elizabeth part 1 Flashcards
when did Elizabeth reign?
1558-1603
who was Elizabeth’s mother?
Anne Boleyn
how old was Elizabeth when she became queen?
25
are the royal court and the government the same thing?
no
what was the royal court?
it was made up by all the officials, servants and advisors that surrounded Elizabeth. it was the centre of power but also the source of the latest fashion trends. it included the privy council but not the justices of peace and parliament
what was the government?
it was made up of the queen and her closest advisors, usually privy councillors but always men whom she trusted
what were lord lieutenants?
they were people appointed by the queen to run a particular area of the country, and raise a militia to fight for the queen if needed. many also served on the privy council
what was the patronage?
land, titles, or power given to an individual’s support, eg Elizabeth would award monopolies in exchange for obedience and support
what were justices of the peace?
they were people responsible for maintaining order and enforcing the law. there were several in each county
what was the parliament?
made up of the house of lords and house of commons, they had influence over tax and responsible for passing laws. the queen could choose when to call on the parliament and could ignore their advice
what were the privy council?
they were responsible for the day-to-day running of the country; the queen could appoint them, but mostly had to choose the most powerful land owners to maintain order. there were 19 privy councillors and they met every day
who led the privy council?
the secretary of state
who were two powerful figures who served as secretary of state?
William Cecil and Francis Walsingham
what happened in 1562 to Elizabeth?
she almost dies of small
pox, so senior figures were keen on her finding a husband so there was someone to succeed her
why was succession a problem for Elizabeth?
she had no husband and no children, so she had no heir. this meant it was unclear who would succeed her, and in the past this situation had led to violent struggles for power
who had the support of the pope?
catholic countries like France and Spain. they wanted influence over England and there was a very high threat of invasion
in which country (other than England) was there tension between protestants and catholics?
the Netherlands. the protestant population was unhappy with the catholic Spanish rule, and Elizabeth had to decide whether or not to get involved
who was next in line to the throne and why was it a threat to Elizabeth?
Mary, Queen of Scots - Elizabeth’s Catholic cousin. many Catholics saw her as an alternative Queen of England
what had the Tudor’s change in official religion (multiple times) caused?
instability and conflict
why did some Catholics claim that Elizabeth had no right to the throne?
because they didn’t think Henry’s marriage to Anne Boleyn (her mother) was legitimate
what was puritism?
an extreme form of protestantism
why were puritans seen as a threat?
there were a number of puritans who had hoped to take control of Elizabeth’s church and make it more extreme, which threatened the religious settlement
why did Elizabeth need to raise the taxes?
the country was short of money
why was raising taxes unpopular?
poverty was widespread and many were not able to pay
what happened in 1559?
a major revolt in Ireland
what were the pros of marriage for Elizabeth?
it would create an alliance with a foreign country/guarantee the loyalty of a powerful English family
what were the cons of marriage for Elizabeth?
Elizabeth would lose authority and independence
giving birth was risky
the marriages she had seen growing up were bad (her father’s, her mother’s, her sister’s)
Elizabeth was able to use the possibility of marriage to her advantage when dealing with foreign leaders
who were three potential suitors?
Francis, duke of Anjou and Alencon
King Philip II of Spain
Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester
who was Francis of Anjou?
the brother of the French King and Heir to the throne
how old was Elizabeth when a marriage to Francis of Anjou was proposed, and why was this a problem?
she was 46, so she couldn’t have children, and a childless marriage could result in England falling under French control
what religion was Francis of Anjou?
Catholic
were important figures in Elizabeth’s court in support of a marriage to Francis of Anjou?
no
who was King Philip of Spain?
the king of Spain and one of the most wealthy and powerful men in the world
who had King Philip been married to previously?
Elizabeth’s sister, Mary
what religion was King Philip?
catholic
who was Robert Dudley?
A childhood friend of Elizabeth and a favourite of hers throughout her reign. he was a key figure in the royal court and a privy councillor
why was Elizabeth not able to marry Robert Dudley?
his wife had died (suspiciously) and the scandal around her death meant it was impossible for Elizabeth to marry him
who made up the parliament?
consisted of lords, bishops, and other nobles who sat in the house of lords, and ‘commoners’ (MPs) who sat in the house of commons
what did Elizabeth ban the parliament from speaking about?
finding her a husband
what religion were the majority of the parliament?
protestants
which MP was arrested 3 times during Elizabeth’s reign?
Peter Wentworth
why was Peter Wentworth arrested?
he argued that MPs should be able to speak on any matter
did other MPs support Peter Wentworth?
some did, some didn’t. one of his arrests was organised by a fellow MP to demonstrate loyalty to the Queen
when was the poor law passes?
1601
who was the sweet wine monopoly given to?
the Earl of Essex
which MP criticised that monopolies were unfair?
