Key topic 1: Queen, government and religion, 1558–69

Question 1

1 The situation
on Elizabeth’s
accession

Answer 1

● Elizabethan England in 1558: society and government.
● The Virgin Queen: the problem of her legitimacy, gender, marriage.
Her character and strengths.
● Challenges at home and from abroad: the French threat, financial
weaknesses.

Question 2

2 The
‘settlement’
of religion

Answer 2

● Religious divisions in England in 1558.
● Elizabeth’s religious settlement (1559): its features and impact.
● The Church of England: its role in society.

Question 3

3 Challenge to
the religious
settlement

Answer 3

● The nature and extent of the Puritan challenge.
● The nature and extent of the Catholic challenge, including the role
of the nobility, Papacy and foreign powers.

Question 4

4 The problem
of Mary,
Queen of
Scots

Answer 4

● Mary, Queen of Scots: her claim to the English throne, her arrival in
England in 1568.
● Relations between Elizabeth and Mary, 1568–69.

Question 5

What is the Religious Settlement of 1559?

Answer 5

The Religious Settlement, was a combination of two acts:
• The act of Supremacy.
• The act of Uniformity.
Determined to bring religious stability to England, she devised a compromise between Protestant and Catholic Church.

Question 6

What is the Act of Supremacy?

Answer 6

The Act of Supremacy, made her the “Supreme Governer” of the church of England. Requiring churchmen and people holding public office to swear the “Oath of Supremacy”. They had to recognise the Queen as Supreme Governer and promise to be loyal to her.

Question 7

What is the Act of Uniformity?

Answer 7

The Act of Uniformity imposed moderate Protestant reforms , but also made some concessions to English Catholics. Royal commissioners were ordered to visit churches throughout the country to ensure that the Acts were being enforced.

Question 8

Act of Uniformity: Reforms

Answer 8

• Going to church was compulsory - there were fines for missing a church service.
• A new Book of Common Prayer was issued, which had to be used in churches.
• All parishes had to have a copy of the Bible in English.

Question 9

Act of Uniformity: Concessions

Answer 9

• The wording of the communion service was delibrately vague, so it could be accepted by both Protestants and Catholics.
• Churches were allowed to keep some decorations , and priests had to wear certain Catholics Vestments.

Question 10

Challenges to the Religious Settlement : Puritans

Answer 10

The Puritans were extreme Protestants. The religious settlement was only a first step, they wanted to make further reforms to remove all traces of Catholicism.

Vestment Controversy of 1560s, was a serious Puritain Challenge to the religious settlement. Puritan priests refused to wear a white vestment used by Catholics, even though they were made compulsory.

Question 11

Challenges to the Religious Settlement: Nobility

Answer 11

A large portion of the nobility were still Catholics. The Religious settlement won some of them around, but other refused to attend church services.

They posed a potential threat to the religious settlement - there was a risk that they might try to overthrow Elizabeth and restore Catholicism.

Question 12

Challenges to the Religious Settlement : France and Spain

Answer 12

There was a risk that the Catholic of France or Spain might try to reverse the religious Settlement and Replace with a Catholic monarch.

However neither country was really in a position to challenge the religious settlement.

France:
The Wars of Religion (1562)

Spain:
A Revolt in the Netherlands.

Question 13

Challenges to the Religious Settlement: The Pope

Answer 13

The Pope had power to excommunicate Elizabeth. This might encourage Catholic countries to invade England and encourage rebellion at home. However there was no clear support for a revokt against Elizabeth at home. The Pope didn’t take any action against her in the 1560s.

Question 14

Outcomes of the Act of Supremacy for Elizabeth

Answer 14

The Act of Supremacy gave Elizabeth control of the English Church, without explicicitly describing her as its ‘Head’. This comprise satisfied those who believed a women cant lead the church.

Question 15

What is the Spanish Armada?

Answer 15

By the 1580s, the tension between England and Spain had reached an all time high. In 1585 they finally went to war over the Netherlands.

Spanish Armada was launched in 1588 - A huge fleet of around 130 ships, with 8000 sailors and 18,000 soldiers.

