Elizabeth: all rest Flashcards
Describe society in England in 1558
In 1558, England had been governed by Tudor monarchs for more than seventy years. The country had well-organised systems of central government, but there were some major divisions in society
How long had the Tudor family been ruling when Elizabeth became Queen in 1558?
since Henry VII became king in 1485 (so 73 years)
How did government work in Elizabethan times?
- Elizabeth was the most powerful figure in Elizabethan England. Everyone was expected to be loyal to the Queen and obey her
- The privy council was a group of around twenty of the Queen’s most trusted counsellors. They advised her on all aspects of government and ensured that her wishes were carried out. They were expected to obey her orders even if they disagreed with her
- parliament was made up of members of the nobility and the gentry. The Queen needed Parliament’s consent to pass new laws or raise taxes. Parliament only met when the Queen summoned it, and Elizabeth tried to avoid using it - she only called Parliament 13 times during her 44-year reign
- The Queen relied on members of the nobility and gentry to enforce law and order throughout the country. Local government posts like Justice of the Peace and sheriff were unpaid, but many men volunteered in order to increase their local power and influence. Justices of the Peace were particularly important - they enforced the law, provided for the poor and ensured roads and bridges were maintained
how did Elizabeth ensure the support of the nobility and gentry?
Elizabeth used patronage to ensure the support of the nobility and gentry. This often involved handing out titles and offices that gave the holder a source of income. Elizabeth distributed patronage widely to ensure that no-one felt left out. This helped to ensure political stability.
what was society like at the start of Elizabeth’s reign?
- England’s population had been rising steadily since around 1500. Most people lived and worked in rural areas, but towns and cities were growing rapidly. London was by far the largest and most important city.
- The economy was dominated by agriculture, but farming practices were changing. The export of woollen cloth to Europe was very important to the economy, but merchants were also starting to explore trade with the Americas and Asia
- Elizabethan society was dominated by a small, land-owning aristocracy of nobility and gentry. There was also a growing number of wealthy men who earned their living as lawyers or merchants
- there was great inequality, and the divide between rich and poor was growing. Poverty became a major problem in Elizabethan England
who were the gentry?
the gentry were a part of the social elite in Elizabethan England, below the level of the nobility. Members of the gentry were people who owned land and lived off the income it provided. They didn’t have to do other work to survive
what was Elizabeth I’s upbringing like?
- Elizabeth was Henry VIII’s second child, the daughter of his second wife, Anne Boleyn. As a child, she was third in line to the throne (behind Edward VI and Mary I), so no-one really expected her to become queen
- Elizabeth had a difficult upbringing and sometimes feared for her life. In 1554, she was accused of conspiring against her half-sister, Queen Mary I, and was placed under house arrest for almost a year
- Elizabeth was very cautious and only trusted a few close advisers. She could also be indecisive - she was reluctant to make decisions without carefully considering the possible consequences
- she was intelligent, confident, and very well-educated. Despite having had little training in how to govern, she became a powerful and effective leader
Why were there religious divisions in 1558?
the protestant reformation created religious divisions - the protestant reformation began in Germany in the early 16th century and gradually spread across Europe.
Which Catholic beliefs and practices did protestants challenge?
Reformers challenged many Catholic beliefs and practices:
- the protestant reformers believed Christians were saved by faith, not by good deeds
- they questioned the authority of the pope
- they translated the bible from Latin into languages that ordinary people could understand
- they thought churches should be plain and simple, unlike highly decorated Catholic churches
which religious changes had been made between 1530 and 1558?
- Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic Church
- until the 1530s, England was a Catholic country, and most people were Catholics
- in the early 1530s, Henry VIII divorced his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. The Pope refused to accept the divorce, and so Henry broke away from the Roman Catholic Church. He rejected the Pope’s authority and made himself head of the Church of England
- Henry did not support the Protestant Reformation. He didn’t try to reform the English Church and make it Protestant, so Catholic beliefs and practices remained largely unchanged - Edward VI tried to make England more Protestant
- Edward VI was a strong supporter of Protestantism and tried to reform the English Church
- he made churches and church services simpler. Statues and decorations were removed from churches and priests weren’t allowed to wear their elaborate Catholic vestments. A new, Protestant prayer book was issued, and church services were held in English, not Latin - Mary I restored Catholicism and persecuted protestants
- Queen Mary I was a devout Catholic. She restored the Pope as head of the English Church, removed Edward’s Protestant reforms and brought back Catholic beliefs and practices.
- Under Mary, Protestants were harshly persecuted. More than 280 people were executed for their beliefs, and hundreds more (known as Marian exiles) fled to Protestant countries in Europe
What did Elizabeth I want in terms of religion?
