Elizabeth- Section 1

Question 1

Briefly describe 5 key features of Elizabeth’s government

Answer 1

The Court- made up of noblemen who acted as the monarchs advisers and friends

Justices of the Peace- large landowners appointed by government who kept local law and order and heard court cases.

Lord Lieutenants- noblemen, appointed by the government, who governed English counties and raised the local militia. (emergency civilian armies)

Privy Council- members of nobility who helped govern the country: monitored parliament, justices of the peace and oversaw law and order.

Parliament- advised queen Elizabeth’s government, made up of the House of Commons ( elected though few could vote) and the House of Lords (made up of noblemen and bishops). Parliament approved taxes and passed laws.

Question 2

When did Elizabeth become queen?

Answer 2

1558

Question 3

Name the 6 tiers of social hierarchy in the countryside. (give a brief description also)

Answer 3

1) Nobility- Major landowners (dukes and earls)
2) Gentry- (owned smaller estates)
3) Yeoman farmer- (owned small amounts of land)
4) Tenant farmers- (Rented land from yeoman farmers and gentry)
5) Landless and labouring poor- (Did not own land, had to labour to provide)
6) Homeless and vagrants- (moved from place to place in search of work)

Question 4

What percentage of the population lived in the countryside in Elizabethan England?

Answer 4

90% 🤯

Question 5

What was the 5 tiers of social hierarchy in towns? (give a brief description also)

Answer 5

1) Merchants- (wealthy traders)
2) Professionals- (lawyers, doctors, clergymen)
3) Business owners- (highly skilled craftsmen like carpenters or tailors)
4) Craftsmen- (skilled employees, like apprentices)
5) Unskilled labourers and the unemployed- (people without regular work, could not provide for themselves)

Question 6

What percentage of people in Elizabethan England lived in towns?

Answer 6

10% 😲

Question 7

What were some of Elizabeth’s problems regarding marriage? (give 3 points)

Answer 7

If she marries a protestant this would anger Catholics
If she marries a catholic this would upset protestants
Marriage could involve England in expensive wars, and the crown was already 300K in debt 🤑

Question 7

What were some of the issues facing Elizabeth when she became Queen?
(give 7 points)

Answer 7

She was young and inexperienced (was only 21)
Her government was in need of money
Her legitimacy was in doubt (her mother was Anne Boleyn)
Catholics refused to acknowledge her right to rule
Elizabeth was protestant
Elizabeth was unmarried- Christian traditions suggest women should follow a mans authority.
She was in need of the support of parliament to pass laws.

Question 8

Explain two advantages Elizabeth had when she became queen (character wise)

Answer 8

She portrayed herself as a strong, legitimate and popular monarch- a ‘virgin queen’ married only to England.
She was protestant and with the growing population of protestants in the country, she could claim her divine right with a growing conviction.

Question 9

Name some of the reasons why Elizabeth faced so many financial issues (give three points)

Answer 9

• The crown was 300K in debt (big bucks back in the day)
• Mary Tudor had sold the crown lands to pay for the wars with France, so the crowns income from rents was failing.
  -Since the 1540s, the crown has devalued the coinage, to make more money for the wars with France. This caused some serious inflation as currency fell.

Question 10

What did Elizabeth do to solve the financial issues? (give two points)

Answer 10

Cut down on her own household expenses and did not raise taxes 🫅
Sold the crown lands (whatever that means)

Question 11

Explain the challenges Elizabeth faces abroad in 1558 (give four points)

Answer 11

The French threat- France was becoming wealthy and had a larger population
War was expensive business and the crown was in debt
France ended its war with Spain meaning they had too much time on their hands
Frances alliance with Scotland- France kept soldiers in Scotland which could easily ready up.

Question 12

How did Elizabeth deal with challenges abroad? (give 3 points)

Answer 12

Sought to avoid war with France by signing the Peace of Troyes (1564) which recognised French claim to Calais
Placing Mary Queen of Scots in custody (1568)😈
By eliminating Mary and making peace with France: there was only Spain as a threat.

