Elizabeth I Flashcards
Sum up Elizabeth’s character in three words?
shrewd; sophisticated/well-educated; survivor
What key problems did Elizabeth inherit from her half-sister Mary I?
religious division; economic issues; war with France
What were Elizabeth’s three early aims for her reign?
Consolidate her power; religious compromise; resolve Calais.
What early political steps did Elizabeth take to consolidate her position as queen and what was the significance/impact of each? [3 areas - appointments, customs and coronation]
Appointments – William Cecil, kept others waiting to ensure loyalty
Customs – showed herself at the Tower of London, encouraged pageants
Coronation – swift and within 2 months.
From which people/groups did Elizabeth receive early acknowledgement/support for her position as queen? [3 people/groups]
Mary I on her deathbed; Mary I’s minister; Phillip II of Spain.
Why did Elizabeth want to change the country’s religion yet again? [3 reasons]
Her claim to the throne was based on the Break with Rome and the Reformation (allowed Henry VIII to marry her mother, Anne Boleyn)
Her Protestant beliefs
Wanted to show a break with her sister’s reign and stability
What were the three main laws of her Religious Settlement and what did each put into action?
Act of Supremacy; gov of church, visitations
Act of Uniformity; mass meaning
Royal Injunctionspilgramages relics
What concessions did Elizabeth make to Catholics as part of her Religious Settlement? Why did she do this
Although Prayer Book based on 1553 Book of Edward VI’s reign, allowed more flexible interpretation of the Eucharist (bread and wine)
Supreme Governor of Church
Latin allowed for Requiem Service
How did the Religious Settlement help to consolidate Elizabeth’s position in her early reign?
Allowed a compromise which moderates on both sides could accept
Less likely to rebel / to be enforced – visitations and fines.
What was the impact of her Religious Settlement in the short-term?
General acceptance/conformity
What issue did the Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis of 1559 resolve? How did this help Elizabeth to consolidate her position?
Issue of Calais. Brought peace with France and reduced expense.
Why did Elizabeth get involved with Scotland? [think situation in Scotland as well as Cecil]
Growing French influence (Mary Queen of Scots married to King of France)
Request for help from Scottish Protestants – Lords of Congregation
Cecil persuaded her to get involved.
What was the nature of English involvement?
Money and weapons initially
Navy sent, then army.
What was the outcome?
Siege a deadlock, but then storms caught the French ships. Mary of Guise also died as did the King of France.
Protestant Lords of Congregation became rulers of Scotland. Mary Queen of Scots returned but not powerful.
How did the outcome help consolidate Elizabeth’s position as queen? [2 reasons]
Protestant neighbours – reduced threat from France
Mary Queen of Scots (next in line to English throne) reduced in influence.
Why did Elizabeth then get involved with France?
French Protestants (Huguenots) asked for help in their war against French Catholics.
Dudley persuaded her.
What was the nature of English involvement?
Sent army under Dudley
What was the outcome?
Both Protestant and Catholic sides lost their leaders – stalemate.
What impact did the outcome have on Elizabeth’s position as queen?
Broke Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis so lost Calais for good.
Not keen to get involved in other foreign conflicts.
What issues did Elizabeth inherit from Mary I?
Debasement, sweating sickness & poor harvest caused population reduction
In terms of her consolidation of power, why was it important to tackle these issues?
Stability/reduced risk of rebellion.
What steps did central government take to tackle the issues? [currency, Poor Relief & Artificers]
Currency re-minted
Poor Relief attempted across county
Statute of Artificer – attempted to control/limit wages and terms for apprentices
How successful were they at tackling the issues in terms of impact?
Local issues more successful
Statute hard to enforce across country
Currency more stable.
What evidence can historians use to argue that the mid-Tudor Crisis carried on into Elizabeth’s early reign?
No early marriage or heir to secure succession. Young, female queen
Religious and economic issues
What evidence can be used to argue the situation had stabilised?
Religious and economic issues being dealt with
No rebellion
Power consolidated
What were the main components of central Elizabethan government?
Court;
(Privy) Council;
Parliament;
Household and Privy Chamber;
Chancery and courts.
What was factional rivalry?
Rival groups in a wider political body.
Who did the factions generally surround at the beginning and then end of the reign?
William Cecil (later Lord Burghley) vs Robert Dudley (Earl of Leicester); Robert Cecil vs Robert Devereux (Earl of Essex).
What key issues divided the Council into factions?
Mary Queen of Scots; marriage; support for Dutch Protestants; War with Spain
How did Elizabeth I control her Council?
Patronage; participated in discussions; kept notes; consulted others; displayed anger and affection; stalling for time e.g. 7 years to get involved with Netherlands.
What examples were there that Elizabeth I was not in control of her Council ministers?
Manipulated by W Cecil to support Protestant Lords of Congregation in Scotland;
persuaded by Dudley to support French Huguenots;
MQS death warrant sent without her final permission;
1590s more rivalry and old ministers dead;
Essex Rebellion.
When did she deal very firmly with her ministers?
Execution of Duke of Norfolk and Earl of Essex; Davison punished for MQS.
How many times did Parliament meet during Elizabeth I’s reign?
13 times in 44 years