Elizabethan England Flashcards
What year did Elizabeth introduce the Religious Settlement?
1559
What did Elizabeth make herself in the Church of England?
Governer
What book was introduced?
The Book of Common Prayer
What was required in all churches?
A Bible in English
What happened to those who refused to attend the new church?
They would be fined
Why was religion so important to monarchs?
The Church was central to every ordinary persons life
What is a Puritan?
A strict Protestant
What did Puritans object to?
How Catholic churches looked: stained-glass windows, music, statues, etc
How did Puritans believe a church should be run?
By churchgoers, not the Pope or government. They were also against the Head of Church idea.
Which religious group was more of a threat to Elizabeth?
The Catholics.
What did Catholics argue about Elizabeth?
Her legitimacy, and her changes to the church were against Catholic teachings
What did some Catholics do?
Worship the Catholic way secretly in their homes
What’s a Rescusant?
A Catholic who openly refused to go to the new church
Which Queen was a huge threat to Elizabeth?
Mary Queen of Scots
Why was Mary Queen of Scots a threat to Elizabeth?
For Catholics, she was the rightful next heir to the throne. Elizabeth also had no children - there were many plots against her.
What would’ve happened if Elizabeth deported Mary back to Scotland?
Mary would’ve faced death
What would’ve happened if Elizabeth deported Mary to France?
She could provide the basis for a French/Catholic invasion, deposing Elizabeth
Where did 90% of the population live?
In the countryside (due to social division).
What was society like?
Patriarchal (male-dominated).
When did Elizabeth become queen?
1558.
What divided England the time Elizabeth came to the throne?
Religion - half of England were Catholic, whereas the other half was Protestant.
Why didn’t many Catholics regard Elizabeth as the legitimate queen?
The Pope had never approved of Anne Boleyn’s (Elizabeth’s mother) and Henry VIII’s marriage
What languages could Elizabeth speak?
English, Latin, French, Greek, Italian - she was well-educated.
What was ‘government’ made up of?
Advisers and friends from court.
What was most like a modern government?
The Privy Council
What did the Privy Council do?
Advised Elizabeth, monitored parliament, and security of the country.
What was Parliament made up of?
House of Lords (nobles and bishops) and House of Commons (elected by a few wealthy people).
What was the plan for the Northern Earls?
To march on London to restore Mary Queen of Scots to a Catholic throne, so that Mary could marry Duke of Norfolk.
What was the Northern Earls motives to revolt?
It was presented as a religious revolt, but these men had financial and personal motives, having lost power and land to Elizabeth in her early years.
Did the Northern Earls plan fail or succeed?
Fail - the march South failed to gather support, the Earl of Sussex placed an army in their way at Coventry and Spanish support failed to arrive at Hartlepool.
What was the aim of the Ridolfi Plot?
Marry Mary Queen of Scots to the Duke of Norfolk, but with direct foreign support of Roberto Ridolfi, an Italian banker.
What was the aftermath of the Ridolfi Plot?
Walsingham’s spy network intervened and the Duke of Norfolk was beheaded.
What was the aim of the Throckmorton Plot?
To free Mary Queen of Scots
What was the aftermath of the Throckmorton Plot?
Under torture, Throckmorton confessed of a planned Northern uprising as the trigger for a French/Spanish invasion. Throckmorton was later executed.
What happened in the Babington Plot?
Mary Queen of Scots was caught red-handed to be involved in a plot to kill Elizabeth (though possibly set up by Walsingham)
What was the proof that Mary Queen of Scots was involved in the Babington Plot?
In a coded letter sent in a beer barrel.
What would happen is Mary Queen of Scots was executed?
With Mary Queen of Scots dead, there was no longer a clear Catholic heir alive to inspire further plots.
What did the Catholic world think when Mary Queen of Scots got executed?
The Catholic world was appalled and this was a trigger for the Spanish Armada invasion plan.
Who helped to prevent any of these plots happen with spywork?
Francis Walsingham
Give an example of what Walsingham did in his spywork.
Mathematicians and musicians were employed as codebreakers, networks of spies were employed in nobles’ houses, foreign courts, etc.
