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GCSE History > Elizabeth's Court and Parliament - Elizabethan England > Flashcards

Elizabeth's Court and Parliament - Elizabethan England Flashcards

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1
Q

who was Elizabeth’s mother?

A

Anne Boleyn

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2
Q

who was Elizabeth’s father?

A

Henry VIII

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3
Q

who was the monarch before Elizabeth?

A

Mary I

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4
Q

who was the monarch after Elizabeth?

A

Edward VI

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5
Q

who is Henry VIII?

A
  • in May 1536 when Elizabeth was two and a half her mother was executed
  • Elizabeth rarely saw her father
  • Elizabeth felt immense love for her father
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6
Q

who is Roger Ascham?

A
  • Roger was a Cambridge scholar who tutored Elizabeth
  • by 14, she could speak French, Italian, Spanish and Latin and could read Greek
  • she was good at history and enjoyed writing poetry
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7
Q

who is Catherine Parr?

A
  • a protestant like Elizabeth
  • Catherine got on well with Elizabeth and influenced her religious views and the direction of her education
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8
Q

who is Thomas Seymour?

A
  • he embroiled Elizabeth in her first political crisis
  • he married Catherine Parr
  • rumoured to be flirtatious with Elizabeth which could cause a grave scandal and put Elizabeth’s life in danger
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9
Q

who is Mary I?

A
  • Mary was Elizabeth’s half sister
  • known as ‘bloody Mary’
  • hated Elizabeth because of Anne Boleyn
  • arrested Elizabeth for suspicion of rebellion for two months
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10
Q

who is Edward VI?

A
  • son of Henry VIII and Jame Seymour
  • became king aged 9
  • poverty grew as massive inflation was a problem throughout his reign
  • died at 15 of tuberculosis
  • made Lady Jane Grey his heir on his deathbed
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11
Q

why was marriage a problem for Elizabeth?

A
  • she was unmarried
  • only English queen never to marry
  • there was uncertainty about who would inherit the throne and attacks to overthrow
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12
Q

why was gender a problem for Elizabeth?

A
  • people questioned her ability to rule because she was a woman
  • France and Spain were the most powerful nations and were ruled by Kings
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13
Q

why was legitimacy a problem for Elizabeth?

A
  • she had English parents
  • there was doubt because her father had divorced Catherine of Aragon to marry Anne Boleyn
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14
Q

why were challenges from abroad a problem for Elizabeth?

A
  • were at war with France and they had no allies
  • Marry Queen of Scots had a claim to the throne and was married to the heir of the French throne
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15
Q

why was Elizabeth’s character a problem for her?

A
  • Elizabeth was popular with many people in England
  • one of the most educated women of her generation
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16
Q

why was creating peace a problem for Elizabeth?

A
  • people were living in poverty and liable to rebel
  • there was religious divisions and Elizabeth wanted to turn the country from Catholic to Protestant
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17
Q

why was choosing counselors a problem for Elizabeth?

A
  • her trusted advisors were called the Privy Council
  • she chose 19 men for this
  • her main advisors were: William Cecil, Robert Dudley, Sir Francis Walsingham
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18
Q

why was financial weakness a problem for Elizabeth?

A
  • her government had inherited massive debts from Mary of £250,000 which in present day is £118,427,221
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19
Q

when did Elizabeth come to the throne?

A

1558

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20
Q

who were the possible suitors for Elizabeth?

A
  • Philip II of Spain
  • Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester
  • Duke of Alencon and Anjou
  • Charles of Austria
  • Eric of Sweden
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21
Q

why did people want Elizabeth to marry?

A
  • marriage and succession were clearly tied together
  • any monarch needed an heir and wanted one who would follow their religious policies and put the needs of England first
  • Elizabeth knew she had to investigate marriage and Parliament were keen for her to marry
  • in 1566 she forbid the Parliament from discussing the topic of marriage any further
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22
Q

what were the pros and cons of marrying Philip II of Spain?

A

positives: one of the most powerful and wealthiest men in the wold

negatives: Philip was a Catholic and Elizabeth was a Protestant, he spent little time in England

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23
Q

what were the pros and cons of marrying Robert Dudley?

A

positives: childhood friend, was a key figure in the royal court, wielded great power

negatives: many people rumoured that he killed his wife which would make marriage impossible

24
Q

what were the pros and cons of marrying Duke of Alencon and Anjou?

A

positives: French King’s brother, Francis was heir to throne

negatives: by the time their marriage was considered Elizabeth was 46 and could not have children, Francis was a Catholic, France could take over England

25
Q

what were pros and cons of marrying Charles of Austria?

A

positives: part of one of the most powerful families in Europe (the Hapsburgs) so would present a powerful alliance for Elizabeth and England

negatives: he is a Catholic which would create a lot of problems for Elizabeth

26
Q

what were pros and cons of marrying Eric of Sweden?