Elizabeth I wanted religious stability:
- Elizabeth I had been raised as a Protestant. Although she hid her beliefs during Mary’s reign to avoid being imprisoned, she was deeply religious and committed to Protestantism
- Elizabeth had seen the turmoil caused by Edward VI’s extreme protestant reforms and the violence of Mary I’s Catholic restoration. She wanted to end the constant religious changes of the last 30 years be creating a stable and lasting religious settlement
when was the religious settlement?
1559
what did the Act of Supremacy do?
give Elizabeth control over the Church:
- Henry VIII and Edward VI has used the title Supreme head of the Church of England. In her Act of Supremacy (passed in 1559), Elizabeth altered this title to make herself the Supreme Governor of the English Church
- The Act of Supremacy required churchmen and people holding public office to swear the Oath of Supremacy. They had to recognise the Queen as Supreme Governor and promise to be loyal to her
- Most parish priests took the Oath. However, all but one of the Catholic bishops refused and lost their posts. They were replaced by Protestant bishops, some of whom had been Marian exiles
- The Act of Supremacy gave Elizabeth control of the English Church, without explicitly describing her as its ‘Head’. This compromise satisfied those who believed a woman could not lead the Church
when was the Act of Uniformity passed?
1559
when were the Royal Injunctions passed?
1559
what did the Act of Uniformity and the Royal Injunctions do?
the Act of Uniformity and the Royal Injunctions, both passed in 1559, imposed moderate protestant reforms on the English Church, but they also made some concessions to English Catholics
what were some of the reforms that the Act of Uniformity and the Royal Injunctions made?
- going to church was compulsory - there were fines for missing a church service
- a new Book of Common Prayer was issued, which had to be used in all churches
- All parishes had to have a copy of the Bible in English
what were some concessions that the Act of Uniformity and the Royal Injunctions made to the English Catholics?
- the wording of the communion service (an important Christian ceremony) was kept deliberately vague, so that it could be accepted by both Protestants and Catholics
- Churches were allowed to keep some decorations, and priests had to wear certain Catholic vestments
how did Elizabeth make sure everyone in England was conforming to the religious settlement?
Royal commissioners were ordered to visit churches throughout the country to ensure that the Acts and Injunctions were being enforced
What was the Religious Settlement designed to do?
The Elizabethan religious settlement made England a Protestant country, but allowed some elements of Catholic belief and practice to continue. This clever ‘middle way’ was designed to satisfy the majority of the population, who held moderate religious beliefs and were willing to make some compromises for the sake of peace and stability.
give 3 ways in which the Church played an important role in Elizabethan society
- senior churchmen were involved in government - all bishops held a seat in the House of Lords, and the Archbishop of Canterbury was usually a member of the privy council
- Parish priests were often the most educated people in their communities, which made them respected and influential figures. As well as providing religious guidance, parish priests gave advice, helped to resolve disputes and played an important role in providing charitable support for the poor and elderly
- The Church helped promote national unity and obedience to the Queen. The Queen’s coat of arms was often displayed in churches, and church services included prayers for the Queen and her councillors
give 3 challenges to Elizabeth’s religious settlement in the 1560s
- the puritans wanted to make the English Church more Protestant
- Many members of the Nobility continued to practise Catholicism
- Threats from abroad (France & Spain)
How were the nobility a threat to Elizabeth’s religious settlement? What did Elizabeth do about this?
- a large proportion of the nobility were still Catholic. The compromises in the religious settlement won some of them around, but others refused to attend church services - they were known as recusants.
- the Catholic nobility was influential in areas outside the south-east, but especially Lancashire. They used their strong local power bases to protect Catholics and maintain their traditional religious practices
- these Catholic nobles posed a potential threat to the religious settlement - there was a risk that they might try to overthrow Elizabeth and restore Catholicism
- to minimize this threat, Elizabeth did not force the Catholic nobility to attend church services. As long as they didn’t make a public show of their beliefs, they were allowed to continue practising Catholicism.
- However the threat posed by the Catholic nobility became more serious when Mary, Queen of Scots (a Catholic claimant to the English throne) arrived in England in 1568.
How much of a threat were France and Spain to Elizabeth’s religious settlement?
- There was a risk that the Catholic rulers of France or Spain might try to reverse the religious settlement and replace Elizabeth with a Catholic monarch. However, neither country was really in a position to challenge the religious settlement during the 1560s
- The threat of a French invasion was serious in the first years of Elizabeth’s reign, but faded with the start of the Wars of Religion in 1562.
- In the 1560s, Spain was facing a growing revolt in the Netherlands. To prevent an alliance forming between England and the Protestant Netherlands, Spain tried to stay on good terms with Elizabeth and avoided challenging her religious settlement
- The Catholic aspects of the settlement encouraged Catholic countries and the Pope to think that Elizabeth might eventually return to Catholicism. This helped to reduce the threat of a foreign challenge during the early years of the settlement
what were the French wars of religion? When did they start and when did they end? what were the consequences?