Robert Bell, and other MPs supported him in calling for change
what important speech did Elizabeth give to Parliament in 1601?
she gave a speech that cleverly gave the impression that she was going to make major changes to how monopolies worked without promising very much
who did the parliament and privy council persuade Elizabeth to execute and why?
Mary Queen of Scots, because she was a threat to Elizabeth’s rule
how did Elizabeth manage parliament?
she made her authority clear through her words and actions (arresting MPs), she could dismiss parliament and appoint new members to the house of lords, it was the Privy council’s job to make sure her wishes were clear to parliament
when did the Earl of Essex join the privy council?
1595
what was the earl of Essex’s name?
Robert Devereux
who did the Earl of Essex have a rivalry with?
Robert Cecil
what did Essex do that pleased the Queen in 1596?
he attacked the Spanish port of Cadiz
why was Essex placed under house arrest?
at a privy council meeting he got in an argument with the Queen. He turned his back on her and she hit him on the side of the head. he was about to draw his sword but the other privy councillors stopped him
where was Essex sent to deal with a rebellion?
Ireland
was Essex successful with stopping the Irish rebels?
no, he failed to defeat the rebels and agreed to a truce, which was against the Queen’s orders
what did Essex do after returning to England from Ireland?
he rushed to the Queen’s chambers and found her without a wig
why did Essex lose much of his wealth and influence?
he fell from the Queen’s favour and she did not renew his monopoly on sweet wine
when did the Essex’s rebellion happen?
February 1601
what happened in Essex’s rebellion?
he took 4 privy councillors hostage and marched them to his London house with 200 supporters. Robert Cecil called him a traitor and many of Essex’s supporters left, while some panicked and released the hostages without permission
what happened to Essex after his rebellion?
he was arrested
what was Essex put on trial for?
treason, he was sentenced to death
what was one of the other rebels that Essex named during his trial?
his sister, Penelope
when was Essex executed?
25th February 1601
what happened to Essex’s supporters?
most were fined, but some were also executed
what was the order of the chain of being?
God, the Queen/monarchy, the Nobility, the Gentry, the Peasantry, animals and plants
who were the nobility?
the most powerful and wealthy, their titles were passes from father to son, they held the most senior positions eg privy councillors
who were the gentry?
they were often wealthy landowners, held important roles e.g. JP, might be richer than nobles but still had a lower place in society
who were the peasantry?
the poorest members of society, farm labourers, they often struggled for work
what were some of the causes of the rise of the Gentry class?
the Elizabethan era brought more stability and people could make money from trade and fill positions of powers (e.g. becoming MPs or Justices of the Peace)
who was Bess of Hardwick?
Elizabeth Shrewsbury
when was Hardwick Hall built?
between 1590 and 1597
why was Hardwick Hall built?
for the Bess of Hardwick to demonstrate her wealth and power
what were some features of the houses of the nobility and gentry?
- the purpose was no longer for defence but a way to show off
- they were usually symmetrical
- had open courtyards unlike the closed, secure ones of the past
- used lots of expensive glass (mullioned lead windows)
- there was more privacy as there were more rooms
who was an example of a popular actor at the time?
Richard Burbage
what was Shakespeare’s and Burbage’s acting troupe?
the Lord Chamberlain’s Men
what were acting companies named after?
the people who funded the company (the patron)
what was being a patron useful for?
impressing the Queen
did the Queen like theatre?
yes
where did the rich sit in the theatres?
the galleries; seated covered areas
what were the Gentleman’s rooms?
balconies on either side, seats at around 4 pence
what was the back wall of the stage called?
the Frons Scenae
where did ordinary people sit at the theatre?
the pit, where they would often heckle the actors, and were completely open to the weather
where would actors put on their atire?
the tiring room
what were the most expensive seats at the theatre?
the Lord’s room; sometimes used by the actors and musicians during the performance, often called the Juliet Balcony)
what was the roof over the stage at the theatre often called?
the ‘heavens’
when did performances generally start?
3:00pm
what was going to the theatres for the rich an opportunity to do?
show off how cultured they were
why was the theatre so popular?
- affordable
- new and exciting
- entertaining
- contemporary and relevant to the time
what were the oppositions to the theatre?
- puritans saw it as a distraction from prayer
- some thought it was sinful
- there were concerns that large gatherings could spread disease
- theatres were dangerous places where there was drunkenness, crime, and other immoral behaviour
what blood sports remained popular during Elizabethan times?
dog fighting and bear baiting
were the majority rich or poor?
a small minority was rich, the majority remained poor
in what areas were there accomplishments during Elizabethan times?
art, exploration, theatre, buildings, literature, education, science and technology, peace power and pride
did the poor get an education?
no
were girls allowed to get an education?
some rich girls were
what term was used for the spreading of the message that the Elizabethan era was a golden age?
Gloriana
