Early Elizabethan England 1558-88 (Rivalry with Spain abroad - Poverty - Elizabethan society in the age of exploration - Education and leisure) Flashcards
Why did England and Spain have good relations at the start of Elizabeth’s reign?
- Marriage alliances (Henry VIII and Catherin of Aragon also Phillip II of Spain was married to Elizabeth’s sister Mary I)
- Spain and England fought together against France in the 1550s.
Who controlled the Netherlands?
-Spain / Philip II
Why were the Netherlands important to England?
-English exports to Europe were vital to the English economy and they went through Dutch ports like Antwerp (in the Netherlands).
Which port in the Netherlands was vital to England’s exports?
-Antwerp
Which countries did Phillip II rule over?
- Spain, Portugal, parts of Italy and the Netherlands.
- He also had an empire in North and South America and Asia (Philippines).
Give two reasons why there was political rivalry between England and Spain?
- Spanish ambassadors were involved or linked to the Throckmorton plot.
- Elizabeth refused to marry Philip so causing him considerable embarrassment.
What do you call English sailors who traded illegally with Spanish colonies and attacked Spanish treasure fleets? Name two famous examples of these men.
- They were called privateers
- John Hawkins and Francis Drake are examples of privateers.
Give 3 examples of commercial rivalry between England and Spain during Elizabeth’s rule?
- John Hawkins (English Privateer) challenged the Spanish monopoly of the slave trade.
- Hawkins, Drake and other privateers stole from Spanish ships. Key steals such as the Nombre de Dios (1572) and Cacafuego (1579).
- Drake captured £40,000 of silver in 1572 and returned with £400,000 of treasure after his circumnavigation of the globe in 1580.
How did Elizabeth help Dutch rebels against the Spanish in 1568?
-After the Dutch revolted against the Spanish, Elizabeth sheltered Dutch sea beggars in her ports.
What did Elizabeth do in 1568 with the Spanish ships laden with gold that took refuge in English ports?
- She stole the gold for herself this was called the Genoese loan, she argued that it was money from Italian bankers and not Spanish gold.
How did Phillip react to the seizure of the ‘Genoese Loan’?
- Phillip banned English trade with the Netherlands. This damaged England’s economy and forced merchants to look for new markets overseas.
Who did Elizabeth encourage to help the Dutch against the Spanish in the 1570s?
- The French Duke of Alencon.
What did the Spanish sign with the Dutch after they went bankrupt in 1576?
- The Pacification of Ghent asking the Spanish to leave the Netherlands.
- The Spanish later ignored this and invaded the Netherlands again.
How did Elizabeth increase the help she was giving to the Dutch in 1577?
- She sent a mercenary called John Casimir to fight the Spanish in the Netherlands. This later failed.
How did Elizabeth support the Dutch rebellion against the Spanish rule in 1581?
What else did she do to anger Phillip in 1581?
- Offered limited financial help to the rebels so as to not provoke Phillip.
- She also knighted Francis Drake in 1581.
Why was Elizabeth initially reluctant to help the Dutch rebels in the Netherlands against the Spanish?
Reluctant to provoke Philip by getting directly involved (did offer limited financial help).
What was the name of the Dutch rebel who was assassinated in 1584?
William of Orange
What did the French and Spanish sign in 1584 and how did this impact England?
- After the Duke of Alencon died, France and Spain signed the treaty of Joinville which meant that England was now isolated.
- The privy Council pushed Elizabeth to send an army to the Netherlands.
What was the name of the Treaty Elizabeth signed in 1585 which placed the Netherlands under her protection?
- Treaty of Nonsuch.
Give a Religious, Military, Commercial and Strategic reason why Elizabeth signed the treaty of Nonsuch.
Religious reason= To ensure freedom of worship for Dutch Protestants.
Military reason= because if rebels were defeated then Philip could use Netherlands as a base for invasion on England.
Commercial reason= The Netherlands acted as a key port for English trade.
Strategic reason= if Dutch rebels were defeated then Spain would control the Channel and Atlantic coasts of Europe.
How many troops did Elizabeth send to the Netherlands?
In 1585, England sent 7000 troops to the Netherlands.
Who led the English military expedition to the Netherlands?
- Robert Dudley (also known as the Early of Leicester).
What title did Robert Dudley accept when he arrived in the Netherlands and why did Elizabeth force him to resign his position as a result?
- Governor-General of the Netherlands was the role he accepted.
- Risked provoking Phillip as implied that Elizabeth had seized control of the Netherlands.
Give two reasons one for leadership and one for resources that meant that England was defeated in the Netherlands?
Leadership reason= Dudley was not a talented general and his officers were bitterly divided over strategy.
Resources reason= The English army was small and poorly equipped and funded compared with the Spanish army.
Who was the Spanish general leading the campaign against the Dutch rebels / English army?
-The Duke of Parma.
What effect did Dudley have as commander of the English forces against the Spanish in the Netherlands?
He was able to slow down the Spanish forces but was ultimately defeated.
What did Phillip II do after Elizabeth signed the Treaty of Nonsuch?
- Phillip prepared an invasion of England, he began plans to build an armada.
Which Spanish port did Francis Drake attack in 1587?
- The port of Cadiz.
Why did Francis Drake attack the port of Cadiz in 1587?
- To slow down Spanish preparations for the Armada by destroying or raiding naval supplies.
How many ships did Drake destroy in the raid of the port of Cadiz in 1587?
- 30 Spanish ships.
How else did Drake slow down Philip’s preparations for the Armada?
- Drake sailed along the Spanish coast destroying supplies being sent to Lisbon and seized a valuable ship, the San Filipe, which allowed Elizabeth to improve English defences with money captured.
Give 3 examples of the impact of the raid on Cadiz to the Spanish armada.
- It destroyed planks of wood used to make barrels to carry food and water. This meant that the armada had to rely on poorer quality wood which did not preserve food or water well.
- It was expensive to salvage meaning that it strained Spain’s finances.
- It delayed the Armada for a year allowing England time to prepare.
What was the nickname given to Drake’s raid?
‘Singeing the King of Spain’s beard’
When did the Armada depart from Spain?
- May 1588
Who led the Armada and why did this become a leadership problem?
- Duke of Medina Sidonia, who had little military or naval experience.
- He also got seasick.
Who led the English fleet attacking the Armada?
- Lord Howard, Sir Francis Drake who were both experienced seamen.
Why was the Armada unable to join forces with Spanish troops waiting in the Netherlands?
- Poor communication and the troops in the Netherlands were slowed down by Dutch ships blockading them at Ostend. Spanish plans were greatly floored.