Elizabethan Basic Info Flashcards
Elizabeth ran the country with the help of
Court and the privy council
Court
body of people (courtiers) who lived in same house as the monarch (key servants, advisers and friends)
Privy council
approximately 19 leading courtiers, advisers, senior officials (e.g. William Cecil).
What problems did Elizabeth face
Legitimacy, society, religion, financial weakness and French threat
Legitimacy
Many people thought that Elizabeth was not the Legitimate (legal) Queen because Henry VIII got divorced
Society
Women were thought to be inferior. A queen ruling by herself was very unusual so many felt that Elizabeth should marry
Religion
In 1558, country was divided by religion (Catholic until Henry VIII’s reign), many thought country’s differences would lead to civil war
Financial weaknesses
England had fought costly wars before Elizabeth became Queen. England was
weak compared to other countries (France and Spain= most powerful and were both Roman Catholic).
French threat
Many Catholics saw Mary Queen of Scots as the legitimate monarch. Mary was half French and therefore
had a lot of support in France
Religious divisions in England 1558
After the reign of Catholic Mary I England was a divided country in terms of religion. The North of England had generally remained Catholic and the earls and their followers wanted Catholicism restored across the country.
When and what was Elizabeths’s religious settlement
Elizabeth’s religious settlement of 1559 was an attempt at finding a compromise that would establish a form of Protestantism that Catholics could accept. She didn’t want to persecute Catholics but she was hoping that their religion would die out in England eventually.
3 key parts of the religious settlement
Act of Supremacy (Elizabeth supreme governor of the church), Act of Uniformity (all churches and services to be the same across the country) and the Royal Injunctions (instructions to reinforce the two main Acts)
The church of england and its role in society
Elizabeth used the Church of England to increase her control. e.g. Church courts and inspections enabled
her to enforce the religious settlement
The nature and extent of the puritan challenge
Puritans (extreme Protestants) disapproved of the use of the crucifix and priests wearing special vestments. Elizabeth had to back down about the crucifix but managed to insist that the vestments were worn
Nature and extent of the catholic challenge including the role of the nobility, papacy and foreign powers
1556, Pope issued an instruction for Catholics not to attend church services. Some people were punished for not attending mass but in many cases this did not happen.
Other parts of the country proved more of a challenge – particularly in the North of England where there was a revolt in 1569
Plan of the revolt of the northern earls
Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland would raise an army and take control of Durham and would then march south to join the Duke of Norfolk’s forces
Several thousand Spanish troops would land in Hartlepool to support the rebels
Duke of Norfolk and the rebel forces would seize control of London and overthrow Elizabeth
Mary Queen of Scots would be freed, married to the Duke Norfolk and placed on the throne
Main events of the revolt of the northern earls
Rebels took Durham Cathedral and celebrated a full Catholic mass. Controlled land in NE England as far south as Leeds. However, most nobles stayed loyal to Elizabeth and by 24 November the rebels were forced to retreat and eventually defeated. Hundreds of rebels executed
Significance of the revolt of the northern earls
First and most serious rebellious act by Catholics against Elizabeth. Power and influence of Northern Earls ended. Prompted harsher treatments against Catholics. Pope Pius VI excommunicated Elizabeth (expelled her from the church)
Mary, queen of scots, her claim to the throne, her arrival in England in 1568
Many Catholics saw Mary Queen of Scots as the legitimate monarch (she was Elizabeth’s second cousin and had a direct link to the throne). Mary arrived in England in 1568 after the Protestant Scottish Nobles revolted after the suspicious death of her husband.
Relations between Elizabeth and Mary 1568-9
Elizabeth was unsure what to do with Mary. She did not want to hand her over to the Scottish Lords but
she also did not want to allow her to go abroad so she decided to keep her in England in captivity
Features and significance of the Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington plots, walsingham and the use of spies
Three Catholic plots to remove Elizabeth from the throne with the help of France/Spain and replace her with Mary. Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington were key people involved in each one. Walsingham (Secretary of State) intercepted the letters in the Babington Plot and deciphered the codes within them. This was used as evidence to prove that Mary was directly involved.
