Elizabethan England

Question 1

Who were the nobility?

Answer 1

• They were at the top of the social hierarchy
• People with royalty and titles (included Queen Elizabeth)

Question 2

Who were the gentry?

Answer 2

The gentry were wealthy and owned lots of land

Question 3

Who were yeomen?

Answer 3

They were men who held a little bit of land and did professional jobs

Question 4

Who were tenant farmers?

Answer 4

They rented the land which was owned by either the gentry or yeomen

Question 5

Who were vagrants?

Answer 5

They were seen as criminals and came at the bottom of society along with the homeless

Question 6

What was the court?

Answer 6

• They were mostly made up of members of the nobility referred to as courtiers
• They were the monarch’s key servants, advisors and friends

Question 7

What was the role of the court?

Answer 7

• To entertain and advise the monarch
• Courtiers had influence with the monarch rather than actual power

Question 8

What was the privy council?

Answer 8

• They were the monarchs most trusted advisors (her inner circle)
• They met up at least three times a week and presided over by the monarch

Question 9

What was the role of the privy council?

Answer 9

• To advise the monarch
• Made sure the monarch’s final decisions were carried out
• Oversaw law and order and the security of England
• Monitored Justices of Peace
• Monitored parliament

Question 10

What was parliament?

Answer 10

• Could only be called and dismissed by the monarch
• Elections held but only rich men could vote

Question 11

What was the role of parliament?

Answer 11

• Raise taxes for the monarch
• Passed laws
• Offered advice to the monarch

Question 12

What were the Lords Lieutenants?

Answer 12

• Each country had a lord lieutenant chosen by the monarch
• They maintained the monarch’s power and England’s defences

Question 13

What was the role of the lord lieutenant?

Answer 13

In charge of raising and training local militia and overseeing country defences

Question 14

What were the Justices of Peace?

Answer 14

• They were large land owners who kept law and order in their local areas
• They reported to the Privy Council

Question 15

What was the role of the Justices of Peace?

Answer 15

• To make sure all social and economic policies were carried out
• Heard county court cases every three months for serious crimes

Question 16

What was the divine right?

Answer 16

It was believed that God had chosen the monarch to rule

Question 17

What is patronage?

Answer 17

When monarchs grant titles or positions to people.

Question 18

Who was Elizabeth’s most trusted advisor?

Answer 18

Sir William Cecil

Question 19

What is Royal Prerogative?

Answer 19

There were some things that only the monarch decided such as foreign policy, a monarch’s marriage and succession.

Question 20

Why was legitimacy a problem for Elizabeth?

Answer 20

• To be a legitimate monarch, it was expected the parents would be married
• Elizabeth’s parents were married but only after Henry divorced his first wife which was against Catholicism
• Henry had to form his own church and get a divorce that way as the Pope wouldn’t grant one
• Many Catholics didn’t believe that Elizabeth was legitimate as the Pope hadn’t agreed.

Question 21

Why was gender and marriage a problem for Elizabeth?

Answer 21

• It was unusual to have a queen instead of a king due to religion, as it taught men should have authority over women
• Women weren’t considered strong compared to men in any way
• Elizabeth’s sister, Mary I, had been hated on due to burning people at the stake, losing a war to France, leaving England in debt and marrying the King of Spain who was unpopular in England
• Due to this, many people didn’t want another queen in charge

Question 22

Why was finances a problem for Elizabeth?

Answer 22

• Elizabeth could raise money through land rents, taxes, subsidies, but parliament had to agree to this or through fines or loans
• England was still £300,000 in debt
• Defending England was costly and raising taxes was unpopular
• Relying on parliament to help raise taxes was risky as they grew in power

Question 23

Why was France & Calais a problem for Elizabeth?

Answer 23

• Mary I (her sister) had lost the Calais port to France in an unsuccessful war that England + Spain had fought against France
• Elizabeth wanted the port back to show England’s strength
• France and Spain were no longer at war and there was a possiblility that they may unite against England as they were both Catholic

Question 24

How was the Reformation Church form?

Answer 24

• Henry VIII wanted a divorce but the pope didn’t allow it so Henry started his own Protestant Church
• Reformation occured in Europe when people believed the Catholic Church had grown corrupt

Question 25

What were the Protestant rules?

Answer 25

• No pope
• Bible and church services were in English
• People should have own direct relationship with God
• Priests are not special and shouldn’t wear special robes
• Churches should be plain places

Question 26

What were the Catholic rules?

Answer 26

• The pope is the head of the Church
• The bible and church services were in latin
• You need to talk to the church to have sins forgiven
• Priests are special and should wear vestments
• Churches should be highly decorated

Question 27

What was the religious division like in 1558?

Answer 27

• Although Elizabeth was Protestant, most of the country was Catholic
• Many Catholics in England wouldn’t accept Elizabeth as queen because they saw her as illegitimate

Question 28

What was the clergy problem related to the religious division?

Answer 28

• Most bishops were Catholic and wouldn’t want to change religion
• Many Catholic bishops were involved in parliament
• Parliament was needed to agree a change in religion and the Catholic bishops would try to resist

Question 29

How was England divided regarding the religion divisions?

Answer 29

• North - Catholic
• South - Protestant