Question 16

What was ‘The Singeing of the King of Spain’s beard’

Answer 16

In 1587, Francis the Drake attacked the Spanish port of Cadiz. Elizabeth sent him to spy on Spanish preparations and attack their ships and supplies.

He destroyed around 30 ships and seized many tonnes of supplies, including food and weapons. Drake captured a Spanish ship full of valuable cargo, covering the cost of Drake’s expedition and enabled Elizabeth to improve England’s defences.

Question 17

What where effects of the raid of Cadiz

Answer 17

• It had major impact on Philip’s plans to invade England, delaying the Armada by more than a year.
• Obtaining fresh supplies and weapons was very expensive and seeiously strained Spain’s finances.
• Capturing 1000 tons of planks, had made the Spain’s barrels from unseasoned wood. Which led to poorly preserved food and fresh water.

Question 18

What was the plan for the Duke of Parma?

Answer 18

The Spanish had thousands more soldiers stationed in the Netherlands under the leadership of the Duke of Parma. Philip’s plan was for the Armada to meet Parma’s army at Dunkirk. The combined forces would the sail across the Channel to England under the protection of the Armada’s Warships.

Question 19

How did English beat the Armada?

Answer 19

• Parma and his men were being blockaded by Dutch ships and weren’t able to reach the coast in time.
• In middle of the night, the English sent eight fireships amoung the Spanish Ships.
• The weather made it impossible for them to return to their defensive positions.
• An English fleet followed the Spanish to make sure they did not regroup to collect Parma’s army.

Question 20

What happend during the Armada’s Journey home?

Answer 20

Returning back to Spain. Spainish Sailors were unfamiliar with the very dangerous route, and they encountered several powerfull Atlantic Storms.

Question 21

How did the strength of the English Contributed to the defeat of the Armada?

Answer 21

• The English improved the ships to be long, narrow , faster and easier called the Galleon. An advantage to the slow, big Spanish ships.
• English tactics countered the Spanish’s of boarding the enemies vessel and engaging hand to hand fighting. Because the English had greater manoeuvrability and could stay out of range.

Question 22

How did the weakness of the Spanish Contribute to the defeat of the Armada?

Answer 22

• Most of Spains’s men lacked the experience of naval warface.
• The Spainish plan was flawed as the Spanish didn’t own any deep water ports so the ships were vulnerable to attack.

Question 23

How did luck Contributed to the defeat of the Armada?

Answer 23

• The death of Spain’s leading admiral, led to the appointment the appointment of the inexperienced Medina Sidonia.
• The weather made it impossible for the Spanish fleet to return to the channel, forcing it to travel into dangerous water.

Question 24

Outcomes of the failure of the Spanish Armada:

Answer 24

• The Armada of 1588 was the last of serious Spanish threat to Elizabeth’s throne.
• Established English as the dominant naval power.
• The English victory boosted Elizabeth’s popularity and strengthened the Protestnat cause - It was seen as a sign that God favoured Protestantism.

Question 25

What was the Babington Plot?

Answer 25

The Plot was a conspiracy involving France and Spain. The conspirators planned to assasinate Elizabeth and give the English throne to Mary, with the support of an invasion.

Babington was responsible for sending information to Mary from her supporters and passing back her replies.

Question 26

What was uncovered through the Babington Plot and how?

Answer 26

Through Walsingham’s spy network, he managed to secretley intercept all letter sent from Mary and have them decoded. One of Mary’s letters uncovered her aproval of a plan to assasinate the Queen and free herself from prison.

Question 27

What did the Babington Plot lead to?

Answer 27

The evidence gathered by Walsingham finally persuaded her to put Mary on trial. On October 1586, Mary was found guilty of treason and was sentenced to death.

The execution took place on 8th Februrary 1587.

Question 28

How did Mary’s execution affect the threat from Catholics in England?

Answer 28

It reduced the threat, because the long standing Catholic threat was removed. Many lost hope of overthrowing Elizabeth and reversing the religious settlement. There was no more major Catholic plots during Elizabeth’s reign.

Question 29

How did Mary’s execution affect the threat from Catholics abroad?

Answer 29

•Mary’s execution inflamed Catholic opposition abroad and increased the threat of a foreign invasion.