The reasons for and significance of Mary Queen of Scots’ execution in 1587
Evidence from the Babington Plot proved Mary’s guilt and finally persuaded Elizabeth to sentence her to death (although she was still very reluctant). Mary’s death removed an important threat to Elizabeth but gave Phillip of Spain another reason to want to remove Elizabeth
Political and religious rivalry
Phillip II of Spain had been married to Mary I. Elizabeth refused his offer of marriage when she came to the throne. Phillip also saw himself as the leading Catholic monarch in Europe and Elizabeth’s support for Protestants and treatment of Catholics (eg Mary Queen of Scots) created big problems between England and Spain.
Commercial rivalry. The New World, privateering and the significance of the activities of Drake.
Many English merchants directly challenged Spain’s dominance of the New World (America). Many even attacked Spanish ships and ports. Francis Drake was the most famous privateer who stole large amounts from Spain. Elizabeth knighted him which sent a clear message to Spain
English direct involvement in the Netherlands 1585-88, the role of Robert Dudley
Elizabeth’s support for Dutch rebels after they declared independence from Spain led to war with Spain. She allowed Dutch rebels to take shelter in English ports (Sea Beggars), took money from Spanish ships (Genoese Loan) and provided financial help to the Dutch rebels. Robert Dudley (Earl of Leicester) also led failed military expeditions in the Netherlands which worsened relations between the English and the Spanish further. After the Treaty of Joinville (1584) made an alliance between the French and Spanish, Elizabeth felt that she could no longer avoid conflict with Spain and signed the Treaty of Nonsuch 1585 in support of the Dutch rebels
Drake and the raid on Cadiz: ‘Singeing the King of Spain’s beard’
April 1587 – Drake sailed into Cadiz Harbour and destroyed 30 Spanish ships and a large amount of their supplies. England knew that Spain was preparing an attack and this raid delayed their preparations by a year and this gave the English more time to prepare
Spanish invasion plans. Reasons why Philip used the Spanish Armada
Phillip had been provoked by the English in a number of ways (e.g. religion, politics, English threats to Spanish dominance in the New World) The plan involved 130 ships, 30,000 men stationed in the Netherlands that would be transported across the channel to march on London, depose Elizabeth and create a new Catholic government in England
The reasons for English victory.
tactics (e.g. fire ships), the weather, faster ships (galleons), poor Spanish
supplies, poor Spanish leadership and communications
Consequences of English victory
propaganda and religious victory, great boost to English pride, Dutch rebels were encouraged to renew their fight, showed strength and skill of the English navy, defeat cost Spain very dearly, financially and politically
Education in the home, schools and universities depended on
Social position
Poor children education
No formal education - learned from their families, working on the land, or in the home.
They needed to bring in a wage for the family.
Well off children education
Petty schools age 4-8: (reading, writing and arithmetic) then Grammar school age 8-14: (Latin, Greek, French, ancient and classical history, philosophy, archery, wrestling, chess and running). Girls - Dame schools or educated at home by mothers (Reading and writing, arithmetic, Music, dancing, needlework, horse riding and archery)
Noble children education
Boys - Private tutor until early teens (Latin, Greek, French, ancient and classical history), University (Oxford or Cambridge) from 14 or 15. Some went to Inns of Court in London to train as lawyers. Girls - Private tutor until early teens Then sent to another noble household to complete their education. Make useful social contacts and perfected the skills expected of them as a noble woman
Sports pastimes and theatre depended on
Social posistions
Nobility sport, pastimes and the theatre
sports such as hunting, hawking, fishing, fencing, real tennis
Working people sport, pastimes and theatres
Working people – football was a lower class game – could be very violent and had no rules as such
Other sports, pastimes and the theatre
Spectator sports such as bear-baiting and cock-fighting were popular – gambling was also very common
Theatre was also very popular with all classes in Elizabethan England – many new plays and purpose built theatres. Protestantism led to the development of new plays as many thought that the centuries old plays were too Catholic
The reasons for the increase in poverty and vagabondage during these years.
