Elizabethan England: troubles home and abroad Flashcards
Puritan ideology
- ban bloodsports and distractions
- no bishops (they didn’t want a heirarchy, believing in the “Preisthood of all believers”)
- no vestments or colour and music in churches
- some believed the Pope was anti-christ
- “sola scriptura” (they believed only what was in the scripture, e.g. they didn’t believe in transubstanciation but that the bread and wine were symbols)
what was the aim of the religious settlement?
- heal divisions between Catholics and Protestants before it lead to unrest and civil war
- maximise her own personal power and wealth by taking over as much control of the Church
what was the Act of Supremacy?
- 1559
- re-established the break from Rome and independant Church of England
- Elizabeth hose a less controversial title Supreme Governor rather than Supreme Head (Henry VIII)
why was the Act of Supremacy passed?
- tp pacify Catholicswho still regarded the Pope as the “head” of the Church
- all members of the clergy had to swear and oath of loyalty to Elizabeth
what and why was the Act of Uniformity passed?
- may 1559
- to end quarrels between Catholics and Protestants by making it clear what the Anglican Church believed in
the effects of the Act of Uniformity
- gave concessions to Catholics to creat peace amongst religions
- the church was created Protestant
- no persecution of Catholics
- did not want to make “windows into men’s souls”
what were they Thirty-Nine Articles and why were they passed?
1563
- royal injunctions which outlined 57 rules to follow
- aimed to pacify Catholics
effects of the Thirty-Nine Articles
- catholic mass abandoned
- old catholic practices such as pilgrimages and saints’ images were banned
- ornaments such as candles and crosses could be placed on altars
- priests had to wear catholic-style vestments rather than the plain black prefered by Puritans
- New Book Of Communion Prayer was issued, containing Puritan ideas
reactions to the religous settlement
- 8000 clergy accepted it
- bishops who rejected it were replaced by Protestant bishops
- most ordinary people accpeted it despite some being Catholic
define a recusant
someone who refuse to attend Church services
define a Jesuit
Roman Catholic missonary priest
- a religious group dedicated to serving the Pope
- they had rigorous training
define seminary
a school providing training for priests (to encourage Catholics to reject the religous settlement)
attendace at the Anglican church
1559 - became compulsory but the Pope ordered Catholics to not attend services
- initially recusants were fined a shilling a week
1581 - fine for not attending Anglican services was raised to £20
William Allen’s seminary
- founded in 1568
- aimed to train English Catholics as missonaries to go back to England and keep Catholicism alive
Elizabeth’s excommunication
1570 - Pope Pius V excommunicated the Queen (in the Papel Bull)
- catholics no longer had to be loyal to elizabeth and idrectly ordered them to disobey her laws or be excommunicated themselves
what was the Treason Act?
- 1571
- enying Elizabeth’s supremacy and bringing the Pope’s Papel Bull into England could bith be punishable by death
- anyone leaving the country for more than 6 months had their land confiscated (to prevent English Catholics going abroad to be trained)
what and when was St.Batholomew’s Day Massacre?
- 1572 in France
- thousands of Protestants were killed in mob violence that (it was believed) was brought about by the Catholic government
- 3,000 Protestants killed
- made Protestants hate Catholics even further (challenging the balance of the religious settlement)
why were jesuits sent to England?
- to gain influcence of the rich and powerful families and turn them against the Queen and Anglican Church
- Edmund Campion arrived in 1580 and held secret services for rich families
what and when was the Act against Jesuits and Seminary Priests?
- 1585
- becoming a priest was treason
- all priests were ordered to leave England within 40 days on pain of death
- aims was that with less priests there would be less Catholic influence
what were Pursuivants?
- officials which searched “safe houses” to find jesuits
- searches could last for weeks and they could tear houses down
- it hepled find priests who opposed the law and stopped priests from hiding and staying in England
what were preist holes?
- cleverly concealed rooms and spaces where priests could hide or celebrate illegal Mass
- Nicholas Owen was important in creating a network or “safe houses” for priests to use
when were large gatherings of Catholics made illegal?
- 1593
- Catholic freedom of movement was also restricted (only travel 5 miles from their homes)
- this stopped Catholics from plotting together or having Mass
Edmund Campion
- jesuit
- wore desguises and stayed in “safe houses”
- he carried out Mass for rich Catholic families
- he was arrested and tortured and given the chance to convert to Protestantism
- 1581 - executed for treason
Brownist / Separatists
- purtians who broke away from Protestants
- named after Robert Browne
- anonymous puritan pamphlets were published in 1589 (after his Browne’s arrest) and made people turn against Puritains duw to its coarse language and disprespect
what and when was the Act Against Seditious Sectaries?
- allows authorities to execute anyone suspected of being a Separatist
- 1593
Mary Queen of Scots’ early ife
- lived in France for much of her early life
- brought up a Roman Catholic
- married to the heir to the French throne (Francis II)
- married to Lord Darnley (a cousin) and had a son called James
- married to Earl Bothwell
mary’s abdication
- she returned to scotland as catholic during the proestant reformation
- Lod Darnely was murdered and many though Mary had a hand in the crime
- rumours grew when she quickly married Eral Brothwell
- civil war broke out
- Mary abdicated in 1567
- her son James V of Scotland took the throne
mary in england
- arrived in may 1568
- pro-french and catholic as well as a potential heir to the english throne made her a threat to elizabeth
- she could act as a focus for Catholic resistance
- elizabeth chose to keep mary under house arrest, far away from the north and midlands and away from the coast, hoping to restrict any threat mary posed
when was the northen rebellion?
1569
who (and why) was involved in the northen rebellion?