The French Wars of Religion began in 1562 and continued until 1598. This long period of civil war between Catholics and Protestants weakened France and largely removed the threat of a French invasion for the rest of the 16th century
Was the Pope a threat to the Religious Settlement? Did he actually do anything to hinder it?
- the Pope had the power to excommunicate Elizabeth (expel her from the Catholic Church). This might encourage Catholic countries to invade England. It could also encourage rebellion at home by releasing Elizabeth’s Catholic subjects from their duty of loyalty to her
- However, neither France nor Spain had the military resources to invade England, and there was no clear support for a revolt against Elizabeth at home, so the Pope didn’t take any action against her in the 1560s
Who was Mary, Queen of Scots? Why was she a threat to Elizabeth?
- Mary was the only child of James V of Scotland. She was related to the Tudors through her grandmother, Margaret Tudor. Margaret was Henry VIII’s sister, the wife of James IV and mother of James V
- as a granddaughter of Margaret Tudor, Mary had a strong claim to the English throne. Because Mary was a Catholic, her claim was supported by many English Catholics
- Mary became queen of Scotland in 1542 when she was just six days old. Hew mother acted as regent while Mary was raised in France
- In 1558, when Mary was 15 years old, she married the heir to the French throne. However, her husband died suddenly in 1560, and Mary returned to Scotland
- Mary wanted to be named as heir to the English throne, but Elizabeth was unwilling to do this. She feared that making Mary her heir would encourage Catholic plots, both at home and abroad, to overthrow her and make Mary queen.
Describe the circumstances leading to Mary fleeing to England in 1568
- In 1565 Mary married the Scottish nobleman Lord Darnley. The marriage was not a happy one. Darnley hated Mary’s personal secretary, David Rizzio, and became convinced that the two were having an affair. In 1566 a group of Scottish nobles, accompanied by Darnley, stabbed Rizzio to death
- In 1567, Darnley was murdered. Many people believed that Mary and her close friend, the Earl of Bothwell, were behind the murder. Their suspicions seemed to be confirmed when Mary married Bothwell a few months later
- Their marriage was unpopular with the Scottish nobles, who rebelled against Mary. They imprisoned her and forced her to abdicate (give up the throne) in favour of her one-year-old son, James. (however some people (including Elizabeth) thought that the Scottish nobles had no right to overthrow Mary. As a result, they didn’t accept her abdication, and still viewed her as the legitimate queen of Scotland). In 1568, Mary escaped from prison and raised an army. Her forces were defeated in battle and she fled south to England.
What did Mary ask Elizabeth to do after she fled to england? Did Elizabeth do this?
Mary hoped that Elizabeth would help her regain control of Scotland. Elizabeth was not willing to do this - Mary’s claim to the English throne meant that there would be a constant threat of invasion from the north if Mary regained power in Scotland
what did Elizabeth do when Mary arrived in England?
She had Mary imprisoned and set up an inquiry to investigate whether she had been involved in Darnley’s murder.
what was the outcome of Elizabeth’s inquiry into whether Mary had been involved in Darnley’s murder? What had Elizabeth wanted the outcome to be? What evidence was presented at the inquiry?
- Elizabeth didn’t want the inquiry to find Mary guilty. A guilty verdict would lend support to the actions of the Scottish nobles, who had overthrown Mary, their legitimate queen. However, she didn’t want a non-guilty verdict either, because this would force her to release Mary. Once free, Mary might use her claim to the English throne to try and overthrow Elizabeth.
- the so-called ‘Casket Letters’ were presented to the inquiry. They included several letters apparently written by Mary to Bothwell, which implicated the pair in Darnley’s murder. Mary’s supporters insisted that the letters were forgeries, but most members of the inquiry believed they were genuine
- However, in the end, the inquiry didn’t reach a verdict - this enabled Elizabeth to keep Mary in captivity. Elizabeth hoped that imprisoning Mary would prevent her becoming the centre of Catholic plots, but Mary’s presence caused problems for Elizabeth throughout the next 20 years
describe a threat to Elizabeth during the 1570s and 1580s
during the 1570s and 1580s, there were several Catholic plots to assassinate Elizabeth and replace her with Mary. The plots involved European conspirators and were supported by France, Spain and the Pope
describe the events of the Ridolfi plot
- Roberto di Ridolfi was an Italian banker who had played a small part in the Revolt of the Northern Earls. In 1571 he used his Catholic contacts in England and Europe to develop a plot to overthrow Elizabeth
- Ridolfi planned to assassinate Elizabeth, then marry Mary to the Duke of Norfolk and make her Queen. He was supported by the Pope, and by King Philip II, who agreed to provide troops for a Spanish invasion
- The plot failed, largely because Elizabeth’s allies passed the names of the main conspirators to her. They also intercepted letters sent by Mary, which implicated her and Norfolk in the plot
- Norfolk was arrested and executed. Mary was not punished, although her supervision was made tighter
when was the Ridolfi plot?