Many reasons for increased poverty in Elizabethan England: Increased population, rising food prices, sheep farming and enclosure of fields meant less people were employed in farms, more people forced to move to cities to look for work, international problems such as Dutch Revolt affected trade
The changing attitudes towards the poor.
Some sympathy for impotent or deserving poor (unable to work due to illness or age) but able bodied or idle poor (those fit for work but didn’t) were treated more harshly.
Government actions towards the poor
1563 Statute of Artificers (to collect poor relief money), 1572 Vagabonds Act (to deter vagrancy) and 1576 Poor Relief Act (to help able bodied people find work. Some success but poverty remained a problem throughout Elizabeth’s reign. Most important change was that these laws recognised that unemployment was a problem that needed to be solved and that people were not unemployed out of laziness
Economic factors prompting exploration and the drive to expand trade
Wars with Spain and Netherlands had disrupted wool and cloth trade – English needed new markets. New World was full of riches; exotic crops, silver. Trans-Atlantic slave trade. The search for the North-West Passage to the Far East.
New technology factors promoting exploration, including impacts and drive to expand trade
Quadrant/Astrolabe – new navigation Maps/printing – Mercator map more accurate and printing meant they were used by more people Ship design – Galleons were quicker, more manoeuvrable, more cargo space, more fire power
Politics factors prompting exploration and drive to expand trade
Rivalry with Spain for naval dominance. Drake as a privateer targeting Spanish Ships. Massive rewards e.g. Americas full of riches; exotic crops, silver..Financial rewards result in increased power and control
Reasons for Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe 1577-80
Drake probably didn’t intend to do it when he set off! The main purpose was to raid Spanishcolonies and to look for opportunities for English colonisation and trade.
Significance of Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe 1577-80
it almost ended in disaster with 4 ships lost but Drake and 56 surviving men returned in 1580. They had made huge amounts of money (£500m in today’s money), Drake became rich and famous, great boost to English morale, English reputation enhanced, gathered information about the Americas, positive meeting with Native American population, severely damaged relationship with Spain.
Significance of Raleigh and attempted colonisation Virgina
Walter Raleigh investigated and organised the colonisation of Virginia. Fact finding expedition to Virginia made initial contact with the Native American tribes. Two Native American Indians (Manteo and Wanchese) were brought back to England and mathematician Thomas Harriot learnt their language, taught them English and made an English-Algonquian ‘dictionary’. Raleigh persuaded men to leave England and make the voyage. He also raised funds by convincing merchants to invest (he also invested a lot of his own money)
Raleigh realised that there was a lot to consider before the voyage could set off:
- Who should go? 300 with a variety of skills (e.g. hunters, carpenters)
- Supplies? Enough food and water for the journey
- Timing? It was vital to get there in enough time to sow crops
- Ships? Needed to be big enough and well-armed in case of attack (e.g. from Spain)
Reasons for failure of Virginia 2 attempts: 1585-6 and infamous ‘lost colony’ of 1587-90
They left too late to plant crops
They had the wrong mix of people
Vital supplies were damaged on the journey
Difficulty hunting -Gunpowder had been spoiled on the journey
Problems with the Native Americans e.g. Chief Wingina
Roanoke 1587-90
- Second attempt at colony began in 1587
- Manteo was made Lord Roanoke and John White in overall charge
- They experienced many problems, including significant hostility from Native tribes (e.g. John
White’s adviser, George Howe, was found dead with 16 arrow wounds) - John White returned to England to update Raleigh and when he returned in 1590 he found the
colony deserted - The only clue as to what happened to the settlers was the word Croatoan carved into a post
