Queen, government and religion, 1558-69 Flashcards

1
Q

Who were the court?

A
  • made up of noblemen who acted as the monarch’s advisers & friends
  • they advised the monarch & helped display her wealth & power
  • members of the court could also be part of the Privy Council
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1
Q

What was the government like during Elizabeth’s accession?

A
  • Elizabethan government had many different features
  • involved the court, the Privy Council, parliament, Lord Lieutenants & Justices of the Peace
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2
Q

Who were Justices of the Peace?

A
  • large landowners
  • appointed by the government
  • they kept law & order locally & heard court cases
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3
Q

Who were the Lord Lieutenants?

A
  • noblemen
  • appointed by the government
  • they governed English counties & raised the local militia
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4
Q

Who were the Privy Council?

A
  • members of the nobility who helped to govern the country
  • they monitored parliament, Justice of the Peace & oversaw law & order & the security of the country
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5
Q

Who were parliament?

A
  • advised Elizabeth’s government
  • made up of the House of Lords (made up of noblemen & bishops) & the House of Commons
  • the House of Commons was elected, though very few people could vote
  • parliament passed laws & approved taxes (extraordinary taxation)
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6
Q

When did Elizabeth I become queen of England?

A

1558

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7
Q

What is extraordinary taxation?

A

extra taxes required to pay for unexpected expenses, especially war

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8
Q

What is militia?

A

a force of ordinary people (not professional soldiers) raised in an emergency

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9
Q

Why couldn’t Elizabeth I possess complete power?

A
  • she could not pass laws without parliament’s approval
  • she could not raise taxes without parliament’s agreement
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10
Q

Why was Elizabethan society very rigid?

A
  • it was based on equality & a social hierarchy
  • alternatively based on a structure where everyone knew their place
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11
Q

What was the social hierarchy of the countryside (lowest to highest)?

A
  • homeless & vagrants
  • landless & labouring poor
  • tenant farmers
  • yeoman farmers
  • gentry
  • nobility
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12
Q

What was the social hierarchy of towns (lowest to highest)?

A
  • unskilled labourers & unemployed
  • craftsmen
  • business owners
  • professionals
  • merchants
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13
Q

What percentage of Elizabethan England lived in the countryside?

A

90%

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14
Q

What percentage of Elizabethan England lived in towns?

A

10%

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15
Q

What is the social status of the nobility?

A

major landowners; often lords, dukes & earls

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16
Q

What is the social status of the gentry?

A

owned smaller estates

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17
Q

What is the social status of the yeoman farmers?

A

owned a small amount of land

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18
Q

What is the social status of the tenant farmers?

A

rented land from the yeoman farmers & gentry

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19
Q

What is the social status of the landless & labouring poor?

A
  • people who did not own or rent land
  • had to work or labour to provide for themselves or their families
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20
Q

What is the social status of the homeless & vagrants?

A

moved from place to place looking for work

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21
Q

What is the social status of the merchants?

A

traders who were very wealthy

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22
Q

What is the social status of the professionals?

A
  • lawyers
  • doctors
  • clergymen (male religious leader e.g. minister or priest)
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23
Q

What is the social status of the business owners?

A

often highly skilled craftsmen e.g. silversmiths, glovers (glove makers), carpenters, tailors

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24
Q

What is the social status of the craftsmen?

A

skilled employees, including apprentices

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25
Q

What is the social status of the unskilled labourers & unemployed?

A

people who had no regular work & could not provide for themselves & their families

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26
Q

What is the significance of obedience & care in Elizabethan society?

A
  • wherever you were in Elizabethan society, you owed respect & obedience to those above you & had a duty of care to those below
  • e.g. Landowners ran their estates according to these ideas; ideally they would take care of their tenants, especially during times of hardship
  • households were run along similar lines to society; the husband & father was head of the household; his wife, children & any servants were expected to be obedient to him
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27
Q

What is a feature? Describe an example

A
  • a feature is an aspect of a topic
  • e.g. obedience & care is a feature of Elizabethan society
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28
Q

What followed after Mary I’s death?

A

when Elizabeth I became queen following the death of her older sister, Mary I, she had to find a way of establishing her authority as reigning monarch

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29
Q

What problems faced Elizabeth when she became queen?

