her personality Flashcards
Renard
his assessment is that she was “good, easily influenced, inexpert in worldly matters and a novice all round”
Elizabethan propagandists
were eager to portray her as a weak and unsuccessful pro-Spanish monarch
protestant reformers
reviled her as a cruel tyrant trying to enforce Catholicism through torture and burnings - ‘Bloody Mary’
revisal of the critical appraisal
she showed skill and resolution in defeating Northumberland’s ‘coup d’etat’
restoration of catholicism indecision
she has been criticised for her indecision
has been interpreted as masterly political inactivity and pretended weakness, designed to win greater concessions from the Papacy and Habsburgs
her weaknesses
not in her character or policies but in the lack of an heir to consolidate her position
it is suggested that she also had the broad majority of the people’s support until 1555
first major issue of the reign
her political inexperience and stubbornness is shown in her marriage
Paget favoured her decision of Spain, Gardiner favoured Courtenay
Courtenay
a descendant of Plantagenet kings and a marriage to him would’ve strengthened the Tudor dynasty
mary favoured a link with the Habsburgs
marriage treaty
7 Dec
she disregarded all opposition to her plans
end of Jan 1554, anti-Spanish feelings had led to rebellion
Wyatt rebellion
Sir Thomas Wyatt, Sir James Croft and Sir Peter Carew- all had held position under Henry and Edward
feared growing Spanish influence would endanger their own positions
local and central government
remained largely unchanged
privy council remained the centre of administration
criticisms of Mary’s privy council
too large to conduct business effectively
at times the membership was 43
size of council
led to suggestions that it caused rivalry between the Catholics, led by Gardiner and moderates, led by Paget
financial problems
Mary had given away more crown lands to re-establish monastic foundations
important to find new resources of income
exchequer
remained the main financial department
took over the work of the court of first fruits and tenths- clerical taxation
and the court of Augmentations- administered income from monastic and chantry lands
court of wards
collected feudal taxation
retained its independence
remove debased coins
it was planned to remove a large number, but Mary died so the scheme wasn’t put into effect until 1560
1552
proposal to revise custom rates
increased custom revenue from £29,000-£85,000
economic situation
grew even worse during her reign
due to a series of bad harvests and epidemics of sweating sickness, bubonic plague and influenza
towns
were badly hit with the sicknesses and had high mortality rates and severe food shortages
1551
English ships began to trade along the North African coast
Philip’s arrival
in early 1557 and his success at drawing the country into war against France, marked the final stage of Mary’s growing unpopularity
last two years of her reign
saw rising anti-Spanish feelings, mounting to opposition to religious persecution and discontent with the adverse economic conditions
war with france and loss of Calais
united the country against the ailing queen
on her death in 1558 was marked with enthusiasm
not a reign of complete sterility
important reforms had been made and the constitutional monarchy and state machinery was still intact
loss of calais
seen as a national disaster, it can be interpreted as a crucial moment when England turned tis attention away from the fruitless continental conquests towards opportunities in the new world
