Elizabethan England - Troubles at home and abroad

Question 1

What was Elizabeth’s religious settlement and when and why was is made?

Answer 1

Elizabeth’s middle way in 1559 was an attempt to establish a compromise between Catholicism and Protestantism, uniting the country and reducing religious conflict. She did this by allowing Priests to marry, holding services in English and using the book of common prayer, whilst also making services more open to both denominations.

Question 2

Who were recusants in Elizabethan England?

Answer 2

Catholics who refuses to attend Church of England services, often facing fines and persecution (however Elizabeth kept these fines low at the start of her reign to avoid angering catholics)

Question 3

Names two key differences between Catholicism and protestantism.

Answer 3

Catholics followed the pope and emphasised elaborate rituals, while protestants rejected papal (pope) authority and followed on personal Bible reading.

Question 4

What and when was the papal bull?

Answer 4

In 1570 the pope excommunicated Elizabeth and called for catholics to end her reign. He even claimed she was a pretend queen of England. This faced catholics with a dilemma whether to be loyal to their queen or the pope.

Question 5

What was the impact of the papal bull?

Answer 5

It increased catholic plots against Elizabeth and lead to her clamping down on treatment of catholics futher increasing tension with catholic Europe.

Question 6

What did the treason act of 1571 do?

Answer 6

It made it treason to deny Elizabethan’s legitimacy as queen or to introduce papal bulls into England.

Question 7

What were some of the things Elizabeth introduced following plots after the papal bull?

Answer 7

• 1581 made it treason to attend catholic mass.
• recusansy fines were raised to £20
• act in 1585 made it treason to be or house a catholic priest
• and in 1593 the ‘statute of confinement’ made it illegal for catholics to travel more than 5 miles from their home.

Question 8

Why did the northern rebellion occur and when was it?

Answer 8

In 1569 Catholic nobles, including the earls of Northumberland and Westmorland, wanted to restore Catholicism and replace Elizabeth with Mary Queen of Scots. Elizabeth also forbid Northumberland from marrying Mary queen of Scot’s prompting him to rebel.

Question 9

What happened during the rebellion?

Answer 9

Norfolk and Westmorland took Durham cathedral and celebrated an illegal catholic mass. They then began to March south with around 4600 men. The earl of Sussex then raised an army for Elizabeth and disbanded the rebels.

Question 10

What were the consequences of the northern rebellion?

Answer 10

Northumberland was executed and Westmorland fled abroad. Elizabeth executed around 450 rebels and reinforced anti catholic laws. Norfolk was placed in Tower of London for 10 months before being released and involved in ridolfi plot.

Question 11

What was the ridolfi plot and when did it occur?

Answer 11

In 1571 there was a catholic conspiracy to assassinate Elizabeth and replace her with Mary, queen of Scot’s, who would marry the Duke of Norfolk.

Question 12

Who was roberto ridolfi and what was his role in the plot?

Answer 12

He was an Italian banker and papal agent who coordinated the plot by securing support from the pope, king Philip 2 of Spain, and English Catholic nobles.

Question 13

What happened to the ridolfi plot?

Answer 13

The plan was for the Netherlands to invade at the same time as another northern rebellion but was discovered by walsinghams spy network. Duke of Norfolk was executed in 1572 and ridolfi fled abroad.

Question 14

What were the consequences of the ridolfi plot?

Answer 14

More strict laws that clamped down on Catholics were introduced. However, as Elizabeth didn’t want to anger the Catholics, it wasn’t heavily enforced. Further worried Elizabeth as was backed by foreign countries and highlighted the risk of invasion.

Question 15

What was when did it happen and who was involved?

Answer 15

The throckmorton plot of 1583 Was a catholic conspiracy to overthrow Elizabeth the first with French forces, funded by Spain and the pope and Mary, Queen of Scots as the Queen. Francis Throckmorton was a Catholic nobleman who acted as a go-between for Mary and foreign powers.

Question 16

How was the Throckmorton plot discovered?

Answer 16

By Francis Walsingham’s spy network that letters the incriminated Throckmorton and revealed the extent of foreign catholic support.

