part one: elizabeths court and parliament Flashcards
1
Q
who did elizabeth live with growing up, and what did this mean for her?
A
- lived with edward & mary (siblings)
- grew up in Hatfield house
- isolated: only interacted with siblings & tutor, not parents
2
Q
what happened to her mum?
A
beheaded after she was born, when she was only 2
3
Q
how might her childhood experiences have affected her approach to governing england?
A
- wanted england to be protestant, so didn’t want mary to be queen
- threats of rebellion from catholics - anxious
- independent, wise beyond her years, resilient
- try to stabilise england, no violence
- never married a man
4
Q
did elizabeth expect to be queen, and was she trained for the role?
A
- didn’t expect to be queen
- had some training by learning from siblings mistakes, childhood isolation made her resilient
5
Q
who influenced her religious beliefs and how?
A
- mother was protestant
- catherine parr, henry’s sixth wife, protestant & acted as mother figure to her
- she influenced her protestant religious views and direction of her education
6
Q
when was elizabeth queen for?
A
1558-1603
7
Q
when was elizabeth born?
A
1533
8
Q
information about the privy council (5 points)
A
- co ordinated finances, law courts & regions
- regional lords resented the council
- loyal & trustworthy - chosen by queen
- she often ignored their advice
- advised the queen & directed policy
9
Q
info about parliament (4 points)
A
- only called on 13 times by queen
- queen heavily relied on parliamentary taxes (11/13)
- queen influences & controlled them - privy council, her personality, her speeches, appointing the speaker, royal veto, arresting MPs
- some MPs became more self confident in arguing against matters of royal perogative - marriage, succession, religion
10
Q
info about patronage (5 points)
A
- giving important jobs to particular men
- key politicians given places at Court
- highly corrupt system
- caused intense competition between courtiers
- helped queen remain heart of political system
11
Q
info about royal court (4 points)
A
- gave impression of power
- mobile operation of 500 courtiers
- courtiers competed for powers
- court moved between royal residences - no new places
12
Q
info about progresses (4 points)
A
- major public relations exercises
- provided time to fumigate royal residences
- nobility desperate to impress her
- queen lived at expense of her subjects
13
Q
how many noblemen were in the privy council, and why?
A
19, down from 40 or something in mary’s time
to minimise conflict; had to make sure none got too powerful/disloyal
14
Q
how often did the privy council meet?
A
initially 3 times a week, then every day
15
Q
who were the key members of the privy council?
A
- sir william cecil, lord Burghley
- sir francis walsingham
- robert dudley, earl of leicester
- sir christopher hatton
16
Q
royal progressions took ___-___ men and almost ____ horses
A
royal progressions took 300-400 men and almost 2000 horses
17
Q
true or false: showing your wealth and power was not important in elizabethan times
A
false
18
Q
info about sir william cecil, lord burghley (religion, education, experience, character, working w. others)
A
- moderate protestant
- studied law at cambridge
- MP & member of edward vi’s council
- enormously intelligent, very hard working
- spoke his mind if he disagreed w E or others, argued w dudley & walsingham
19
Q
info about robert dudley, earl of leicester (religion, experience, ability, working w others)
A
- puritan
- a member of the court
- was made master of the horse, personally responsible for E’s safety, childhood friend
- freq argued w cecil ab succession, religion & foreign policy as dudley was a radical & puritan
20
Q
info about sir francis walsingham (religion, education, experience, character, ability, working w others)
A
- puritan
- attended cambridge uni & studied law, also studied in padua in italy
- entered parliament as mp in 1558
- fiercely loyal to E, could be blunt, good organiser
- ability at languages & foreign contacts made him useful
- freq clashed w cecil, ally of dudley
also had spy network thing
21
Q
info about sir christopher hatton (religion, education, character, working w others)
A
- moderate protestant
- studied law at oxford uni
- loyal, kind, clever, hardworking
- hated puritans & sympathised w catholics
22
Q
which was more important, the house of lords of house of commons?
A
house of lords
23
Q
what was parliaments main role?