Duke of Norfolk - cousin of the Queen
- wealthy landowner and senoir noble
- resented Cecil’s power as elizabeths chief minister
- felt his own talents were under-rated
- catholic sympathiser
- disproved of Cecil’s policies towards Spain
Robert Dudley - keen to reduce Cecil’s power
Sir Nicholas Throckmorton
what was the plan for the northen rebellion?
the duke of norfolk wanted to marry Mary and secure her position as the heir to the throne to gain greater influence himself and weaken Cecil’s position
(there was no plan to remove elizabeth from the throne)
what happened in the northen rebellion?
- elizabeth summoned the earl of northumberland and westmorland to court (both catholics and suspected of disloyalty)
- this pushed the earls into rebellion
- 9th november 1569, the two earls joined forces, church bells rang to call people to rebel
- 5,000 rebels moved through the north
- heard an illegal catholic Mass at Durham cathedral (14th november)
- earl of sussex struggled to raise an army on elizabeth’s behalf
- the rebels captured a castle and a port were they expected help to arrive from Spain (as promised by the Spanish ambassador, de Spes)
why did the northern rebellion fail?
- spanish suppport never arrived (catholics but not keen on pro-french mary stuart)
- badly planned (not properly mobilised or coherent strategy)
- majority of english catholics and nolibity remianed loyal to elizabeth
- elizabeth had not been excommunicated
- as the royal army moved north rumours of its strength encouraged rebels to retreat
consequences of the northern rebellion
- after a short battle the earls crossed the border into scotland on 19th december
- elizabeth strengthened her control by reorganising the council of the north
- 450 rebels executed
- Norfolk was imprisoned
- Dudley had previsouly confessed to cecil and elizabeth and asked for forgiveness
when was the Ridolfi Plot?
1571
who organised the Ridolfi Plot?
roberto di ridolfi
the ridolfi plot plan
- elizabeth assassinated and replaced by mary
- 6,000 spanish troops would land (led bu Duke of Alba) and prompt rebellion
- ridolfi optimistically calculated half of english nobles were catholic and there would be a total 40,000 men when they rebelled
- mary would marry the duke of norfolk (the both agreed, mary had lost hope and freedom and norfolk wanted to regain power)
why did the ridolfi plot fail?
elizabeth’s intelligence discovered the plan
consequences of the ridolfi plot
- De Spec (Spanish ambassador) was expelled from england
- norfolk arrested, found guilty of treason, beheaded in 1572 despite elizabeths reluctantnesss
- parliament passed a law agaisnt mary delcaring anone making a claim to the throne and knowing of a plan to assassinate the monarch should be reoved from succession
when was the Throckmorton Plot?
1583
who organised the Throckmorton Plot?
a french catholic force, Francis Throckmoton
- backed by Spanish and Papal (rome) money to invade england
what was the plan for the Throckmorton Plot?
- mary freed from house arrrest
- catholic uprising involving jesuits, seminary preists and the catholic population
- elizabeth captured, murdered
- mary become queen
what happened during the Throckmorton Plot?
- francis throckmorton acted as the intermediary between mary and the spanish ambassador, De Mendoza
- before the plan started, Walsingham discovered it and placed throckmorton under surveillance for 6 months, he was then arrrested and tortured and confessed
what was the Bond of Association?
- as a result of the Throckmorton Plot
- introduced in 1584
- anybody associated with an assassination plot against elizabeth would not be allowed to benefit from the queen’s death in any way
consequences of the Throckmorton Plot
- throckmorton was convicted of high treason and executed in july 1584
- De Mendoza expelled from england
- no more spanish ambassadors lived in england for the rest of elizabeth’s reign
- lack of evidence meant mary escaped execution (but walsingham was determined to fin evidence against mary)
how was mary treated after the Throckmorton Plot?
- moved to a Chartley hall
- not allowed any visitors
- all her etters were checked
- her jailer was Amyas Paulet (strict puritan, hated catholics)
- mary’s health started to fail
when was the Babington Plot?
1586
who organised the Babington Plot?
mary started secret correspondence with the French ambassador and Sir Anthony Babington
what was the plan for the Babington Plot?
- kill elizabeth
- free mary
- place mary on the throne
- re-establish catholicism in england with help from a spanish invasion force
discovery of the Babington Plot
- elizabeth’s “spymaster” walsingham knew all about the letters (he placed a double agent called gilbert gifford inside chartley hall)
- gilbert gillford intercepted the letters
- thomas phelippes dechiphered the letters and sent the details to walsingham
- walsingham allowed the letters to be sent to their intented recipients in order to allow the plot to unfold, catching mary
events/consequences of the Babington Plot
- 17th july 1586 - mary wrote a coded letter approving of the plot and most crucially, constenting to the assassination of elizabeth
- september 1586 - babingtion and 6 conspirators were executed
when was mary queen of scots executed?
8th february 1587
the lead up to mary’s execution
- elizabeth hesitated in signing the death warrant because mary was a royal
- she signed the death warrant in december 1586 convinced by rumours of spanish landings (but she ordered the warrant not to be sealed but kept as a saftey measure)
- elizabeth’s secretary did not follow orders, the council met and decided to seal and send the warrant
consequences of mary’s execution
- elizabeth reacted with fury, wracked with guilt
- banished cecil (not seeing him for weeks)
- sectretary was imprisoned then released soon after
- though mary could have become a martyr catholics did not rise in prtest as they were appaled by another plot against their queen
- mary’s death angered Philip II
- French king and James (king of scots, mary’s son) protested
- elizabeth defeated anger by claiming her innocence blaming her secretary and court yet historians wonder if this grief was an act and these were her intentions all along