A

positives: right religion, could cement an alliance with a powerful Protestant country, intelligent and cultured

negatives: might draw England into Swedish foreign policy too much, he’s engaged in conflict with his own nobility, displays signs of increasing mental instability, eventually murdering one of the noble families opposing him

27
Q

what year did it become clear that Elizabeth would not marry and she became known as the ‘Virgin Queen’

A

1580

28
Q

what are some reasons Elizabeth chose not to marry?

A
  • marrying a foreign prince or king could lead to England falling under their control
  • marrying an Englishman could create problems over who had authority
  • remaining unmarried meant that Elizabeth kept her independence
  • marriage in the 16th century was not a partnership, as the husband legally had authority over the wife, it is possible that Elizabeth did not want to answer to her husband
  • giving birth was risky and often resulted in the death of the mother
  • her sister Mary’s marriage to King Philip of Spain was widely seen as a disaster and failed to produce an heir
29
Q

what advantages did Elizabeth have of not naming a successor too soon?

A
  • stops public from disliking her choice of succession which could cause a rebellion
  • decreases her chances of being assassinated to be overthrown
30
Q

who were potential successors to Elizabeth?

A
  • Catherine Grey
  • Mary Grey
  • Mary Queen of Scots
31
Q

who did Elizabeth choose to be her successor in the end?

A
  • Elizabeth had accepted that James VI of Scotland, who was the son of her dead cousin, Mary Queen of Scots would be King
  • Robert Cecil put steps in place to ensure the smooth transition to James being King
32
Q

what were progresses of Elizabeth’s government system?

A
  • the Royal Court would visit homes of the nobility
  • she was given a magnificent welcome

positives: major public exercises, allowed the Queen to be seen by her subjects, build up a relationship with her people and flatter the nobility she stayed with, allowed the Queen to live in luxury at the expense of her subjects, nobility desperately tried to impress through their extravagance and generosity, removed the court from sweltering capital when the plague was rife, provided time for filthy royal residences to be fumigated

negatives: the Queen did not visit the North, South West or Wales

33
Q

what was the patronage of Elizabeth’s government system?

A
  • the Queen gave particular men important jobs
  • she gave key politicians places at Court

positives: jobs at court were highly sought (brought wealth and prestige), caused intense competition and rivalries between people making everybody loyal to the Queen, made sure the Queen remained at the heart of the political system

negatives: highly corrupt system

34
Q

what was the Monarch’s function in the government?

A
  • monarchs believed they had the right to rule because of the ‘Divine right’
  • Elizabeth made all the most important decisions in the country, deciding if England went to war and when to call or dismiss parliament
  • she took advice from the Parliament and Privy council but she could reject them
  • she could reward people with land, a title or supporting their cause (patronage)
35
Q

why was the Monarch needed in the government?

A
  • the divine right helps Elizabeth prove she deserves to be Monarch
36
Q

what was the Court’s function in government?

A
  • the court was a body of people who lived in, or near, the same palace or house as the monarch
  • the Court was made up of members of the nobility
  • they were the Monarch’s key servants, advisers and friends
  • attending Court required the Monarch’s permission and they were required to entertain and advise the Monarch
  • they could influence and persuade the Monarch to take action in their best interests
37
Q

why was the Court needed in the government?

A
  • it gave Elizabeth a group of people to trust and to take advice from
38
Q

what was the function of the Privy Council in the government?

A
  • the Privy Council was made up of leading advisers, as well as nobles and very senior government officials, like Sir William Cecil
  • there was 19 members of the Privy Council, chosen by the Monarch
  • they met at least 3 times a week and debated current issues and made sure the Monarch’s final decisions were carried out
  • they monitored the Justices of Peace, influenced Parliament and kept law and order
39
Q

why was the Privy Council needed in the government?

A
  • they support Elizabeth by looking after the Parliament and maintaining law and order
40
Q

what was the function of the Secretary of State in the government?

A
  • Elizabeth’s most important member of the Privy Council was her Secretary of State
  • Sir William Cecil held the position from 1573 and was later named Lord Burghley
  • the Secretary advised the Queen on matters important to the Crown, ensuring her safety and security
41
Q

why was the Secretary of State needed in the government?

A
  • it gives Elizabeth someone to trust and confide in
42
Q

what was the function of the Parliament?

A
  • parliament was made up of the House of Lords (which included Bishops and nobles) and the House of Commons (members of the gentry)
  • parliament could only be called and dismissed by the monarch
  • elections were held before each new parliament, but very few people could vote and the same members of Parliament were often chosen
  • Elizabeth called parliament ten times during her reign, usually so they can grant her taxation
  • Parliament passed new laws and offered advice to the Queen
43
Q

why was the Parliament needed in the government?

A
  • collected taxes for the Queen which is useful as she was in debt
  • keeps law and order
44
Q

what was the function of the Lords Lieutenant?