A
  • young (21 yo) & lacked experience
  • needed support of parliament to pass laws
  • unmarried
  • legitimacy in doubt
  • Catholics refused to acknowledge Elizabeth’s right to rule England
  • she was Protestant, whereas her predecessor, Mary I, was Catholic
  • Elizabeth’s government needed money
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30
Q

Why was Elizabeth I’s legitimacy in doubt?

A

the Pope had refused to recognise her mother’s marriage to Henry VIII

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31
Q

What were the origins of doubts about Elizabeth I’s legitimacy?

A
  • Elizabeth’s father, Henry VIII, had divorced Catherine of Aragon & married Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth’s mother
  • the Pope refused to recognise this divorce
  • when Anne Boleyn was executed in 1536, Henry excluded Elizabeth from the succession, although he reversed this decision before his death
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32
Q

What is legitimacy?

A

refers to whether a monarch is lawfully entitled to rule

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33
Q

Why were there problems with Elizabeth I’s Protestantism?

A
  • many Catholics, especially in the North, disliked the way Henry had taken over the Church in 1534 (the Act of Supremacy) & dissolved the monasteries
  • they questioned Elizabeth’s legitimacy, claiming that she had no right to rule
  • they preferred a Catholic monarch & there was a real risk of rebellion
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34
Q

What were the key issues facing Elizabeth in 1588?

A
  • widely expected that Elizabeth would marry, however, this would reduce Elizabeth’s power, as her husband would be expected to govern the country & deal with parliament
  • Elizabeth’s inexperience meant that she needed the support & advice of her Privy Council, especially her Secretary of State, Sir William Cecil
  • Elizabeth could issue royal proclamations & had prerogative powers, enabling her to govern without parliament’s consent, especially in foreign policy. however, laws could only be passed with parliament’s approval as Acts of Parliament
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35
Q

Regarding Elizabeth I, what were the problems of marriage?

A
  • if Elizabeth married a Protestant, this would anger Catholics
  • if she married a Catholic, this would upset Protestants
  • marriage could involve England in expensive wars, damaging royal finances & requiring taxation. the Crown was already £300,000 in debt
  • yet marriage was important, as Elizabeth needed an heir; if she died without an heir the throne would be vacant & this could lead to civil war
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36
Q

What was the idea of ‘the Virgin Queen’?

A
  • Elizabeth was known as ‘the Virgin Queen’ because she remained unmarried
  • many people in the 16th century felt this meant she could not rule alone
  • however, Elizabeth had a number of strengths as a ruling monarch
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37
Q

What were the aspects of Elizabeth’s character & her strengths?

A
  • confident & charismatic - this enabled her to win over her subjects & command support in parliament
  • resilient - she had spent time in the Tower accused of treason & facing possible execution; she could cope with the pressures of being queen
  • well educated - she spoke Latin, Greek, French & Latin
  • excellent grasp of politics - she understood the interests & ambitions of her subjects, & was able to use her powers of patronage effectively
  • although Elizabeth was Protestant, the number of Protestants in England was growing, making her position as queen more secure; she could claim divine right with growing conviction
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38
Q

How did Elizabeth I reinvent her role?

A
  • was able to use her strengths to reinvent herself as a different type of monarch
  • she liked to demonstrate that, even though she was female, she was no ordinary woman
  • she therefore argued that she did not need to marry & could govern England on her own
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39
Q

What was the significance of Elizabethan propaganda during Elizabeth I’s reign?

A
  • throughout her reign, Elizabeth was happy to portray herself as a strong, legitimate, popular monarch & a ‘Virgin Queen’ - married only to England & not a prince or king
  • this is reflected in paintings of her coronation, which shows a confident but feminine monarch rightfully crowned queen
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40
Q

What is a ‘Charismatic leader’?

A

someone who possesses great personal appeal & can use this to win people over

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41
Q

What is a ‘Legitimate ruler’?

A

someone who is legally & morally entitled to rule

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42
Q

What is the ‘Divine right’?

A
  • the idea that God alone appointed the monarch, meaning that to challenge the monarch was to challenge God
  • successful monarchs claimed divine providence (Godly approval) of their actions, reinforcing their legitimacy
  • less successful monarchs could face charges of Godly disapproval & find their legitimacy undermined
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43
Q

Who were the Protestants?

A
  • Christians who no longer accepted the authority of the Pope & many of the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church
  • during the Reformation (which began in 1517), Protestants, under Martin Luther, seceded (broke away from) the Roman Catholic Church, & this resulted in religious wars in France & Germany
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44
Q

What was ‘Patronage’?

