Early Elizabethan England 1558-88

Question 1

What two acts was the Religious Settlement made up of? And what did those acts do?

Answer 1

• Act of Supremacy 1559 - Declared Elizabeth supreme governor of the church and abolished papal control
• Act of Uniformity 1559 - Established common book of prayer(in english), and fines for non-attendees

Question 2

How did the Puritans challenge the religious settlement?

Answer 2

Problem: use of crucifixes and vestments

Elizabeth backed down over crucifixes but majority of priests consented about vestments

Question 3

How did Catholics challenge the religious settlement?

Answer 3

Pope instructed Catholics to not attend mass; many of the English nobility in the North were recusants -> Revolt of Northern Earls

Question 4

How did Foreign Powers challenge the religious settlement?

Answer 4

France and Spain were a threat to the settlement.

Religious war broke out in France in 1562 which threatened her position.

Spain’s military presence in the Netherlands during the Dutch revolt was a clear threat to Elizabeth.

Question 5

What was the problem of Mary, Queen of Scots?

Answer 5

Seen as a legitimate monarch(Second cousin and direct link to throne) since Elizabeth’s birth was seen as illegitimate born out of wedlock according to Catholics.

Arrived in England in 1568 after Protestsnt Scottish Nobles revolted after the death of her husband.

Elizabeth kept her in captivity in England.

Question 6

What was the Ridolfi Plot, 1571?

Answer 6

• Robert Ridolfi, a spy for the Pope, wanted to murder Elizabeth to put Mary on the throne.
• Ridolfi, Philip II and Duke of Alba plan invasion with help of Duke of Norfolk but letter is intercepted. Norfolk is executed.
• Reinforced threat posed by Mary and Spain.

Question 7

What was the Throckmorton Plot ,1583?

Answer 7

• Duke of Guise plans to invade and overthrow Elizabeth. Frockmorton acts as a go-between.
• Walsingham uncovers the plot by finding papers at Throckmorton’s house. Throckmorton is tortured and executed in 1584.
• Reinforced threat of Spain and Mary; List of Catholic sympathisers scared Elizabeth leading to harsher laws against Catholics.

Question 8

What was the Babington Plot, 1586?

Answer 8

• Duke of Guise would invade and encourage Catholics to rebel. Anthony Babington wrote about the plot to Mary.
• Walsingham intercepted and deciphered letter. Babingham and accomplices executed.
• Elizabeth’s government is determined to crush Catholocism. Mary is tried by Privy Council and executed in February 1587.

Question 9

Why was MQoS executed?

Answer 9

• Preservation of the Queen’s safety; Mary barred from succession first and then tried.
• Walsingham had clear evidence of Mary’s involvement.
• Rumours of imminent Spanish attack reinforced threat of Mary.

Question 10

What was the significance of MQoS’s execution?

Answer 10

• Impact on Elizabeth - very upset, showed new harsher treatment of Catholics, important threat removed

• Impact on English Catholics - angered by execution, lost hope of Catholic monarch

• Impact on Spanish relationship - made worse, gave Phillip II more reasons to remove Elizabeth

Question 11

How did Politics/Religion influence England and Spanish relations?

Answer 11

• Elizabeth refused Phillip II’s offer of marriage when she came to the throne.
• Phillip was a leading Catholic monarch and Elizabeth’s support of Protestantism and treatment of Catholics created a rift in their relationship.
• English support of Dutch rebels.

Question 12

How did their commercial rivalry influence, England and Spain’s relations?

Answer 12

• English merchants challenged Spain’s dominance of the New world.
• Attacked Spanish ships and ports.
• Francis Drake, a privateer, stole large amounts from Spain.

Question 13

What was the “Singeing the King of Spain’s beard”?

Answer 13

April 1587 - Drake sailed into Cadiz Harbour and destroyed 30 spanish ships and a large amount of supplies. The raid delayed Spanish preparations for the attack and gave the English time to prepare.

Question 14

What were the reasons for the defeat of the Armada?

Answer 14

• English Galleons were faster and able to carry more guns.
• English cannons could be more quickly and easily reoladed.
• Spanish supplies(e.g. poor cannon balls, rotting food etc)
• Unreliable communications between Spanish(Medina-Sidonia and Parma)
• Duke of Parma had control of no deep sea ports
• English tactics - 6x more firepower, fireships created panic
• Spanish poor leadership and tactics
• Weather over the Scottish coasts destroyed Armada

Question 15

What were consequences of the Armada’s defeat?

Answer 15

• Great propaganda victory - “Protestant winds”
• “God blew, and they were scattered” medal showed the importance of the religious victory.
• Boost to British pride.
• Dutch rebels were encouraged to renew their fight.
• Showed strength and skill of the English navy.
• Defeat cost Spain very dearly, financially and politically and marked the beginning of Spain’s decline in fortune.

Question 16

Reasons for poverty and vagabondage increasing in England.

Answer 16

• Increasing population
• Rising food prices
• Sheep farming and enclosure of fields meant less people were employed in farms.
• Most people were forced to move fo cities to look for work.
• International problems such as Dutch Revolt affected trade - closing of Dutch ports to the British, preventing trade

Question 17

What laws were made in response to the poor?

Answer 17

1563 Statute of Artificers - to collect poor relief(financial help for the poor paid for by a local tax called the poor rate) money, harsher treatment of beggars

1572 Vagabonds Act - to deter vagrancy