Early Elizabethan England 1558-88 ( Queen,Government and religion - Challenges to Elizabeth at home and abroad)

Question 1

Give 2 reasons why Elizabeth’s gender was a problem when she became queen.

Answer 1

1) There was a belief that women were weak and this made England vulnerable to invasion.
2) Concerns over who she would marry because she was a women and the man would have a lot of power.

Question 2

Why was religion a problem for Elizabeth when she became queen?

Answer 2

• England had been through years of religious change and turmoil
• The country was still split between Catholics and Protestants.

Question 3

Why was Elizabeth’s legitimacy questioned by some in England?

Answer 3

• Henry VIII had declared Elizabeth illegitimate soon after he executed her mother (Anne Boleyn).
• Catholics do not recognize divorce so believed Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne Boleyn was not legitimate because he had supposedly divorced Catherin of Aragon his previous wife.

Question 4

From which country did Elizabeth face the most serious threat of invasion when she became queen in 1558?

Answer 4

France

Question 5

Which body had to be consulted if Tudor monarchs wanted more money?

Answer 5

Parliament.

Question 6

How many times did Parliament meet during Elizabeth’s 45 year reign?

Answer 6

13

Question 7

What was the name of the body of Elizabeth’s advisors?

Answer 7

The Privy Council.

Question 8

How many men sat on the privy council?

Answer 8

19 and this was the total number of members of the privy council.

Question 9

What was the name given to the growing middle class?

Answer 9

The gentry. William Cecil was a member of the gentry.

Question 10

How much debt did Elizabeth inherit when she became queen?

Answer 10

£300,000

Question 11

What were 2 of Elizabeth’s aims regarding religion?

Answer 11

1) To unite Catholics and Protestants.

2) To gain power over the church.

Question 12

Wo was Sir Francis Walshingham?

Answer 12

He was a close advisor of Elizabeth and her spymasters.

Question 13

Who was Robert Dudley the Earl of Leicester?

Answer 13

He was a leading Nobleman, advisor and favourite of Queen Elizabeth.

Question 14

What did Elizabeth do in 1559 to solve the issue of religious division?

Answer 14

She created the Religious Settlement.

Question 15

Give 2 prominent features of the Religious Settlement of 1559.

Answer 15

1) The act of Supremacy.

2) The act of Uniformity.

Question 16

Give 3 features of the act of Supremacy in 1559.

Answer 16

1) It re-established the break from Rome and an independent Church of England and all members of the clergy had to swear an oath of loyalty to Elizabeth.
2) Elizabeth was Supreme Governor (not head) of the Church of England. This meant Catholics could still recognise the Pope as head of the Church.
3) To please Catholics she kept Archbishops and Bishops.

Question 17

Give 6 features of the Act of Uniformity.

Answer 17

1) Catholic Mass was abandoned.
2) The Bible was written in English (to please Protestants).
3) Ornaments such as crosses and candles could be placed on the communion table (to please Catholics).
4) Priests had to wear traditional-style vestments (to please Catholics).
5) Clergy were allowed to marry.
6) Failure to attend church meant you could be fined.

Question 18

How were the Act of Uniformity and the Act of Supremacy viewed at the time?

Answer 18

The majority were happy but Puritans and extreme Catholics thought it gave too much away to the “other side”.

Question 19

Geographically, where was Catholicism strongest in England at the time?

Answer 19

The North of England

Question 20

What is a puritan?

Answer 20

An extreme protestant who wanted to remove anything Catholic

Question 21

How many priests and bishops took the oath of supremacy?

Answer 21

• 8000 priests took the oath of supremacy showing their support for the acts introduced.
• Only 1 bishop took the oath, so 27 new bishops were appointed.

Question 22

Name two events/ features of the Crucifix controversy.

Answer 22

• Elizabeth wanted crucifixes in Churches. However, Puritans did not like crucifixes.
• Several Puritan Bishops threatened to resign. There were not enough suitable replacement bishops so the Queen backed down and removed crucifixes from the church.

Question 23

Name two events/ features of the vestment controversy.

Answer 23

• Elizabeth wanted priests to wear special vestments (clothes) but many Puritan priests refused.
• A special exhibition was held in London to show what vestment they should wear.
• Of the 110 priests invited 37 refused to attend and this meant that they lost their posts.

Question 24

How did the Pope challenge Elizabeth’s Religious Settlement, and what was the impact of this?

Answer 24

He issued a statement in 1566 that Catholics should not attend protestant church service. This had virtually no impact as Elizabeth allowed most Catholics to privately worship.