A
  • the monarch could use the granting of lands, jobs & titles to reward her supporters
  • people who received these positions could use them to become wealthy
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45
Q

What made Elizabeth’s reign difficult?

A

Elizabeth faced a number of financial challenges at home when she became queen

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46
Q

What were the financial differences in 1558?

A

There was a need to improve the quality of money to help England’s finances
- the Crown was £300,000 in debt & had an annual income of only £286,667
- over £100,000 of Crown debts was owed to foreign moneylenders (the Antwerp Exchange), which charged a high interest rate at 14%
- Mary Tudor had sold off Crown lands to pay for wars with France, so the Crown’s income from rents was falling
- Elizabeth needed money to remain secure on the throne, as she could use it to reward her supporters
- since the 1540’s, the Crown had debased (devalued) the coinage, by reducing its silver & gold content, in order to make more money to fight wars against France; this resulted in inflation, as the value of the currency fell

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47
Q

What does the word ‘Crown’ refer to?

A
  • the government
  • which means the monarch & her advisors (Privy Councillors)
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48
Q

How were monarchs able to raise money?

A
  • rents & income from their own lands (Crown lands)
  • taxes from trade (known as customs duties)
  • special additional taxes, known as subsidies, which had to be agreed by parliament
  • profits of justice (fines, property or lands from people convicted of crimes)
  • loans (sometimes loans were ‘forced’, meaning they were compulsory & never repaid)
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49
Q

What is inflation?

A
  • where prices rise
  • this happened because coins were worth less, so people charged more for what they sold
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50
Q

What could Elizabeth do to solve her financial problems in 1558?

A
  • Raise taxes to boost the Crown’s income
  • Improve the quality of money by increasing the gold & silver content in the coinage
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51
Q

What was the advantage of raising taxes to boost the Crown’s income?

A

the Queen could convene parliament & ask for subsidies (special additional taxes)

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52
Q

What was the disadvantage of raising taxes to boost the Crown’s income?

A

additional taxes would be unpopular with ordinary people, increasing the risk of unrest

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53
Q

What was the advantage of improving the quality of money by increasing the gold & silver content in the coinage?

A

in 1560, Thomas Gresham, the Crown’s financial adviser, suggested this to William Cecil, but the Crown was slow to respond

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54
Q

What was the disadvantage of improving the quality of money by increasing the gold & silver content in the coinage?

A
  • any ‘new’ coinage would be traded alongside older, less valuable coins
  • people would struggle to exchange the older coins for new ones
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55
Q

What were the effects of Elizabeth I’s policies?

A
  • in spite of Elizabeth’s careful management of Crown finances, there was limited reform
  • parliamentary grants were raised locally, with many landowners acting as Lord Lieutenants & Justices of the Peace, pocketing some of the proceeds before the rest was sent to the Crown
  • this meant that ordinary people faced a heavier financial burden while the wealthy benefitted
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56
Q

What were the advantages of what Elizabeth did to combat her financial challenges?

A
  • she did not raise taxes but instead hoarded her income & cut her household expenses by half
  • like her predecessors, she sold Crown lands, raising £120,000
  • by 1574, the queen could claim that the Crown was out of debt for the first time since 1558
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57
Q

What issue became prevalent from when Elizabeth I became queen in 1558?

A

when she became queen in 1558, Elizabeth faced a number of challenges from France, Scotland &, to a lesser extent, Spain & its influence in the Nethelrands

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58
Q

What challenges from abroad faced Elizabeth in 1588?

A
  • the French threat
  • the Auld Alliance
  • War was an expensive business
  • France had ended its war with Spain
  • the Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis
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59
Q

What impact did the French threat have on Elizabeth I’s challenges abroad in 1588?

A
  • France was wealthier than England & had a bigger population
  • Elizabeth’s cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots, was married to the heir to the French throne
  • Mary had a strong claim to the English throne & English Catholics might rally to her if the French invaded
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60
Q

What impact did the Auld Alliance have on Elizabeth I’s challenges abroad in 1588?

A
  • France’s alliance with Scotland threatened England
  • Mary of Guise (James V’s widow), who ruled Scotland on behalf of her daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots, kept French soldiers there, who could attack England
  • the relationship between France & Scotland was further strengthened by the marriage of Francis (the heir to the French throne) to Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1558
  • Francis became King Francis II of France in 1559
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61
Q

What impact did war have on Elizabeth I’s challenges abroad in 1588?