A
- to pass legislation, mainly against catholics (reversing policies of Mary, protestants restored as dominant religion)
- grant taxation for war/rebellion/security
24
Q
how many times did elizabeth call parliament and why?
A
- 13 times in 45 years
- E didn’t like calling parliament as felt it undermined her authority
E’s parliaments work out at an avg of 3 weeks for every year on throne - just 6% of time in her reign
25
where were the house of commons positioned in the parliament?
all the way at the back, had to stand, far away from E - not very important
26
how did E control parliament?
- made it clear she’s in charge through words & actions - issued regular statements ab her authority & arrested MPs who went 2 far in criticising her
- P could only meet if E called it; she set the agenda
- P could only talk ab what E allowed it to discuss
- E mainly used it 2 grant her taxes - this her main income
- E could close (prorogue) P at any time
- E could dismiss P when she wished & could appoint new members to House of Lords
- made sure Privy Council sat in P 2 help control proceedings, it was duty of them & nobles to manage P & ensure they’re clear on her wishes
27
what did parliament and elizabeth clash over?
- marriage & succession
- religion
- mary, queen of scot’s
- monopolies
- freedom of speech
- crime & poverty
28
why did E and P clash over marriage & succesion?
- many in P saw it as their duty to find E a suitable husband
- by 1566 began to discuss issue openly
- angry at such interference, she banned them from talking ab it again
- E saw marriage as decision for her alone
29
why did P and E clash over religion?
- most divisive factor in E-an society
- majority of those in both houses of P were protestants & supported E’s religious settlement
- when E wished 2 introduce laws that made life hard for catholics, found support in P
- 1 area of disagreement: issue of puritanism, number of powerful puritans in P tried unsuccessfully to introduce new laws to change CoE
30
why did E and P clash over mary queen of scots?
- majority of those in P saw mary, catholic, as clear threat 2 national security & significant number of them called for her execution
- this pressure & that of Privy Council may’ve swayed hesitant E into executing cousin
31
why did E and P clash over monopolies?
- giving of monopolies important way for E 2 maintain loyalty of powerful men in England (e.g. sweet wine monopoly given 2 earl of essex)
- 1571: MP robert bell criticised them as unfair, other MPs joined him in calling 4 changes in their use
- E agreed 2 makes a few changes but MPs pushed 4 more
- 1601: she made speech to P in which cleverly managed 2 give impression that she’s agreeing 2 make major changes to how they worked w/o actually promising much at all
32
why did E and P clash over freedom of speech?
- MP peter wentworth arrested 3 times during E’s reign 4 arguing that MPs should be allowed 2 speak on any matter they choose
- E clearly didn’t agree
- some MPs supported his view but others didn’t
- 1 of his arrests was organised by other MPs wishing 2 demonstrate loyalty to E
33
why did E and P clash over crime & poverty?
- issue of poverty significant in E-an england, particularly when it led to crime
- many MPs recognised that simply punishing poor didn’t work, attempted to introduce new poor laws
- they were unsuccessful, until 1601, when the Poor Law finally passed
34
what are some responsibilities involved with being the queen?
- chose privy council (patronage)
- has power to call P
- head of armed forces
- in charge of law courts
- head of CoE
- ran country, made final decision
- governs
35
why did the queen choose people who disagreed w each other for privy council?
- they’d be forced to try & find fair compromise/best option for her
- made sure they couldn’t overpower her —> divide and conquer/rule
- could get more perspectives/ideas
36
why was marriage so important in Elizabethan times?
- women considered weak & not suited 2 reign, E also not able 2 lead her armies into battle (kings could)
- marriage more ab political deals between families & nations
- age 25- E old to be unmarried, everyone though it was a priority
- if married englishman = gain support of important family
- if married foreign prince = join 2 royal families & their son would rule both countries
37
what are the pros for E to marry?