Question 25

What portion of the nobility were Catholic?

Answer 25

1/3 of the nobility were Catholic.

Question 26

Why were some Catholic nobles unhappy with the Religious Settlement?

Answer 26

Elizabeth chose to have Protestant advisors as a result of the Religious Settlement so they found their political power and influence decrease.

Question 27

What is a heretic?

Answer 27

People who didn’t believe the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Question 28

What is a recusant?

Answer 28

Someone who refuses to attend Church of England services.

Question 29

How did Elizabeth reduce the threat of France?

Answer 29

Elizabeth signed the treaty of Troyes confirming that Calais belonged to France in 1564.

Question 30

Give two reasons why Spain was unhappy with Elizabeth in 1559.

Answer 30

1) Elizabeth had supported Protestants in the Netherlands.
2) Elizabeth had stolen gold from a Spanish ship.
3) Elizabeth had refused to marry King Phillip II

Question 31

Why was Mary Queen of Scots a threat to Elizabeth in 1568?

Answer 31

1) She was next in line to the throne. Her grandmother was Margaret Tudor and her great grandfather was Henry VIII. She also had an heir James.
2) She had close links with France through her French mother, first husband (King of France) and she had spent her childhood in France. This meant that the French might support her claim to the throne.
3) She was Catholic and had the support of many Catholic nobles in England who did not believe that Elizabeth was a legitimate Queen.

Question 32

How did Elizabeth deal with Mary in 1568?

Answer 32

Elizabeth put Mary under house arrest.

Question 33

In what year did the Pope introduce a Bull excommunication Elizabeth?

Answer 33

1570

Question 34

Why was the Pope excommunicating Elizabeth significant?

Answer 34

It was significant because English Catholics did not have to be loyal to Elizabeth.

Question 35

When was the treason act?

Answer 35

1571

Question 36

What did the Treason Act of 1571 state?

Answer 36

Anyone denying Elizabeth’s supremacy and bringing in the Pope’s Bull of Excommunication will be executed.

Question 37

When was the Northern rebellion?

Answer 37

November 1569

Question 38

Give 3 religious reasons why the Northern nobles were unhappy with Elizabeth in the 1560s.

Answer 38

1) Catholics wanted restoration of Catholicism under a Catholic monarch and the arrival of Mary Queen of Scotts in 1568 gave them hope that Elizabeth could be replaced.
2) Hatred of Elizabeth’s religious settlement.
3) Elizabeth had appointed James Pilkington (Protestant) as Archbishop of Durham.

Question 39

Give 2 political reasons why the Northern nobles were unhappy with Elizabeth in the 1560s?

Answer 39

1) They thought that their power and influence over the monarch was was reducing. Elizabeth preferred Protestant advisors from non-noble families. Hatred of William Cecil.
2) Elizabeth had increased her control of the north through Council of the North - the council was controlled by protestants and the nobles resented this.

Question 40

Why was the Duke of Northumberland angry with Elizabeth?

Answer 40

Elizabeth had taken large areas of land from him and shared them between protestants. Elizabeth had also claimed all profits from copper mines discovered on his land.

Question 41

Name three important figures who took part in the northern rebellion.

Answer 41

The Duke of Norfolk, Earl of Northumberland and Earl of Westmoreland.

Question 42

Who did the earls wants to replace Elizabeth with as queen of England?

Answer 42

Mary Queen of Scots.

Question 43

Which city did the nobles capture and what did they do at the cathedral there?

Answer 43

• Durham

- They Celebrated Catholic Mass.

Question 44

Why did the rebellion fail?

Answer 44

• Large royal army of 10,000 met rebels - this army was in support of Elizabeth.
• Little support for revolt among majority of Catholic nobility and ordinary people.
• Spain/Pope’s promise of military support did not happy.

Question 45

What happened to the nobles after they were defeated?

Answer 45

-400-600 of those involved were executed including Northumberland although not until 1572. Others fled to Scotland/ abroad.

Question 46

What were the impacts of the Northern rebellion?

Answer 46

• Elizabeth confiscated the land of the Earls who rebelled making her stronger.
• The reorganising of the Northern Council strengthened her position.
• Norfolk was released after 9 months in the tower of London.
• She became less tolerant of Catholics. Recusancy (not attending church) was punished more harshly.
• The Pope excommunicated Elizabeth in 1570.

Question 47

What did Pope Pius do in 1570 and how did this increased the Catholic threat to Elizabeth?

Answer 47

The Pope issued a Papal Bull excommunicating Elizabeth I. Meant Catholics no longer had to obey her - they became encouraged to overthrow her.