LIZ

Question 1

Hierarchy countryside Hierarchy in towns

Answer 1

1. Nobility 1. Merchants
2. Gentry 2. Professionals
3. Yeomen 3. Business owners
4. Tenant farmers 4. Skilled craftsmen
5. Landless and working poor 5. Unskilled workers
6. Homeless and beggars 6. Unemployed

Question 2

Government

Answer 2

Court – Noblemen who advised
the queen
Parliament – Houses of Lords
and Commons. Advised
Elizabeth’s government
Privy Council – Nobles who
helped govern the country

Question 3

Elizabeth’s problems when she became queen in 1558:

Answer 3

• She was young and inexperienced. She was Protestant so not supported by English Catholics. Many people
  (especially Catholics) thought she was illegitimate and had no right to the throne. She was unmarried.
• Financial weaknesses – The Crown (government) was £300,000 in debt. Mary I had sold off Crown lands
  (making it hard for Elizabeth to raise money) and borrowed from foreign countries (who charged high
  interest rates).
• Challenges from abroad – France, Spain and Scotland were all Catholic countries and believed Mary, Queen
  of Scots had a stronger claim to the throne of England than Elizabeth. France and Scotland were old allies.

Question 4

Religious Divisions in 1558

Answer 4

Catholic

-Pope is head of the church
-Priests can forgive sins
-Bread and wine become the body and
-blood of Christ
-Services in Latin
-Churches highly decorated
-Catholics were the majority in the north
and west of England

Protestant

-No pope
-Only God can forgive sins
-Bread and wine represent the body and
blood of Christ
-Services in English
-Churches should be plain and simple
-Protestants were the majority in the
south-east, East Anglia and London

Puritan

-Very strict Protestants
(shared many beliefs but
more extreme, e.g. no
decoration in churches, no
bishops or cardinals)
-Puritans found in London
and East Anglia

Question 5

The Church of England in society

Answer 5

Enforced the Religious Settlement, gave spiritual and practical advice, preached
the government’s message. Everyone had to pay a 10% tithe (tax) to fund the Church.

Question 6

Elizabeth’s Religious Settlement, 1559

Answer 6

• Aimed to establish a religious form that would be acceptable to Catholics and Protestants.
• The Act of Uniformity established the appearance of churches and how services should be conducted.
• The Act of Supremacy made Elizabeth the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. All clergy had to
  swear an oath of allegiance to her.
• The Book of Common Prayer introduced a set of new church services to be used in all churches.
• The Royal Injunctions forced all clergy to teach Royal Supremacy, keep an English Bible, report people who
  refused to attend church.
  THE MAJORITY OF ORDINARY PEOPLE AND 8,000 OF THE 10,000 CLERGY ACCEPTED ELIZABETH’S SETTLEMENT

Question 7

Challenges to the Religious Settlement

Answer 7

Puritan challenge at home (THE PURITAN CHALLENGE WAS VERY SMALL)

Disobeyed parts of the Religious Settlement.
Crucifix Controversy - refused to display crucifixes in churches, which had been ordered by Elizabeth to please the
Catholics. Elizabeth backed down.
Vestment Controversy -refused to wear the vestments (special clothing worn by clergy). In 1566, 37 Puritan
priests resigned after refusing to wear new vestments when ordered.

Catholic challenge abroad

The Catholic Church in Europe began a ‘Counter
Reformation’ to undo the Protestant changes.
The pope excommunicated Elizabeth in 1570, which
could encourage attacks on England from Catholic
countries.
Elizabeth backed the Protestants in a religious war in
France in 1562.

Catholic challenge at home

One third of the English nobility and gentry, particularly
in the north and west of England, were recusants
(refused to attend church) because they did not agree
with the Settlement.
This was encouraged by the pope.
This was a major cause of the Revolt of the Northern
Earls (1569-70).

Question 8

Mary, Queen of Scots. Was a problem to Elizabeth because….

Answer 8

1. She was Elizabeth’s second cousin so had a good claim to the throne of England
2. She was a Catholic so her claim to the throne was supported by many English Catholics
3. She was believed to have been involved in her husband’s murder, which led to a rebellion in Scotland. Mary
   fled to England in 1568. This made her more of a threat to Elizabeth, so she was imprisoned.

Question 9

Key topic 2: Challenges to Elizabeth at home and abroad, 1569-88

Question 10

The Revolt of the Northern Earls, 1569-70
Why?
What happened?
Significance of failure?

Answer 10

Why?

To make England Catholic again
The Earls resented their loss of influence in Elizabeth’s
court when she appointed ‘new men’ such as William
Cecil and Robert Dudley.
To marry Mary, Queen of Scots to the Duke of Norfolk,
depose Elizabeth and make Mary queen.

What happened?