Question 17

What was the impact of the Throckmorton plot?

Answer 17

Throckmorton was executed and led to Elizabeth being more wary of foreign threats?

Question 18

When did Jesuit missionaries begin arriving in England, and why?

Answer 18

From 1580, Jesuits like Edmund Campion arrived to strengthen Catholicism and convert protestants

Question 19

What role did Catholic seminaries play in Elizabethan England?

Answer 19

They trained Catholic priests abroad, who were then sent to England to secretly minister to Catholics

Question 20

How did Elizabeth Gov respond to Catholic missionaries?

Answer 20

They passed laws, imposing harsh penalties, including execution for harbouring catholic priests

Question 21

Who was Edmund Campion and what happened to him

Answer 21

He was a Jesuit missionary executed in 1581 for treason after secretly promoting Catholicism in England.

Question 22

What were the Puritans main beliefs?

Answer 22

Puritans wanted to purify the church of England of Catholic practices and emphasised a simple, Bible centred form of worship.

Question 23

How did Puritans challenge Elizabeth religious settlement?

Answer 23

They pushed for a forms, including abolishing bishops and simplifying church ceremonies which Elizabeth resisted

Question 24

What was the vestments controversy?

Answer 24

A dispute where puritans objected to wearing traditional clerical robes, which they viewed as too catholic

Question 25

How did Elizabeth respond to Puritan challenges?

Answer 25

She enforced conformity through the active uniformity and punished radical Puritans

Question 26

What were prophesysings?

Answer 26

In the1570s Puritan meetings called prophesysings okay popular. they were meetings involving members of the clergy praying and discussing and would often include strong criticism of Elizabeth’s church.

Question 27

What was Elizabeth’s to the Puritan threat?

Answer 27

In 1583, with the queen support, the new archbishop of Canterbury – John Whitgift - had introduce rules to crack down on Puritanism. These involved banning and licensed preaching and enforcing attendance at church through recusansy he fines.

Question 28

What was the name of the small dedicated group of puritans that refused to give into her middle way?

Answer 28

Presbyterians

Question 29

Who was Mary Queen of Scots and why did she flee to England?

Answer 29

Mary was Elizabeth cousin and remaining relative. She was an also Catholic as long as Elizabeth had no children. She was forced to flee to England after she was rejected by Scotland following rumours she killed her husband.

Question 30

What did Elizabeth do when Mary arrived in England?

Answer 30

Elizabeth kept Mary under house arrest for 19 years, seeing her as a political and religious threat. A number of privy counsellors called for her execution but Elizabeth was hesitant as it could make her a bigger enemy for Catholics and other countries.

Question 31

How did Mary, Queen of Scots pose the challenge to Elizabeth rule?

Answer 31

Mary was seen as the rightful Catholic Queen by many, and her presence in England inspired plots like the Ridolphi, Throckmorton and Babington plots. However, there was no evidence to suggest she was directly involved in them.

Question 32

What was the governments role in starting the babington plot?

Answer 32

After the Discovery of Throckmorton plot, Mary was giving harsher treatment in an attempt to push her into another plot.

Question 33

What happened in the Babington plot and when was it?

Answer 33

Mary began secretly communicating with French ambassador, Sir Anthony Babington. They exchange letters written in code, and by 1586 there was a plot to kill Elizabeth and place Mary on the throne. However, Mary’s involvement was confirmed through intercepted letters supporting the plot and assassination of Elizabeth.

Question 34

When and why was Mary Queen of Scots executed?

Answer 34

Elizabeth was given little choice but to execute Mary after being found guilty of treason in 1586. She was initially hesitant however a year later following rumours of a Spanish invasion she finally did. And Mary was executed in fotheringhay castle in February 1587.

Question 35

Consequences of Mary’s execution

Answer 35

Without Mary Catholics had no obvious alternative monarch to replace Elizabeth yet it could also be argued in death. Mary remain threat. Catholics now had a martyr and this act proved she was the wicked heretic they thought she was.