A
  • war was an expensive business & the Crown was in debt
  • England could not afford a war with France, Scotland or Spain, as this would be ruinously expensive & deepen the government’s debts
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62
Q

What impact did France ending its war with Spain have on Elizabeth I’s challenges abroad in 1588?

A
  • French military resources were no longer stretched by war with Spain, making a war with England more likely
  • there was also the possibility that France & Spain, both Catholic countries, would unite against Protestant England
  • Spain also had troops in the Netherlands, not far from England
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63
Q

What impact did the Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis have on Elizabeth I’s challenges abroad in 1588?

A
  • under the Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis, England had lost Calais to France
  • this was England’s last remaining territory on the continent & there was pressure on Elizabeth to regain it
  • however, war with France would be expensive & dangerous
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64
Q

How did Elizabeth deal with the challenges abroad?

A

Elizabeth did her best to avoid upsetting Europe’s most powerful countries.
- she sought to avoid war with France by signing the Peace of Troyes (1564), which recognised once & for all the French claim to Calais
- Elizabeth was able to deal with the threat posed by Scotland by placing Mary, Queen of Scots, who fled Scotland in 1568, in custody in England
- by imprisoning Mary & making peace with France, Elizabeth had only one significant threat by 1569: Spain

65
Q

Why did Elizabeth cause religious division?

A
  • Protestant queen
  • Taking over largely Catholic country
66
Q

Why was religion central to life in Elizabethan England?

A
  • Religious teaching/practices guided morale & behavior as well as world understanding
  • Birth, marriage and death were all marked by religious ceremonies
67
Q

What did people believe about purgatory in Elizabethan England?

A
  • Reduced time there if you went to Church, attended pilgrimages and confessed sins
68
Q

What is purgatory?

A

Where the soul was purged of sin using ‘spiritual fire’ before reaching heaven

69
Q

Why did religious division cause migration?

A
  • Since the 1530’s many Protestants fleeing persecution in Europe had settled in England
  • The number of English Protestants were growing
70
Q

How was the effect of religious division seen on Protestants?

A
  • Some became Puritans
71
Q

Who were Puritans?

A

People who wanted to purify the Christian religion by getting rid of anything not in the Bible

72
Q

How did religious division effect Northern England?

A

remained largely Catholic

73
Q

How did religious division affect Christian denomination?

A

The Reformation divided the Christian Church between Catholics and Protestants from 1517

74
Q

How were Catholics viewed?

A

The ‘old religion’

75
Q

How were Protestants viewed?

A

The ‘new religion’

76
Q

How were Puritans viewed?

A

Strict Protestants

77
Q

What was the Catholic belief on religious officials?

A

The pope is the head of the Church helped by cardinals, bishops and priests

78
Q

What was the Protestant belief on religious officials?

A
  • No pope
  • May be necessary to have archbishops or bishops
79
Q

What was the Puritan belief on religious officials?

A

No popes, cardinals or bishops

80
Q

What was the Catholic belief on Church?

A
  • It is the intermediary (go-between) between God and people
81
Q

What was the Protestant and Puritan belief on Church?

A
  • Personal direct relationship with God via prayer and Bible
  • Only God can forgive sins
82
Q

What was the the Catholic belief on consecration?

A

During Mass bread and wine become actual body and blood of Christ (transubstantiation)

83
Q

What was the Protestant and Puritan belief on consecration?

A
  • The bread and wine simply represent the body and blood of Christ
84
Q

What was the Catholic belief on sacraments?

A

7 sacraments

85
Q

What was the Protestant and Puritan belief on sacraments?

A
  • Only 2 sacraments
  • Baptism
  • Holy Communion
86
Q

What was the Catholic belief on Priests?

A

They are celibate

87
Q

What was the Protestant and Puritan belief on priests?

A

They can marry

88
Q

What was the Catholic practice on services?

A

Services in Latin

89
Q

What was the Protestant and Puritan belief on services?

A

Services in English

90
Q

What was the Catholic practice on Church decoration?

A

Highly decorated

91
Q

What was the Protestant practice on Church decoration?

A

Churches plain and simple

92
Q

What was the Puritan practice on Church decoration?

A

Churches whitewashed with no decorations

93
Q

Where was the Catholic support?

A

Majority in north and west England

94
Q

Where was the Protestant support?