Rebels, led by the Earls of Westmorland and
Northumberland, marched to Durham and took control
of the cathedral. They then continued south.
BUT support did not arrive from Spain.
Elizabeth moved Mary to Coventry, away from the
rebellion.
Many northern landowners stayed loyal to Elizabeth.

Why is this failed rebellion significant?

It showed that Mary, Queen of Scots couldn’t be trusted.
It led to Elizabeth’s excommunication by the pope, which encouraged further plots against Elizabeth.

Question 11

Ridolfi Plot, 1571

Answer 11

• An Italian banker, Roberto Ridolfi, who was a spy for the pope, planned to murder Elizabeth, start a Spanish
  invasion and put Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne.
• Mary would then marry the Duke of Norfolk.
• Ridolfi travelled to the Netherlands to discuss the plot with Philip II of Spain and the Duke of Alba.
• Philip instructed Alba to gather 10,000 troops for the invasion.
• Sir William Cecil discovered the plot and had the Duke of Norfolk tried for treason and executed.
• Elizabeth would not agree to the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots.
• Significant because… it confirmed that Spain, English Catholics and Mary were all still a major threat to Elizabeth.

Question 12

Throckmorton Plot, 1583

Answer 12

• The French Duke of Guise plotted to invade England, overthrow Elizabeth and make England Catholic.
• Philip II of Spain offered to help pay for the revolt.
• The pope gave his approval.
• Francis Throckmorton offered to pass letters between the plotters and Mary.
• Sir Francis Walsingham (Secretary of State) discovered the plot.
• Throckmorton was executed.
• Significant because… it showed the threat from France and Spain.
• Elizabeth cracked down on Catholic
  sympathisers: 11,000 were imprisoned or kept under house arrest.

Question 13

Babington Plot, 1586

Answer 13

• The Duke of Guise planned to invade England, murder Elizabeth and put Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne.
• This plot was also supported by Philip II and the pope.
• Walsingham intercepted letters between Mary and Babington which proved her involvement in the plot.
• Babington and the other plotters were executed.
• In October 1586, Mary was sentenced to death.
• Elizabeth signed Mary’s death warrant in February 1587.
• Significant because… it led to the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots.
• Persecution of Catholics intensified.

Question 14

Francis Walsingham and the use of spies

Answer 14

Walsingham was Elizabeth’s Secretary of State or ‘spy master’. He used a network of spies and informants in every
town and city in England, as well as abroad. He used ciphers (codes) for all his correspondences. He used torture and
execution to deter people from committing crimes against Elizabeth.

Question 15

Why was Mary, Queen of Scots executed in 1587?

Answer 15

• Walsingham’s evidence proved that she had been involved in the Revolt of the Northern Earls and the plots
  against Elizabeth.
• The Spanish support for the attempts to put Mary on the throne threatened England’s security.
• Her claim to the English throne gave Catholics an alternative monarch to Elizabeth, especially once the pope
  had excommunicated Elizabeth.

Question 16

Relations with Spain

Answer 16

Political and religious rivalry

• Spain=Catholic, England=Protestant - saw each other as
  a threat.
• Philip II had been involved in the plots against
  Elizabeth.
• Many in Elizabeth’s government were angry at Spain’s
  persecution of Protestants in the Netherlands and
  encouraged Elizabeth to get involved. She secretly
  provided money to the rebels fighting against Spain and
  encouraged English privateers to attack Spanish ships.
  After the Spanish Fury, when unpaid Spanish troops
  looted the town of Antwerp, 17 Dutch provinces joined
  an alliance against the Spanish (the Pacification of
  Ghent) calling for Spanish troops to leave the
  Netherlands.
  By late 1584, Spain had largely re-established control of
  the Netherlands but blamed England for supporting the
  rebels and for privateers attacking Spanish ships.

Commercial rivalry

• England and Spain were rivals for trade and resources
  from the New World, Turkey, China, Russia and North
  Africa.
• English traders resented Spanish control of the trade
  routes into parts of Europe and that traders to the New
  World had to have a licence from Spain.
• English privateers (financed by investors including
  Elizabeth) raided Spanish colonies and ships.
• Between 1577 and 1580 Sir Francis Drake captured
  £400,000 of Spanish silver and gold.
• English sailors often attacked Spanish ships travelling to
  the Netherlands. By 1580, loss of silver meant that the
  Spanish government couldn’t afford to pays its troops
  in the Netherlands.
• Elizabeth knighted Francis Drake, showing her support
  for his actions against Spanish ships. This angered Philip
  further.