1571
when was the Duke of Norfolk arrested and executed?
after the Ridolfi plot
give 3 reasons why the Catholic plots pose a real threat to Elizabeth
- Mary’s presence in England and her strong claim to the throne made the plots seem credible and meant that they posed a real threat to Elizabeth’s rule. Many people were afraid that they would be successful
- as the head of the Catholic Church, the Pope could rally support for the plots. For some Catholics, obedience to the Pope was more important than obedience to Elizabeth
- Foreign powers, especially France and Spain, were involved in the plots, so there was a danger they would lead to a foreign invasion
give three weaknesses of the Catholic plots
- Elizabeth was a popular ruler and the conspirators lacked public support. As the failure of the Revolt of the Norther Earls had shown, there was little appetite in England for a Catholic revolution
- Philip II was reluctant to destroy his alliance with Elizabeth. As a result, his support for the Catholic plots was half-hearted - although he promised to help the conspirators, he rarely followed through on his promises
- Elizabeth’s informants, and later Walsingham’s highly efficient spy network, ensured that the plots were uncovered before they were fully developed
What was the relationship between England and Spain like initially, and why?
- King Philip II of Spain had been married to Queen Mary I of England, and the two countries had fought together against France in the 1550s. The war with France ended in 1559, but Elizabeth and Philip tried to maintain good relations with each other
- Spain’s military and naval forces were much greater than England’s, so Elizabeth was always reluctant to do anything that might destroy her alliance with Philip or lead to war with Spain
why/how did tensions start to rise between England and Spain?
- Spain was a great imperial power. In Europe, Philip ruled Spain, the Netherlands and parts of Italy. He also had a large empire in North and South America. In 1581, Philip became king of Portugal. This gave him control of the important Atlantic port of Lisbon, as well as Portugal’s overseas empire. By the 1570s, England was starting to have ambitions for an empire of its own, and hoped to become an imperial power to rival Spain
- Philip was a very devout Catholic and dislike the Elizabethan religious settlement of 1559. He became involved in several Catholic plots against Elizabeth in the 1570s and 1580s, although his involvement in these plots was mostly reluctant and half-hearted
- The Ridolfi Plot of 1571 damaged Elizabeth’s trust in Philip and made her more willing to support the activities of English privateers
why was there commercial rivalry between England and spain in the Spanish Netherlands?
English exports to Europe were vital to the English economy. Many English goods reached the European market via Dutch ports, especially Antwerp (which was in the Netherlands in the 16th century). Because Spain ruled the Netherlands, Philip could limit English access to these vital Dutch ports
give an event that is an example of commercial rivalry in the spanish Netherlands
in 1568, Spanish ships laden with gold bullion took refuge in English ports to escape bad weather. Elizabeth seized the gold for herself, which enraged Philip. In response, Philip seized English ships in Antwerp and banned English trade with the Netherlands for a time. This damaged England’s economy and caused much hardship for the English people
explain why the privateers traded illegally with Spanish colonies in the New World, and why Elizabeth encouraged them
- Trade with Spain’s colonies in North and South America was very profitable, but foreigners weren’t allowed to trade with them unless they had a licence. Very few Englishmen were granted licences
- Elizabeth encouraged privateers to trade illegally with Spanish colonies, raid Spanish ships and attack the treasure fleets carrying gold and silver from the Americas to Spain. Because the privateers were supposedly independent, Elizabeth could deny any responsibility for their activities. This helped to prevent open conflict with Philip
- Elizabeth received a share of the privateers’ profits. Given England’s financial weakness (due to Mary’s overspending and the war with France), this was a very important source of income for her. The treasure she received from Drake in 1580 was worth more than all the rest of her income for that year put together
4/ The Ridolfi Plot of 1571 damaged Elizabeth’s trust in Philip and made her more willing to support the activities off English privateers
who were privateers?
men who sailed their own vessels (basically pirates)
who was Francis Drake? What did he do?
Francis Drake was a leading privateer. He was involved in several expeditions in the New World in the late 1560s and 1570s. Between 1577 and 1580 Drake sailed around the world. He carried out a number of raids on Spanish settlements andd ships, returning with huge amounts of treasure.
were Dudley’s campaigns in the Netherlands successful?
no
who was appointed to lead the military expedition to the netherlands?
Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester
Which position did Robert Dudley accept when he arrived in the Netherlands? Why was this a mistake?
He accepted the position of Governor-General. This was a serious mistake - it suggested that Elizabeth had taken control of the Netherlands for herself, which risked provoking Philip even further. Elizabeth forced Dudley to resign the position immediately
