Elizabeth book 3 Flashcards
Somerset was a successful ruler
- he had support when he became Lord Protector in 1547.
- he was the king’s maternal uncle no claim
- he had military experience Pinkie went well
- traditional view: he refused to allow torture and burnings. He had a progressive social policy-fixed rent and abolish enclosure
- Jordan: “high idealism” “the age of the good duke”
- when he did fall from power it was bloodless
Somerset was an unsuccessful ruler
- made himself a duke-considered an upstart
- he failed to rule through the privy council (only day-today admin) opted for his own household seen as autocratic and arrogant over used proclamations
- ignored HVIII’s will: wanted a balanced council
- crippling Scottish war should have stooped when MQS left Scotland failing undermined his authority
- debasement, selling crown lands, high interest:weakened finances
- laws passed against vagrancy were too harsh
- liberal reforms such as the repeal of the treason act allowed debate and undermined changes
- couldn’t control his own brother
- policy over enclosure which was in favour of commoners annoyed nobility
- even the moderate religious reforms caused problems
- Gentry believed he was too soft to rebels
- failed to prevent a plot against him
- even the young king lost confidence in him
- 19/29 in the council said :”malice and evil”
- Bush and Loach: arrogant personally obnoxious domineering tactless
Somerset as a ruler
-reached quasi-royal powers
-No difference to HVIII in term of admin real difference no string leader
-Problems: bound to HVIII’s wish to marry MQS and Ed
religion mounting pressure for further reform
-bankrupt
-social problems: increasing inflation and bad harvests
-seen as progressive for removing heresy laws-really he did it for popularity
-reason act created debate but also disorder
-why was gov bad? autocratic rule, personality, focus on scotland.
Northumberland was an unsuccessful ruler?
- “unprincipled gang of politicians” Hoskins
- “evil statesman” Weir
- gave up Boulonge
- manipulated the king over the succession
- didn’t fix the economy
Northumberland was a successful ruler?
- able politician removed the conservatives from PC had a majority in the PC
- could be ruthless in dealing with opposition
- Lord President of the council sounds democratic
- with cranmer’s help had control over the King’s household
- 1551 became Duke
- kept the PC at the centre of gov
- had a firm grip on PC he controlled the agenda
- took difficult decisions eg allowed radical religious change and gave up Bolounge
- financial policies worked debasement and church lands gave him the cash he needed then cut spending
- he was a talented chief executive (loades)-delegated to those with talent
- New Poor Law was good
- no more rebellions
- used fewer proclamations
- worked with edward
- Loades “skilful and honest”
- Hoak: “remarkably able”
Traditional view of Mary
- Elton: “arrogant, assertive, bigoted, stubborn, suspicious and stupid”
- she found it hard to trust englishmen
- her council was too big
- she didn’t trust the privy council -she preferred to listen to her Spanish man
- inability to produce an heir
- was dragged into a humiliating war with France and lost calais
- her persecution of protestants was unsuccessful and unpopular.
revisionist view of Mary
- in times of crisis she was a strong leader eg LJG and Wyatt
- she restored RC
- she married Philip
- she kept skilled moderates on her council eg Paget?
