ELIZABETH I ESSAY PLANS Flashcards
NAME THREE FACTORS:
“Elizabeth’s foreign policy towards Spain was always weak and unconvincing.”
- Military (Spanish and English)
- Raids and Attacks
- Foreign Diplomacy
“Elizabeth’s foreign policy towards Spain was always weak and unconvincing.”
For / Military
Military factor (For)
-Spanish losses based on luck: wind changed direction on 9th August 1588 which caused the scattering and destruction of Spanish vessels.
-Spanish forces led by the Duke of Medina Sidonia who had never led a naval force before and was widely inexperienced. He was unaware of the shallow waters in NL.
-Storms occurred in 1597 which completely disrupted the two planned invasions, causing hundreds of Shipwrecks; Phillip II bankrupted and dying
“Elizabeth’s foreign policy towards Spain was always weak and unconvincing.”
Against / Military
-Elizabeth had concocted a fleet of well-equipped ships that could be reloaded incredibly efficiently; especially with mention of the English explorers such as Frobisher, Raleigh, Drake and Hawkins, the ships were well-prepared to withstand hard oceans.
-Elizabeth had great commanders like Raleigh: 1587 attack on Cadiz left 23/27 Spanish ships gone. Over 1000 Spaniards died in the war, only 50 British died.
“Elizabeth’s foreign policy towards Spain was always weak and unconvincing.”
For / Raids
-John Hawkins killed during a Spanish raid in San Juan de Ulua in 1595 near Veracruz, Mexico.
“Elizabeth’s foreign policy towards Spain was always weak and unconvincing.”
Against / Raids
-Successful raids led by Francis Drake in South America - captured bay of Nombre de Dios in Panama and gained 40,000 worth of Spanish silver
-Funded Drake’s expedition in 1577 and he captured a Spaniard ship and came away with 400,000 worth of treasure
“Elizabeth’s foreign policy towards Spain was always weak and unconvincing.”
For / Foreign diplomacy
-Treaty of Joinville 1584 consolidated a relationship between the Catholic French Guise family and Spain, which could prove incredibly dangerous as this could ignite a foreign revolution
-Treaty of Nonsuch 1585 had limited success as the English troops who arrived in NL were poorly trained, disciplined and alienated Dutch - had little in common with their plight and were only instructed to be there due to the anti-Spain sentiment
-Henri IV of France in 1589 was a Huguenot, which gave Elizabeth false hopes that he could prove a potential ally however by 1592 he was Catholic.
-English leaders William Stanley and Rowland Yorke deserted the English cause for the Duke of Parma
“Elizabeth’s foreign policy towards Spain was always weak and unconvincing.”
Against / Foreign Diplomacy
-Treaty of Nonsuch 1585 proved that Elizabeth could still make strategic alliances, and in turn was not fighting a two-front war which would indefinitely strain English resources.
-Appointment of Francis Vere in 1587 was successful as he forged a positive relationship with Maurice of Nassau, and was able to make some strategic gains against the Duke of Parma (relationship consolidated in further battles such as Nieupoort)
“English people benefited little from the reign of Elizabeth”.
Social - Benefits
-Multiple new urban settlements set up from 1560-1600; London grew in 120,000 which influenced Plymouth and Manchester to do the same
-Poor Law of 1576 created a social system of care and enforced a duty upon JPs to take care of local poor.
-Poor law of 1601 created a system of almshouses to care for the impotent poor, a system that stayed in place for 250 years
“English people benefited little from the reign of Elizabeth”.
Economic - Benefits
-Following on from 1555 Muscovy company: 1581 Turkey company merging with Venice to form 1592 Levant company optimising trade w the Ottomans.
-Statute of Artificers in 1563 enforced a system of regionalised minimum wage, enlisting pauper minors into seven year apprenticeships
“English people benefited little from the reign of Elizabeth”.
Social - Disadvantages
-Towns were declining, such as Stamford and Winchester; Salisbury population dropped by 1/7th from 1520-1600 demonstrating the devastating effects of the plague and the harvest failures
-Estimates that 20% of harvests failed with four catastrophic successive harvest failures 1594-97 causing food riots in East Anglia, London, SE and the midlands
“English people benefited little from the reign of Elizabeth”.
Economic - Disadvantages
-Collapse of the cloth industry catalysed the problems faced along the east and south coast + symbolic failure of the collapse of England’s largest industry caused an uprising in London
-Trade embargo with Netherlands 1563-1564 and 1568-1573 caused foreign tensions and worsened problems of unemployment
“How far were the problems of poverty successfully addressed in Elizabeth’s reign?”
Factor 1 - Poor Laws
-1576 Poor Law addressed the issues of poverty and categorised poor into strata; this shows E1 was active about addressing poverty in a constructive way
-1598/1601 poor laws sorted out almshouses/poorhouses as charitable accommodation
-1572 Vagabonds act did not “address” problems - horrific torture set up to punish those deemed “idle” or “vagabonds” as well as not being a legitimate way to solve the problem
“How far were the problems of poverty successfully addressed in Elizabeth’s reign?”
Factor 2 - Control of Inflation
-1561 Elizabeth enlists Gresham to revalue the coinage after two successive debasements under H and Ed, which had catastrophic consequences - generated £50,000
-Revalue not immediately yielding great result due to the strain it caused with merchants and overseas trading.
-Still issues with inflation; 20% of harvests poor, wages dropping uncontrollably (2% of pop owned 50% of land)
“How far were the problems of poverty successfully addressed in Elizabeth’s reign?”
Factor 3 - Work incentives
-1563 Statute of Artifices created system of 7 year apprenticeships for pauper minors, incentivising work
-1576 Minimum wage fixed regionally
-1572+1601 enforced imprisonment and workhouses on those who refused to work (often with dire consequences)
“To what extent did plots and rebellions pose a threat to Elizabeth?”
Factor 1 - Catholics
- Northern Rebellion
-Threat: Made up of northern Earls e.g Westmorland & Northumberland, seized Palatinate of Durham & held mass in Cathedral
-Not a threat: Had 4,600 rebels, completely disorganised + geographically sparse; so close to Scottish marches that London was virtually uneffected - Babington proved that plots were a threat to Elizabeth specificially due to catholics - ended in the 1587 execution of MQoS