Question 13

Why was religion so important in Elizabethan England? (give three points)

Answer 13

Religious teachings guided peoples morals
People believed that going to church reduced time in purgatory
Religious festivals were seen as essential to a good harvest

Question 14

Outline 2 key ways the beliefs of Catholics, Puritans and Protestants differ.

Answer 14

Church
- Catholics wanted popes, cardinals and bishops
-Protestants no Pope but bishops are fine
-Puritans wanted nobody
Style of service
-Catholics wanted highly decorated churches, with stained windows and candles
-Protestants wanted a more simple style
-Puritans said all decorations are distracting
-Catholics wanted clergy to wear coloured vestments.

Question 15

What was Queen Elizabeth’s religious settlement aim (and when was it established)?

Answer 15

1559
Aim was to establish a form of religion acceptable to protestants and catholics

Question 16

What was the impact of the religious settlement? (give 3 points)

Answer 16

8,000/10,000 clergymen accepted it
Many Marian Bishops opposed the settlement and were replaced
Majority of ordinary people accepted the settlement.

Question 17

What were the two laws passed under the religious settlement? (describe both)

Answer 17

The Act of Supremacy
This made Elizabeth the Supreme Governor of the Church, taking power away from the Catholic Pope in Rome. Elizabeth’s title as Governor implied she would not be so dictatorial and would be more tolerant. This appeased Catholics and Puritans who were uncomfortable with the monarch as head of religion as well as head of state.

The Act of Uniformity
This made Protestantism England’s official faith and also set out rules of religious practice and worship in a revised prayer book. This retained some Catholic traditions which Elizabeth hoped would make a good compromise and keep her people happy.

Question 18

Give 4 features of the Churches role in Elizabethan society

Answer 18

Enforced Elizabeth’s religious settlement of 1559
Legitimised Elizabeth’s rule (encouraged others to stay loyal)
Provided guidance for communities
Responsible for Church Courts

Question 19

Who were the puritants?

Answer 19

Radical protestants who wanted to purify the Christian religion by getting rid of everything that wasn’t in the bible.
Many were also anti-Catholic

Question 20

Explain how relations between Spain and England Declined between 1560-70 (give 3 points)

Answer 20

Spanish rule on the Netherlands resulted in hundreds of Dutch protestants being out to death. Demonstrated that Spain was a real threat to the protestant faith.

English seizure of the Genoese loan in 1568 from Spanish ships, sheltering in English ports angered Spain (they viewed it as an act of piracy)

Finally the excommunication of Elizabeth in 1570 encouraged catholic powers to view attacking England as a means to installing a catholic monarch to the throne.

Question 21

Why did catholic oppose the religious settlement? (give three points)

Answer 21

Many Catholics disliked the protestant tone of the settlement
Many Catholics disliked the fact that priests could marry
Many Catholics objected to the acted of supremacy with made Elizabeth head of the church and not the pope.

Question 22

Why was Mary such a threat? (give three points)

Answer 22

Mary was catholic, which means many Catholics would support her claim to the throne
Mary’s claim was strengthened as their was no concerns to her legitimacy unlike Elizabeth.
Mary would therefore be the centre of Catholic plots and conspiracies against Elizabeth.

Question 23

When was Mary imprisoned?

Answer 23

1568 🧑‍⚖️

Question 24

When and why did Mary leave Scotland?

Answer 24

1568
Mary was assumed to have murdered her husband/ cousin (😱) Lord Darnley and was captured and forced to abdicate (giver up her throne) to her son. She fled to England for her cousin Elizabeth’s help.

Question 25

Why did Elizabeth really imprison Mary? (give 3 points)
(btw she kept her imprisoned for 19 years)

Answer 25

She had a valid claim to the throne and could incite a rebellion
Imprisoning Mary reduced her political influence
Keep Mary from going to France and restarting the “Auld Alliance”