Elizabethan England Flashcards
Who were the nobility?
- They were at the top of the social hierarchy
- People with royalty and titles (included Queen Elizabeth)
Who were the gentry?
The gentry were wealthy and owned lots of land
Who were yeomen?
They were men who held a little bit of land and did professional jobs
Who were tenant farmers?
They rented the land which was owned by either the gentry or yeomen
Who were vagrants?
They were seen as criminals and came at the bottom of society along with the homeless
What was the court?
- They were mostly made up of members of the nobility referred to as courtiers
- They were the monarch’s key servants, advisors and friends
What was the role of the court?
- To entertain and advise the monarch
- Courtiers had influence with the monarch rather than actual power
What was the privy council?
- 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
What was the role of the privy council?
- 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
What was parliament?
- Could only be called and dismissed by the monarch
- Elections held but only rich men could vote
What was the role of parliament?
- Raise taxes for the monarch
- Passed laws
- Offered advice to the monarch
What were the Lords Lieutenants?
- Each country had a lord lieutenant chosen by the monarch
- They maintained the monarch’s power and England’s defences
What was the role of the lord lieutenant?
In charge of raising and training local militia and overseeing country defences
What were the Justices of Peace?
- They were large land owners who kept law and order in their local areas
- They reported to the Privy Council
What was the role of the Justices of Peace?
- To make sure all social and economic policies were carried out
- Heard county court cases every three months for serious crimes
What was the divine right?
It was believed that God had chosen the monarch to rule
What is patronage?
When monarchs grant titles or positions to people.
Who was Elizabeth’s most trusted advisor?
Sir William Cecil
What is Royal Prerogative?
There were some things that only the monarch decided such as foreign policy, a monarch’s marriage and succession.
Why was legitimacy a problem for Elizabeth?
- 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.
Why was gender and marriage a problem for Elizabeth?
- 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
Why was finances a problem for Elizabeth?
- 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
Why was France & Calais a problem for Elizabeth?
- 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
How was the Reformation Church form?
- 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
What were the Protestant rules?
- 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
What were the Catholic rules?
- 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
What was the religious division like in 1558?
- 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
What was the clergy problem related to the religious division?
- 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
How was England divided regarding the religion divisions?
- North - Catholic
- South - Protestant