- marriage prevented mary queen of scot’s (catholic, E’s cousin) from ruling england after E’s death
- foreign marriage = powerful alliance for england to secure its position
- E had to provide heir to the throne to carry on Tudor line
38
what are the cons for E to marry? (7 points)
- having husband limits E’s personal freedom, have 2 share power w him. marriage in 16th century not partnership bc husband had legal authority over wife. E not want 2 be answerable 2 husband
- English husband may imbalance diff. groups & factions at E’s royal court & cause jealousy, could also cause problems over who had authority
- foreign marriage may make enemies of other countries who felt rejected
- mary I’s marriage 2 phillip II of spain caused Wyatt’s rebellion in 1554 - many english people didn’t want foreign king
- most of suitable candidates were catholic, she was protestant
- giving birth was risk 4 women in 16th century, often resulted in death of mother
- E’s dad’s marriages worked out badly, killed 2 of his wives including her mum
39
what was the earl of essex (robert devereux) like?
- rich
- young
- close to queen - one of his servants said he doesn’t come home “till birds sing in the morning”, romantic/potential suitor of queen
- handsome & charming
- unpredictable
40
when was a power vacuum created and why? (essex rebellion 1601)
between 1588-1601 following deaths of dudley (1588), walsingham (1590), hatton (1591) and cecil (1598)
41
true or false: the earl of essex, robert devereux, was last person to be executed inside tower of london
true, in 1601
42
what was the relationship between the earl of essex and the queen like at the start?
- E became infatuated w him & made him privy councillor even though she was 30 yrs older
- E gave him monopoly of sweet wine, he made fortune, powerful
- won further admiration & respect from her with military successes against Spain (1596)
43
how did the earl of essex anger the queen?
1. secretly married w/out her permission
2. when E later refused 2 promote 1 of his supporters, insulted & shouted at E and turned his back on her - E punched him, he almost drew sword but stormed out instead. —> he was banished from court for rudeness (almost treason)
3. 1598: irish rebellion - essex given change to defeat it & redeem self, but arrived with lack of troops so had to do peace deal (which was against E’s orders)
4. while he’s away in ireland, E promoted Robert Cecil, he stormed into E’s room - she’s not fully dressed, entered w/o asking
44
what did E do after essex had broken the final straw (storming into her bedroom after being angry about cecil’s promotion, she wasn’t fully dressed & entered w/o asking)?
- he was ordered before the privy council, had to stand for 5 hours while he was interrogated
- later, charges made which he had to listen to on his knees
- he was again banned from court & placed under house arrest
- lost all his jobs & monopoly on sweet wines, career totally ruined
45
how many supporters were in the Essex rebellion, and who were most of them?
- 300
- a few unsuccessful courtiers & disgruntled poor unemployed soldiers
46
who was the bitter rival of essex at court and why?
- robert cecil (son of william cecil)
- he was very clever, cunning, loyal, trained well by father
- took over spymaster role from walsingham
- essex was jealous of his power
also william cecil & dudley had been rivals but balanced each other, and essex was the step-son of dudley
47
what was essex’s aim for the essex rebellion of 1601
to force E to reduce cecil’s power & promote himself
48
what were the causes of the essex rebellion in 1601?
- rivalry between RC & Essex
- essex often angered E - unpredictable, secretly marrying, insulting her & turning back in her when she refused 2 promote 1 of his supporters, she punched him & he almost drew sword then ran out of meeting
- essex banished from court after this, angry w E
- essex thought he’s was smarter than he was, arrogant, underestimated E
- essex made peace deal w irish rebellion, while away RC promoted - he’s jealous
- went into E’s chambers b4 she’s fully dressed & w/o permission 2 come back 2 england
- power vacuum after main privy councillors died from 1588-1601
49
what were the consequences of the essex rebellion in 1601? (what does it show)
- essex financially ruined & beheaded
- **shows E’s control,** even as late as 1601, as the rebellion was easily put down
- shows **how easy it was for someone 2 lose favour** w E & how **dangerous politics of E-an court were** 4 ppl who made mistakes
- shows **E’s monarchical power** bc she stopped Essex’s monopoly on sweet wines & his debts forced him 2 take drastic action against her
- shows **power of Cecil family** in E-an court. essex saw william & robert as obstacle to his own rise
50
when was the earl of essex executed?
