Protestants and puritans?
Catholics- Majority north and west England.
Protestants- Mostly south-east England.
Puritans- Found in London and east Anglia.
What were the key features of Elizabeth’s religious settlement in 1559?
The Act of Uniformit- how churches looked and how services were held.
Required everyone to attend church.
The royal injunctions: Set of instructions to the clergy that reinforced the Act of uniformity/supremacy.
Included instructions on how to worship God and how services were to be conducted.
The Book of Common Prayer: Clergy had to follow it or they would get punished if they didn’t.
An ecclesiastical high commission was established to keep discipline in the church and enforce the rules.
The act of supremacy: Made Elizabeth the head of the church.
What were the aims of Elizabeth’s religious settlement?
-designed to be accepted by many.
wording (new prayer book)- understood to mean different things by Catholics/Protestants.
-The communion sacrament in the book could= transubstantiation.
Protestants could view it as an act of remembrance.
-Protestants- ban on fake miracles-Catholics approved of the possibility of real miracles.
-Catholics would approve off the use of candles, vestments and candles in church services.
What were the impacts of the religious settlement?
-8000 out of the 10000 clergy accepted the religious settlement.
-Many Marian bishops (catholic bishops appointed by Mary Queen of Scots) opposed the settlement and had to be replaced.
-Majority accepted it and attended the service even though many held on to their catholic beliefs.
What did the royal injunctions state?
Stated that all the clergy were required to:
-Teach the royal supremacy
-Report those refusing to attend church to the privy council-absentees were fined a week’s wage.
-Keep a copy of the bible in English.
What was the nature of the puritan challenge?
Crucifixes: Elizabeth wanted to place a crucifix in each church.
Puritans opposed this and when some bishops threatened to resign she backed down as she could not replace them.
Vestments: Puritans refused. 1556 -archbishop of Canterbury -priests to attend an exhibition to show them what they must wear.
-resignation of 37 priests-refused to attend church/wear a vestment.
What was the counter reformation?
The Catholic Church’s attempt to reverse the protestant reformation in Europe and stop its spread was known as the counter-reformation. Protestants in Europe were charged with heresy. In 1566, the pope issued an instruction to English Catholics to not attend Church of England services.
What were recusants?
They practiced Catholicism in secret. Elizabeth tolerated them initially,didn’t want to turn them into religious martyrs and to avoid a catholic rebellion.
Why did Elizabeth help France in 1562?
She helped the French Protestants hoping to take Calais in return. It failed as French protestant made peace with Catholics later that year.
What was the papal bull?
When Elizabeth was excommunicated by the pope in 1570.
What was the Genoese loan?
When the Italian city of Genoa lent gold to the Spanish government in 1568. Elizabeth seized it which angered Spain, She argued it belonged to Italian bankers, not Spain.
Why does Mary leave Scotland?
Francis II died Mary returned to Scotland. Married Henry Stuart (lord Daniel). He was murdered and at this time Mary married the Earl of Bothwell. Many assumed she killed Henry and rebelled against her and abdicated her for her son. Mary fled to England for help.
What were the four options and problems that Elizabeth could do to Mary Queen of Scots?
1)Help Mary regain her throne. Problem- Would anger Scottish nobility and put a Catholic monarch on the northern border. Auld Alliance could be revived.
2) Hand Mary over to the Scottish Lords, Problem- Could provoke France driving them into a war.
3) Allow Mary to go abroad. Problem- Provoke a French plot to overthrow Elizabeth.
4)Keep Mary in England. Problem-Catholic protesters might overthrow her and replace her with Mary.
What was the Casket Letters affair?
It was when Scottish Lords brought love letters with them showing that she killed Henry Stuart. Mary said she could not be tried as she was a monarch and wouldn’t give a plea until Elizabeth gave her a verdict of innocence.
Elizabeth refused but didn’t give Mary for trial.
Which option did Elizabeth choose in the end?
Option 4. Keep Mary in England.
Why did the northern Earls rebel?
-Wanted to make England Catholic again.
-Earls had lost influence at court. Hated the new men like Robert Dudley and William Cecil.
-Elizabeth’s refusal to name an heir created uncertainty. They feared a civil war.
Which earls led the rebellion?
The earls of Northumberland and Westmorland.
What was the marriage plan?
- Mary would marry the Duke of Norfolk and would depose (remove) Elizabeth and become Queen.
-Told the Spanish ambassador in 1569 “She will be queen in 3 months”
-Robert Dudley told Elizabeth of the plot leading to the duke’s arrest.
Progress of the revolt.
-Northumberland and Westmorland took control of Durham Cathedral celebrating mass there and then moving south.
-Mary was moved to Coventry to stop her escaping to the rebels.
-Rebels captured Hartlepool but support from Spain never arrived.
Why did the revolt fail?
-Spanish troops never arrived.
-Many northern leaders remained loyal.
-Many landowners didn’t want to risk losing their wealth.
The revolts significance.
-Showed Mary could not be trusted.
A papal bull was issued and the pope excommunicated Elizabeth.
-Loyalty of English Catholics was now in doubt forcing the government to take harsh steps.
-Elizabeth’s control over the North was strengthened.
The Ridolfi plot.
1)Roberto Ridolfi was an Italian banker and spy for the pope,
2) In 1571 Ridolfi plotted to murder Elizabeth and put Mary on the throne. She would then marry the Duke of Norfolk.
3)Signed letter by the Duke declaring he was catholic and Philip II would help.
4) Philip to send 10,000 troops.
5) William Cecil discovered the plot and proved that the Duke was guilty of treason, Ridolfi remained abroad /never returned.
6) In May 1572 the duke’s death warrant was signed but not Mary and she was not removed from the line of succession.