A

South-east England

95
Q

Where was the Puritan support?

A

London & East Anglia

96
Q

What did Elizabeth’s 1559 religious settlement aim to establish?

A

A form of religion that would be acceptable to both Protestants and Catholics

97
Q

When was Elizabeth’s religious settlement?

A

1559

98
Q

Why was the Act of Uniformity a key feature of Elizabeth’s 1559 religious settlement?

A
  • Dictated church appearance
  • Required everyone to attend church
99
Q

Why were the Royal Injunctions a key feature of Elizabeth’s 1559 religious settlement?

A
  • Reinforced Act of Supremacy & Uniformity
100
Q

When was the Book of Common Prayer introduced?

A

1559

101
Q

Why was the Book of Common Prayer a key feature of Elizabeth’s religious settlement?

A
  • Introduced a set church service to be used in all churches
  • Clergy had to follow Prayer Book or be punished
102
Q

What does Ecclesiastical mean?

A

Anything to do with the Church

103
Q

Why was the Ecclesiastical High Commission a key feature of Elizabeth’s religious settlement?

A
  • Kept discipline within Church
  • enforced settlement
  • Disloyal clergy punished
104
Q

Why was the Act of Supremacy a key feature of Elizabeth’s religious settlement?

A
  • Elizabeth becomes Head of C of E
  • Clergy &Royal officials swear oath of allegiance to her
105
Q

How was the 1559 Prayer book inclusive for Catholics?

A
  • Communion Settlement: blood and body of Christ
  • Believed ‘real miracles’ experienced at pilgrimages
106
Q

How was the 1559 prayer book inclusive for Protestants?

A
  • Communion Sacrament as an act of remembrance
  • Approved ban of pilgrimages to ‘fake’ miracles
107
Q

How was the 1559 prayer book inclusive for Catholic mass?

A

Approve of use of candles, crosses and vestments in church services

108
Q

What was the impact of religious settlement on ordinary people?

A
  • Accepted settlement & attended church
  • However many held on to Catholic beliefs
109
Q

What did the Royal Injunctions state that clergy were required to teach?

A

Royal Supremacy

110
Q

What did the Royal Injunctions state that clergy were required to keep?

A

Copy of the English Bible

111
Q

What did the Royal Injunctions state that clergy were required to have?

A

Government licence to preach

112
Q

What did the Royal Injunctions state that clergy were required to wear?

A

Vestments

113
Q

What is the significance of the Church of England’s role in society?

A

the Church of England played an important role in national government, & in town & village life

114
Q

What were the roles of the Church of England in society?

A
  • preached the government’s message
  • provided guidance for communities
  • responsible for Church Courts
  • visitations
  • legitimised Elizabeth’s rule
  • enforced Elizabeth’s religious settlement of 1559
115
Q

What is the significance of preaching the government’s message in terms of the role of the Church of England in society?

A
  • priests needed a government’s licence to preach
  • this ensured the clergy preached Elizabeth’s religious & political message, as those who refused to do so would be denied a licence
116
Q

What is the significance of providing guidance for communities in terms of the role of the Church of England in society?

A

the parish church helped people in times of hardship & uncertainty

117
Q

What is the significance of being responsible for Church Courts in terms of the role of the Church of England in society?

A

it dealt with marriage, sexual offences, slander (false insults), wills & inheritance

118
Q

What is the significance of visitations in terms of the role of the Church of England in society?

A
  • bishops carried out inspections of churches & clergy, to ensure they obeyed the religious settlement
  • these took place every 3-4 years
  • visitations also involved checking the licences of physicians, midwifes & surgeons
119
Q

What is the significance of legitimising Elizabeth’s role in terms of the role of the Church of England in society?

A

the Church encouraged people to remain loyal to & not rebel against their monarch

120
Q

What was the role of parish clergy in village life?

A
  • in all parishes the clergymen was a major figure in the village community & conducted church services including baptisms, weddings & funerals
  • the clergy offered spiritual & practical advice & guidance to people, especially when times were difficult (such as during a poor harvest)
  • the clergy were funded by taxes or tithes, or by other sources of income, such as the sale of church pews; the gentry funded some parishes while others remained independent of local landowners
121
Q

What is a tithe?

A

a tax worth 10% of people’s income or goods produced

122
Q

What was the role of parish clergy in town life?