25th feb 1601 in the tower of london, beheaded
51
who did E send to stop the essex rebellion & what happened to them
- privy councillors
- essex took 4 as hostages
52
how old was E when she became queen?
25
53
what gave E the power 2 appoint patronage?
royale prerogative (royal power, prerogative = right)
54
who were possible suitors for the queen?
robert dudley, philip II, duke of alencon (younger brother of king of france)
55
what illness did E get later in her reign?
smallpoz
56
when did sir francis walsingham enter parliament as an mp?
1558
57
what happened at the end of the essex rebellion?
- he marched soldiers into london to force E to act, but gained no support from ordinary people of london
- londoners unimpressed, most supporters deserted him quickly when offered a pardon
- essex found his route blocked so returned home, where his house was surrounded by E’s forces, giving no choice but 2 surrender
- rebellion lasted only 12 hours
58
what happened to essex after the rebellion?
accused of being a traitor, essex executed at tower of london on **25th feb 1601** after interrogation & torture
59
when was the wyatt’s rebellion?
1554
60
what year was the irish rebellion that essex had to defeat?
1598
61
what were the problems that E faced when she came to the throne in 1558?
- succession
- foreign policy
- MQOS
- Ireland
- taxation
- religion
62
how was succession a problem for E when she came to the throne?
- E was last living child of Henry VIII & she had no kids of her own - was unclear who would succeed her if she died before producing heir
- in past, situations like this had led 2 violent struggles for power
- 1562: nearly died of smallpox, this drew attention to uncertainty of englands further
- as a result, senior figures keen that she marry as soon as possible
63
how was foreign policy a problem when E came to the throne?
- Catholic countries like spain & france wanted influence over england & had the support of pope in this aim - threat of invasion was very real
- 1 key area of tension was netherlands, where protestant pop. in conflict w its spanish rulers. E had to decide whether or not to become involved
64
how was MQOS a problem for E when she came to the throne?
- w no direct heir, next in line to throne was E’s Catholic cousin, mary
- many catholics saw her as alternative queen of england & this made her serious threat to E
65
how was ireland a problem for E when she came to the throne?
- like her predecessors, E considered herself queen of ireland
- in 1559, faced major revolt in ireland - first of several during her reign
66
how was taxation a problem for E when she came to the throne?
- country short of money & E needed to raise taxes
- poverty widespread, raising taxes would be very unpopular
67
why was religion a problem for E when she came to the throne?
- tudor period had seen englands official religion change number of times, this had created instability & violence
- many catholics didn’t trust E & some claimed she had no right to be queen (they didn’t recognise henry’s marriage to E’s mother)
- puritanism also seen as threat - no. of puritans who’d hoped to take control of CoE & make it more extreme; this could’ve damaged the whole religious settlement
68
what did justices of the peace do?
- several in every county
- responsible for maintaining order & enforcing the law
69
who were potential suitors?
- Francis, Duke of Anjou & Alençon
- King Philip II of Spain
- Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester
70
info about francis duke of anjou & alencon
- the french king’s brother & heir to his throne
- by the time a marriage was proposed, E was 46 & probably beyond having children. a childless marriage could result in England falling under french control
- he was catholic & many important figures in E’s court were against the marriage
71
info about king philip II of spain?
- one of wealthiest & most powerful men in the world
- he’d had been marrried to E’s sister, queen mary I, but he’d rarely visited england & the marriage hadn’t produced an heir
- was catholic
72
info about robert dudley earl of leicester?
- childhood friend of E & a favourite of hers throughout her reign. many assumed they were in love
- a key figure in royal court & member of privy council
- when his wife died, he became free to marry E but the scandal surrounding her death (and rumours of his involvement) meant this was almost impossible
73
what happened to E in 1562?
almost died of smallpox, so senior figures keen to find her a husband so it was clear who’d succeed her
74
what did Lord Lieutenants do?
- appointed by queen
- responsible for running particular area of the country
- responsible for raising a militia to fight for E if needed
- many also served on privy council