A
  • each country has a Lord Lieutenant chosen by the Monarch
  • they were members of the nobility and were often also on the Privy Council
  • they were essential to maintaining the Monarch’s power and England’s defenses
  • they were in charge of raising and training soldiers and overseeing county defenses in case England was attacked
  • they ensured that the Queen’s laws were enforced by people far away from central government by giving orders to JPs
45
Q

why was the Lords Lieutenant needed?

A
  • enforced law
  • trains soldiers in case of war to protect the country
46
Q

what was the function of the Justices of the Peace (JPs)

A
  • JPs were members of the nobility and gentry
  • they were unpaid and they reported to the Privy Council
  • being a JP was a position of status and so it was a very popular job
  • they made sure all Elizabeth and parliament’s social and economic policies were carried out by local people
  • JPs acted as judges in local courts every three months
47
Q

why was the Justices of Peace needed?

A
  • people wanted to volunteer for high status
48
Q

what was the role of parliament under Elizabeth?

A
  • the House of Lords were much more important than the House of Commons
  • Parliament’s main role was to pass legislation and grant taxation
  • Elizabeth called Parliament 13 times in 45 years
  • Elizabeth’s Parliament work at an average of 3 weeks only for every year of her reign - just 6% of the time she was on the throne
  • Elizabeth didn’t like to call Parliament as she believed she didn’t have to listen to them due to the Divine Right of Kings
49
Q

what did Elizabeth’s Parliament think about marriage and succession?

A
  • many in Parliament saw it as their duty to find Elizabeth a suitable husband and by 1566 began to discuss the issue openly
  • Elizabeth was angry at this and banned them from talking about it
50
Q

what did Elizabeth’s Parliament think about religion?

A
  • the most divisive factor in Elizabethan society
  • the majority of those in both houses of Parliament were protestant
  • the Parliament supported Elizabeth in making unfair laws for Catholics
  • there were lots of Puritans
51
Q

what did Elizabeth’s Parliament think about freedom of speech?

A
  • an MP named Peter Wentworth was arrested 3 times for arguing MPs should be allowed to speak on any matter they choose
  • some MPs supported him
  • one of his arrests was organised by other MPs who wanted to prove their loyalty to Elizabeth
52
Q

what did Elizabeth’s Parliament think about Mary Queen of Scots?

A
  • many of those in Parliament saw Mary, a Catholic as a clear threat to national security and called for her execution
  • this may have swayed her to execute Mary
53
Q

what did Elizabeth’s Parliament think about crime and poverty?

A
  • poverty was a significant issue and it led to crime
  • many MPs recognized that punishing the poor did not work and attempted to produce new laws
  • these were unsuccessful until 1601 when the Poor Law was passed
54
Q

what did Elizabeth’s Parliament think about monopolies?

A
  • monopolies gave nobles and merchants the sole right to manufacture or sell goods
  • Elizabeth intended for monopolies to increase business and the economy, but as one person now controlled the supply of a particular product it meant prices rose
  • Elizabeth made money from granting the monopoly licenses
  • towards the end of Elizabeth’s reign some MPs felt they were unfair and protested against them - they told Elizabeth they would not grant taxes until they had been removed
55
Q

who was the Earl of Essex?

A
  • Robert Devereux was given the title ‘Earl of Essex’ after his father died
  • he gained attention from the Queen as he was dashing and later had military success against the Spanish in 1596
  • became Privy Councillor in 1595
  • given monopoly of sweet wine
  • rivalry with Robert Cecil, but Essex’s charisma made him more favourable
56
Q

what caused the Earl of Essex to rebel?

A
  • when Elizabeth ordered Essex to defeat a rebellion in Ireland in 1598 led by Earl of Tyrone, he made peace with them instead, which was against the queen’s orders and Cecil was promoted while Essex fought
  • Essex burst into Elizabeth’s bedchamber before she was wigged and gowned so had to be interrogated by Privy Council for 8 hours and banned from court and placed on house arrest (lost his monopoly and jobs)
  • had previously been banned from court from turning his back on Elizabeth in anger and insulting her for not promoting one of his supporters
  • Elizabeth punched Essex and he almost drew his sword on her but stormed out instead
57
Q

what happened during the Essex Rebellion?

A
  • in 1601, Essex gathered 300 supporters and 4 hostage Privy Council members from his fortified mansion to march to London to capture the Queen
  • Cecil responded quickly and labelled Essex a traitor, many of his supporters abandoned the march when offered a pardon
  • Essex found his route blocked so returned home when Elizabeth’s soldiers had surrounded
  • Essex surrendered after a 12 hour rebellion
  • in exchange for giving information about who was involved in the rebellion, he was allowed to be privately executed in the Tower of London on the 25th February 1601

GCSE History (28 decks)

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