A
  • parish churches in towns contained a much wider collection of people, including merchants, craftsmen, labourers & vagrants; there was often a wider range of religious beliefs, too, especially in London, which contained mainstream Protestants, Puritans & Catholics
  • the role of the clergy varied both within towns & between them; in London a wide variety of parishes existed, some of which were very wealthy while others were relatively poor
  • due to overcrowding, parish clergy in towns had a wider range of issues to deal with than was the case in rural parishes; these included poverty, vagrancy & diseases, such as smallpox & plague
123
Q

What challenged Elizabeth’s 1559 religious settlement?

A
  • many radical Protestants (Puritans)
  • however, by the late 1560s most Protestant clergy were doing as the queen required
124
Q

Who were the Puritans?

A

radical Protestants who wanted to ‘purify’ the Christian religion by getting rid of anything that wasn’t in the Bible

125
Q

Describe the main features of the Puritans

A
  • wanted to develop their own Church, which would not be controlled by the queen; there would be no bishops, & priests would not wear vestments
  • wanted to make the world a ‘more godly’ place by banning ‘sinful’ activities, such as gambling & cock fighting
  • wanted a simpler style of worship, whitewashed churches & no ‘graven images’ (worship of religious idols), including crucifixes & statues, which were seen as ungodly & too Catholic
  • minority of Puritans believed the monarch could be overthrown in certain circumstances; this was especially the case if the monarch was Catholic
  • many Puritans were anti-Catholic & believed the Pope was the ‘anti-Christ’; other Puritans - millenarians - believed the world was ending & that Christians had to prepare for Jesus’ return
126
Q

What are vestments?

A

special clothing worn by clergy during worship

127
Q

Describe the nature of the Puritan challenge (Crucifixes)

A
  • Elizabeth, anxious not to upset her Catholic subjects, demanded that a crucifix be placed in each church
  • Puritans opposed this, &, when some Puritans bishops threatened to resign, Elizabeth backed down, as she could not replace them, as she could not replace them with educated Protestant clergy of similar ability
128
Q

Describe the nature of the Puritan challenge (Vestments)

A
  • Elizabeth wanted the clergy to wear special vestments, as described, as described in the Royal Injunctions
  • Puritans resisted this, arguing that clergy should either wear no vestments or simple vestments; in 1566 the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Parker, required priests in his Book of Advertisements to attend an exhibition showing the vestments they must wear
  • this resulted in the resignation of 37 Puritan priests, who refused to attend church & to wear the new vestments as required
129
Q

What was the extent of the Puritan challenge?

A
  • Puritans were a vocal group within English society. Puritans, such as John Foxe, Thomas Cartwright & John Field were openly anti-Catholic & opposed to bishops
  • while Puritans were active in London, Cambridge, Oxford & parts of East Anglia, Puritanism had less of an impact on northern England, where people remained mostly Catholic in outlook
  • the government ignored most Puritan demands for reform of the Church of England, including the Admonition to Parliament in 1572, suggesting that Puritanism’s support was limited
130
Q

What created hostility towards Elizabeth I?

A

the Catholic Church became increasingly hostile to Protestantism & Elizabeth’s rule

131
Q

What was the ‘Counter Reformation’?

A
  • the Catholic Church’s attempt to reverse the Protestant Reformation in Europe & stop its spread was known as the Counter Reformation
  • Protestants in Europe were charged with heresy
  • in 1566, the Pope issued an instruction to English Catholics not to attend Church of England services
132
Q

What is heresy?

A
  • involved denying the teachings of the Catholic Church
  • the Catholic Church dealt with heretics severely, with many being executed for their beliefs
133
Q

Describe the events leading up to the Catholic challenge at home

A
  • 1517: Start of the Reformation by Martin Luther
  • 1534: Act of Supremacy: the king & not the Pope is head of the Church of England
  • 1553-58: Catholicism is restored under Mary Tudor
  • 1559: Elizabeth’s religious settlement
  • 1545-63: Council of Trent & Counter Reformation leads to determination to reverse gains made by Protestantism in Europe & England since Reformation
134
Q

Describe the nature of the Catholic threat at home

A

Counter Reformation in Europe attempts to reverse the spread of Protestantism -> Catholic hostility towards Protestants -> Pope instructs English Catholics not to attend Church of England services/one third of the English nobility & a large part of the gentry are recusants -> Revolt of the Northern Earls (1569-70)

135
Q

Who are rescusants?