Question 36

How did religion contribute to Philip 2nds decision to launch the Spanish armada

Answer 36

Philip, devout Catholic, wanted to overthrow Protestant Elizabeth and restore Catholicism in England, especially after her excommunication by the pope.

Question 37

How did Mary Queen of Scots execution end 1587 influence the Spanish Armada?

Answer 37

Mary’s execution remove the Catholic alternative to Elizabeth, prompting Philip 2 to act swiftly to invade England and secure catholic dominance. Philip saw it as unjustified murder and this was seen as the final straw.

Question 38

What happened between Phillip II and Elizabeth that could have prompted the armada?

Answer 38

Before Philip King, he married Queen Mary I of England and as long as they were married he would be joint monarch with her. But when Mary died, he offered a new proposal to Elizabeth, which she never responded to.

Question 39

How did England support the Dutch rebels contribute to the Spanish Armada?

Answer 39

England’s military and financial support for protestant rebels in the Spanish controlled Netherlands angered Philip II and intensified hostilities.

Question 40

How did England’s private tears like the Francis Drake provoke the smash Armada

Answer 40

English private tears attack treasure ships and ports, costing Spain significant wealth and promoting Philip II to retaliate.

Question 41

How did Francis Drake prompt the Spanish armada?

Answer 41

Drake rated the Spanish port of Cadiz in 1587, destroying ships and supplies, delaying the armada launch.(Singeing the king of Spain’s beard.)

Question 42

Who was the Duke of Medina Sidonia and what was his role in the Armada?

Answer 42

The Duke of Medina Sidonia was the inexperience Spanish commander appointed to lead the armada. He lacked naval expertise, which hindered Spain efforts. Suggestions, he was appointed to act as a puppet for Philip II.

Question 43

Who was Lord Charles Howard and what was his role in the Armada?

Answer 43

Lord Howard was the commander of the English fleet. He used innovative tactics, including the use of fire ships, to defeat the armada

Question 44

What tactics did the English use to defeat the Spanish Armada?

Answer 44

The English used smaller, faster ships to manoeuvre the largest Gardens and employees long range cannons to inflict damage from a distance.

Question 45

What technique did the English use on the Spanish to get them the dub?

Answer 45

Fire ships which were a common weapon to inflict damage and chaos.

Question 46

What happened at Plymouth on July 31st, 1588?

Answer 46

The first small battle occurred as the English attacked the Armada near Plymouth. The Spanish formed a defensive Crescent formation, minimising English damage.

Question 47

What happened at the Isle of Wight on August 4 1588?

Answer 47

The Spanish attempted to land on the Isle of Wight to secure a safe harbour but were repelled by the English fleet and forced to continue towards Calais.

Question 48

What tactic Did the English use on August 7 1588?

Answer 48

Early in the morning and attack led by Drake sent eight fire ships into the Spanish fleet. The captains panicked and cut their anchor ropes to get away from danger. The well organised fleet were now in chaos and with no formation.

Question 49

What was the battle on August 8, 1588 and what happened?

Answer 49

After the fire-ships Battle of Gravelines began. the English fired constantly from a distance of around 100 m causing huge damage but not sinking ships and Medina Sedona attempted to lead his battered fleet home under fire.

Question 50

What happened to the armada during its retreat from the battle of Gravelines?

Answer 50

As the armada retreated around Scotland and Ireland severe storms wrecked many Spanish ships.

By the time they returned to Spain in September 1588 less than half of the original fleet remained.

Question 51

How did leadership contribute to the armada failure?

Answer 51

The Duke of Medina Sidonia, lax naval experience and struggled to adapt to the challenges posed by the English fleet and bad weather.

Question 52

How did the defeat of the Spanish Armada reflect Spain and England’s position in Europe?

Answer 52

The defeat marked the beginning of the decline of the Spanish naval dominance and rise of English power, laying the groundwork for future exploration and colonisation.

Question 53

Why was the victory important for English unity?

Answer 53

The defeat of the armada was significant as it brought the country together. Most Catholics placed loyalty in Elizabeth as she may have been protestant but they were all English above all else. Elizabeth showed herself to be a great leader and the victory added to the idea that her reign was a golden age.