- Gardiner and Paget did work together
- Council worked effectively and dealt with issues eg poor harvests and handled the marriage
- there were debates over religion but the changes were passed
- Mary used compromise to achieve her RC aims
- marriage treaty safeguarded England’s interests
- use of Exchequer etc sensible religious changes
- customs rates were brought into line with inflation and a new book of rates
- survey of crown lands-sensible rents
- removed a huge amount of debasement
- improved navy
- the government did try to reduce suffering
- Titler: “many of the marian legacies have been held up as accomplishments of Elizabethan rule”
- Loades “the country was well governed”
yes a midtudor crisis
tittler: “deep religious divides…mary’s polices exacerbated”
Loades: “inherited serious problems”
Haigh: “lose of calais undermined the government’s prestige and authority”
no mid tudor crisis
Hoak: “the significance of his administrative achievements”
the religious roller-coaster
Somerset and Cranmer: moderate protestantism (1549 prayer book had ambiguity) (removed treason act) (priests allowed to marry) (repeal of the 6 articles)
Northumberland and Cranmer: proper protestantism (1552 prayer book radical man) (Black rubric over the real presence) (42 articles)
Mary: RC (papal supremacy) (undo all edwards) (burnings)
Elizabeth: mod protestant (act of supremacy) (act of uniformity) (jewel’s aplogy) (parker’s advertisements) (1559 prayer book (1552 with mods))
there was a crisis/revolutionary over religion
ed: 6 articles, 1549 prayer book-rebellions Northumberland more radical 42 articles and 1552 prayer book black rubric lady jane grey. Began with HVIII so not radical and crisis exaggeration Somerset bad but other motives
mary: elton: bigoted etc wyatt rebellion burnings foxe’s book of martyrs. huge chnage but via parliament and not as many as else where
no crisis/revolutionary over religion
E:started in 1529 via parliament not killing rebellions had other motives (fletcher and western) english bibles popular indifference
M:duffy popular return to the old ways
sensible compromise not that many killings
Elizabeth’s religious settlement
- took over in 1558
- over all royal supremacy was accepted willingness to follow e in charge no papal
- gentry mattered-commoners would follow the gentry
- indifference bar radicals
- Turvey “inherited a turbulent situation”
- compromise prayer book 1552 with mods
- act of uniformity compromise
Spain and the Netherlands on
- Glory
- Defence
- Religion
- Trade
-Glory: greater focus on defence(spain is a superpower) no resources reactive policy not trying to make gains very weak army no modern weapons. nobility and council want glory and a protestant fp. already lost calais (cateau cambresis and troyes)
-defence: anlgo spanish quarrel over Netherlands not the west indies origins in the duke of alava arriving in brussels in 1567: Wernham e sent troops not to win but to protect her interests MQS wanted the Netherlands to remain spanish not french but the french intervene had to keep an eye on anjou must aviod war
1582 subsidise anjou make sure help rebels not challenge spanish sov pays german mercenaries tries to avoid war parama very sucessful 1585:nosuch proetect protestants challenge spain
religion: didn’t want a religious foreign policy her parliament etc did
worried by the catholic league pressure to protect protestants-hugoenots and netherlands
trade: 1563 trade embargo with netherlands 1568 stops
trade was slowing anyway
-piravtes drake-e knighted him pissed off the french
weakness of RC sems mission
- gov was out to get them
- lack of safehouses
- no real organisation
- small area
- concentrated on the converted
jesuits mission
hardline oath to the pope
aim get RCs to be recusants
set up safehouses and aimed the gentry with the money and influence to protect them
catholics and the armada
1587 MQS executed
1588 spanish armada Pope backed it William Allen encouraged a rebellion
most didn’t
the later years of RC rebellion
secular priests wanted to support the Q but Jesuits wanted no compromise
1594 william allen died replaced by an unpopular chap
Key facts about the puritans
- they don’t rebel they’re waiting for the time to come
- the problem increases with the catholic threat
- Elizabeth finishing line puritans starting tape
- big problem over thing like vestments which are adiaphora (the queen p’s choice)
- they get jobs in the church and are able to keep them because there aren’t many alternatives and at least they’re enthusiastic
- apart from separatists they’re all loyal to E
Puritan campaign: reforms within the church 1560s
Remove everything catholic such as vestments
Government response: parker’s advertisement do it or you get deprived
Seriousness of threat: easily crushed by bishops
Puritan campaign: prophesying
Puritan domination and they use it to attack the settlement and to try to spark greater change within the church
Government response: under Parker tries to stop but however grinal thinks its a good think and tells Elizabeth to stop getting involved
Seriousness: they are challenging her authority as supreme governor replaces grindal with whitgift
Puritan campaign: reform through parliament
(At the time when the catholic threat is growing thereis demand for further reform and they see it as the duty of parliament to deal with it)
They think they should be able to change things via parliament however the gov thinks things should only be changed via the bishops
Alphabet laws are an attempt to do so
Government response: no religious change in parliament church/bishops make the religious changes and she has her people in parliament to fight her case
Seriousness: doesn’t stop them and they continue to try and pass laws for change, growing confidence to challenge the monarchy