A
  • they practiced the Catholic religion in secret
  • Elizabeth tolerated them initially, as she did not want to turn them into religious martyrs (people prepared to die for their religion) & to avoid a Catholic rebellion
136
Q

Describe the extent of the Catholic threat

A
  • up to one-third of the nobility (major landowners) & many gentry (smaller landowners) were recusants, especially in the north & northwest of England
  • Catholic nobility tended to be from traditional & powerful families that had prospered under Mary Tudor, such as the Nevilles & the Percys; they resented their loss of influence of her favourites, such as Sir William Cecil & Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, who they saw as Protestant upstarts
  • the nobility in the North were very influential & had always enjoyed freedom of action (independence) from the Crown, so they well placed to incite a rebellion against Elizabeth
  • this threat was increased by the Pope’s instruction that Catholics were not to attend Church of England services; this gave them a powerful religious reason to rebel
137
Q

What threatened Queen Elizabeth’s monarchy?

A

many of Europe’s most powerful rulers tended to be Catholic and, encouraged by the Pope, represented a real threat to Queen Elizabeth’s monarchy, as they could seek to remove her from the throne & replace her with a Catholic monarch

138
Q

Describe the extent of Catholic challenge from abroad in 1570

A

by 1570, Elizabeth was surrounded by potentially hostile Catholic powers that could seek to overthrow her & replace her with a Catholic monarch

139
Q

Describe the Catholic challenge Elizabeth I faced from France

A
  • when religious war began in France, in 1562, Elizabeth backed French Protestants, hoping to take back Calais in return
  • yet, this policy failed, as French Protestants made peace with the Catholics later that year
  • Elizabeth could not afford to upset both France & Spain, as this would increase threats to her throne
140
Q

Describe the extent of Catholic challenge abroad in terms of the papacy

A
  • the Counter Reformation meant the Pope was prepared to end Protestant rule in England
  • he disapproved of the steps that Elizabeth had taken to suppress Catholicism following the revolt of the Northern Earls
  • the Pope had already excommunicated Elizabeth in 1570; this could only encourage Catholic powers, such as France & Spain, to attack England
141
Q

What is excommunication?

A

formally excluded from the Catholic Church & unable to receive its sacraments

142
Q

How did the Spanish challenge Protestants?

A
  • in 1566, the Dutch rebelled against Spanish occupation
  • Elizabeth outwardly condemned the Dutch rebels, known as the Sea Beggars, but many made their way to England
  • Spanish atrocities against Protestants (hundreds were put to death in the Netherlands) put Elizabeth under pressure to shelter rebels, who attacked Spanish ships in the Channel
143
Q

How did the Spanish challenge the English?

A
  • Spain was further angered by England’s seizure of the Genoese loan in 1568
  • the Italian city of Genoa lent gold to the Spanish government
  • ships carrying the loan sheltered in English ports, where Elizabeth seized it, arguing it belonged to Italian bankers not Spain
144
Q

How did the Spanish challenge the Dutch?

A
  • by 1570, Spanish rule in the Netherlands was secure
  • the Privy Council now feared a Spanish invasion, as Spanish troops were in the Spanish Netherlands close to England
145
Q

How did the Spanish challenge Elizabeth I?

A

the presence of Mary, Queen of Scots, as an alternative Catholic monarch encouraged the Spanish government to plot against Elizabeth

146
Q

What made monarchy more difficult for Elizabeth I?

A

Mary, Queen of Scots, had a legitimate claim to the English throne & was at the centre of many plots designed to overthrow Elizabeth

147
Q

Describe Mary, Queen of Scots claim to the throne

A
  • Mary, Queen of Scots, was Henry VII’s great-granddaughter & Elizabeth’s second cousin
  • she was descended from Margaret Tudor, Henry VIII’s sister
  • she was Catholic & had a legitimate claim to the English throne
  • Mary was married to the French king, Francis II, & inherited the Scottish crown when she was only six days old
  • while Mary was in France, her mother, Mary of Guise, ruled Scotland
148
Q

Why was Mary, Queen of Scots important?