Question 17

War with Spain

Answer 17

• In 1585 England signed the Treaty of Nonsuch with the Dutch Protestant rebels. This said that England
  would pay for 7400 soldiers, led by Robert Dudley, to fight with the Dutch rebels against the Spanish. This
  gave Philip a justification for raising an Armada to attack England.
• In April 1587, Francis Drake attacked the Spanish navy in port at Cadiz, under Elizabeth’s orders. 30 ships and
  the majority of their supplies were destroyed. This attack became known as ‘singeing the King of Spain’s
  beard’. It took Spain a year to rebuild the fleet.
• In 1588 Philip ordered an Armada of 130 ships to sail to the Netherlands, collect 27,000 troops under the
  command to the Duke of Parma, transport them to England and attack London.

Question 18

Why did the Spanish Armada fail?

Answer 18

• English ships were better armed and equipped (e.g. cannons could be reloaded and fired more quickly).
• Drake used fireships at the Battle of Gravelines, causing many Spanish ships to cut their anchors and drift in
  to the North Sea. English tactics were superior.
• Gale force winds destroyed many Spanish ships.
• Spanish ships lacked food and supplies.
• The Duke of Parma and the Duke of Medina Sidonia (commanding the Armada) were unable to
  communicate.

Consequences: The victory enhanced Elizabeth’s authority in England and abroad. Many saw it as a victory for
Protestantism. The defeat of the Spanish led to a gradual decline of the Spanish Empire.

Question 19

Key topic 3: Elizabethan society in the Age of Exploration, 1558-88

Question 20

Education

Answer 20

The purpose of education was to prepare people for their expected roles in life. Only 15-20% of the
population could read and write. Very few went to school. BUT attitudes were changing: growth in trade and
Protestantism increased the need for people to be able to read and write. The printing press made books cheaper.

Question 21

Schools

Answer 21

Parish schools (taught basic literacy to children of yeomen and craftsmen); Grammar schools (for ages 10-
14. Fee paying but scholarships available for boys from poorer families); Petty Schools (up to the age of 10),
Universities (Oxford and Cambridge) and Private tutors (boys and girls, usually from richer families, taught at home).

Question 22

Sports and Pastimes

Answer 22

Nobility: Hunting, hawking, fishing, real tennis, bowls, fencing, baiting, cock fighting, dancing and music.

Farmers, craftsmen and lower orders: Football, wrestling, bull and bear baiting, cock fighting, dancing and music.

Theatre - was very popular during Elizabeth’s reign and many new plays were written. New theatres such as the
Globe and the Rose were purpose-built. Many wealthy patrons, including the queen, sponsored groups of
professional actors (e.g. Leicester’s Men were sponsored by the Earl of Leicester).

Question 23

Reasons for an increase in poverty in Elizabethan England

Answer 23

• Population growth (1551 = 3 million, 1601 = 4.2 million) increased demand for food, housing and land.
• Bad harvests (1562, 1565, 1573 and 1586) reduced food supplies and drove up prices.
• Enclosure drove many people off their lands. They became vagrants/vagabonds.
• Economic recession cause by trade embargos (e.g. imposed by Spain) caused unemployment.

Question 24

Attitudes and policies towards the poor

Answer 24

• Many believed that poverty led to social disorder, while the poor became an increasingly visible presence in towns
  and cities.
• Elizabethans distinguished between the deserving poor (who couldn’t help themselves) and the idle poor
  (who chose not to work). Charity and Poor Rates were raised at a local level to help the deserving poor.
• The Statute of Artifices 1563 (punishing those who refused to pay poor rates), 1576 Poor Relief Act and the 1572 Vagabonds Act
  (punishing those guilty of vagrancy) were government attempts to deal with the problem of the poor.

Question 25

Reasons for exploration during the Elizabethan age

Answer 25

• Expanding trade routes (especially the Trade Triangle) and markets for products, especially the New World.
• Improvements in ship design (bigger sails, faster and more manoeuvrable), maps and new technology
  (development of quadrants and astrolabes made voyages faster and more direct).
• Men such as Francis Drake sought adventure and to discover or explore new lands.

Question 26

Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe

Answer 26

Dec 1577 – Sept 1580.
Increased England’s reputation as a great sea-faring nation, encouraged further exploration and increased trade.
BUT contributed to declining relations with Spain.

Question 27

Colonisation of Virginia

Answer 27

1. Expedition of 1584-5 was organised by Sir Walter Raleigh (he raised the money but didn’t travel with them).
2. 107 colonists (mainly soldiers and sailors, but a few craftsmen and farmers too), led by Richard Grenville, set out
   for Roanoke, Virginia.
3. Went to Virginia because the native people were thought to be friendly; they wanted a base to attack Spanish
   settlements, they hoped to establish trade with native people and planned to ship resources back to Europe.
4. The colony failed because: Lack of food (arrived too late to plant crops, food damaged on the voyage); poor
   leadership (Grenville and Raleigh did not get on); lack of experience and skill (e.g. lack of stonemasons or enough
   men used to the physical work needed); attacks from Native Americans (angered by the diseases the colonists had
   brought with them and the demands for food) and war with Spain (few ships were available to resupply the colony).