A
  • Mary was Catholic, which meant that many Catholics, including members of the nobility, would be prepared to support her claim to the throne
  • Mary’s claim was strengthened by the fact there were no concerns about her legitimacy; Elizabeth’s legitimacy was questioned by Catholics, however, as her mother Anne Boleyn’s marriage to Henry VIII was seen by many Catholics as invalid; this undermined Elizabeth’s claim to the throne
  • Mary, therefore, would always be at the centre of Catholic plots & conspiracies against Elizabeth; these involved both English plotters & foreign powers
149
Q

What happened when Mary, Queen of Scots left Scotland?

A
  • on the death of Francis II in 1560, Mary returned to Scotland & married Henry Stuart (Lord Darnley), producing an heir, James
  • Darnley was subsequently murdered (possibly with Mary’s involvement) & this time Mary married the Earl of Bothwell
  • many Scots assumed that Mary had murdered Darnley &, in 1568, they rebelled against her, imprisoned her & forced her to abdicate (give up her throne) in favour of her son, James
  • Mary escaped & raised an army, but this was defeated at Langside near Glasgow
  • Mary subsequently fled to England, seeking her cousin Elizabeth’s help against the Scottish rebels
150
Q

Describe Mary’s 1568 imprisonment in England

A
  • Mary was held in England in comfort but under guard while Elizabeth decided what to do with her
  • the Scottish rebels demanded that Mary be handed over & tried for the murder of Darnley
151
Q

Why did Mary’s arrival in England create a problem for Elizabeth?

A
  • by remaining in England she could encourage rebellion, as many members of the Catholic nobility believed they could overthrow Elizabeth & place Mary on the throne
  • however, to take action against Mary, as an anointed monarch, would also reduce Elizabeth’s own status, power & authority
152
Q

Describe the overall relationship between Elizabeth & Mary

A

relations between the two monarchs remained tense, as Elizabeth became increasingly concerned about the presence of Mary, Queen of Scots, in England between 1568 and 1569, & the threat she posed to her throne

153
Q

What were Elizabeth’s possible options with Mary, Queen of Scots (1568-69)?

A
  • help Mary to regain her throne
  • hand Mary over to the Scottish lords
  • allow Mary to go abroad
  • keep Mary in England
154
Q

What were the possible problems of helping Mary to regain her throne?

A
  • helping Mary regain her throne would anger the Scottish nobility & leave Elizabeth facing a Catholic monarch on her northern border
  • the Auld Alliance with France could then be revived to threaten her
155
Q

What were the possible problems of handing Mary over to the Scottish lords?

A
  • Mary was the widow of the French king, Francis II
  • her trial, imprisonment & execution by Scottish noblemen with Elizabeth’s permission could provoke France, driving them into alliance with Spain, which could lead both countries into war with England
156
Q

What were the possible problems of allowing Mary to go abroad?

A
  • allowing Mary to go abroad could see her return to France
  • this could provoke a French plot that aimed to remove Elizabeth from the English throne & replace her with Mary
157
Q

What were the possible problems of keeping Mary in England?

A
  • keeping Mary in England was probably the best option for Elizabeth
  • however, it carried the risk that Catholic plotters might try to overthrow Elizabeth & replace her with Mary
158
Q

Describe the Casket Letters Affair

A
  • a meeting was set up at York to hear the case against Mary between October 1568 & January 1569
  • the Scottish lords brought love letters with them, supposedly written by Mary to the Earl of Bothwell, that showed she had plotted to murder Lord Darnley
  • Mary said that she could not be tried because she was an anointed monarch, & would not offer a plea unless Elizabeth guaranteed a verdict of innocence
  • the conference did not reach any conclusions; Mary, therefore, remained captive in England
159
Q

What were the advantages of Elizabeth not handing over Mary (Casket Letters Affair)?

A

by not handing over Mary, Elizabeth ensured:
- the Scottish nobility would not imprison or execute Mary
- the French would be satisfied
- her subjects did not punish an anointed monarch

160
Q

What were the impacts of the Casket Letters Affair?

A
  • the conference did not reach any conclusions
  • Mary, therefore, stayed in England, in captivity
  • but, she remained a threat to Elizabeth, because any plots against her, especially those involving Catholics, would seek to replace Elizabeth with Mary
161
Q

Why did Elizabeth not make Mary her heir?

A
  • one further possibility was that Elizabeth would acknowledge Mary as her heir
  • however, to do so would upset English Protestants, including those on her Privy Council
  • without the support of these Privy Councillors, Elizabeth - already distrusted by many Catholics - would have few supporters left
  • moreover, the prospect of a Catholic heir would, in the event of Elizabeth’s death, result in civil war