Queen, Government and religion (1558-69) Flashcards
What was the social hierarchy of Elizabethan England (high to low)?
- Nobility
- Gentry
- Yeomen
- Tenant farmers
- Landless or labouring poor
- Vagrants, homeless
How was social hierarchy determined?
It was usually determined by how much land you had and whether you owned or rented it. Yeomen were men who held a small amount of land or an estate (lower gentry). Tenant farmers farmed rented land that belonged to the gentry or yeomen.
What was the social hierarchy of towns in Elizabethan England?
- Merchants (usually owned lots of property)
- Professionals (Lawyers, doctors, teachers, clergy etc)
- Business owners (usually highly skilled craftsmen that employed others. Included silversmiths, carpenters, tailors etc. They were organised into guilds.)
- Skilled craftsmen (people who had learned a skill or trade.Included apprentices)
- Unskilled workers and the unemployed
What were guilds?
Trade associations formed of business owners. They monitored standards, working conditions and who were allowed to practise the trade.
What were the five key parts of the Government in Elizabethan England?
- Court
- Privy council
- Parliament
- Lords Lieutenant
- Justices of the Peace
What were the key features of the court?
- They were a body of people who lived near the same palace or house of the monarch
- Mainly consisted of the nobility (monarch’s key servants, advisers and friends)
- Attending court required the monarch’s permission
What was the role of the court?
- To entertain and advise the monarch
- To publicly display wealth and power
- Courtiers (usualy members of the nobility who spent most their lives with Elizabeth I) had influence with the Queen rather than actual power
What were the key features of the Privy Council?
- Made up of leading courtiers, advisers, nobles and senior government officials
- Approximately 19 members on the Privy Council selected by the monarch
- They met at least three times a week and were often attended and presided by the Queen
What was the role of the Privy Council?
- To monitor Justices of Peace
- To monitor the proceedings of Parliament
- To oversee law and order, local government and the security of England
- Make sure the monarch’s final decisions were carried out
- To debate current issues and advise the monarch on government policy
What were the key features of parliament?
- Made up of House of Lords (which includes bishops) and House of Commons
- Could only be called and dismissed by the monarch
- Elections were held before each new parliament but few people could vote
- Elizabeth called parliament ten times during her reign
What was the role of parliament?
- To grant extraordinary taxation (additional tax to pay for unexpected expenses like war)
- Pass laws (Act of Parliament)
- Offer advice to monarch
What were the key features of a Lord Lieutenant?
- Chosen by the Queen
- Members of the nobility and often the Privy Council
- Essential in maintaining the monarch’s power and England’s defences
What were the roles of a Lord Lieutenant?
- Part of the local government
- For overseeing the enforcement of policies
- In charge of raising and training local militia (military force of ordinary people, usually raised in an emergency) and overseeing county defences
What were the key features of the Justices of Peace?
- JoPs were large land owners who kept law and order in their local area.
- They were unpaid and reported to the Privy Council.
- It was a position of status so it was a very popular job
What were the roles of the Justices of peace?
- To make sure all social and economic policies were carried out
- Part of the local government
- To hear county court cases every three months for more serious crimes
What was Elizabeth I role in politics and the government?
- Because of the divine right she made government policy with the advice of the Privy Council
- She could declare war and peace
- Call and dismiss parliament and agree or reject any laws they voted for
- Rule in some legal cases (e.g. if law was unclear or if people appealed for judgement)
- Grant titles, land, money and jobs
What is patronage?
To provide someone with an important job or position through a grant of land, a title or championing a cause. It is an effective way of gaining support and controlling people. The queen is the ultimate patron
Who was Elizabeth’s most important Privy Councillor?
The Secretary of State. He was the person the Queen was closest to in government and advised the Queen on matters important to the Crown. Sir William Cecil was the most significant person to hold this position under Elizabeth where he stood until 1573 when he was raised to nobility.
Why were parliament important to the Queen?
- Extraordinary taxation could not be done without their agreement
- The Queen’s orders (proclamations) could not be enforced in law courts whereas Acts of Parliaments could so really important policies had to be approved by them.
What was the Royal Prerogative?
The areas only the monarch had the right to decide upon. It was Elizabeth’s right to stop Parliament discussing issues that she didn’t want discussed like foreign policy, marriage and succession.
Who chose the candidates for election?
The Privy councillors. Only wealthy men could vote or become MPs. Most elections went unchallenged.
Were MPs ever punished?
If MPs went too far they were sent to the Tower of London (usually by the Queen) but they were always released.
Why was Elizabeth I legitimacy to the throne questioned?
- It was essential that a monarch was born with their reigning parents (King and Queen) still married (wedlock)
- Her legitimacy was questioned because of how her father Henry VIII had divorced his first wife before marrying Elizabeth’s mother Anne Boleyn
Why was Henry VIII divorce to Catherine of Aragon controversial?
- Henry was disallowed to divorce Catherine of Aragon(who failed him a male heir) without the grant of the Pope as Henry was Roman Catholic
- After failing to get the grant, Henry created the Church of England and put himself as its head. He then granted himself a divorce (annulment) and married Anne Boleyn and had Elizabeth.
- Committed Catholics refused to acknowledge the divorce as the pope had not agreed to it.
Why did Elizabeth not want to marry despite many people wanting her to?
- Because then she would be sidelined by her husband in perspective of power
- She would have to marry a foreign prince so England would not be their priority
- She would have to be an obedient wife
What is a Queen regnant?
A Queen regnant is a reigning queen that rules by her own right. Mary I’s reign (the monarch before Elizabeth) as a Queen regnant went disastrously. Men were supposed to have authority as they and the bible believed that women were incapable of having control and power
Why was Mary I’s reign a disaster?
- England had lost the battle with France when they had allied with Spain. Morale was low.
- Mary’s marriage to King Philip II of Spain was so unpopular that it caused rebellions.
- England’s finances were poor and so many of its people were too. Several bad harvests led to disease, hunger and poverty
- Mary burned almost 300 people for their religious beliefs (Protestantism). These were not popular even among Catholics
What were Elizabeth’s strengths and characteristics like?
- Elizabeth was highly intelligent and well educated
- She had an excellent grasp for politics
- She had been held in the Tower of London after being suspected of treason against Mary
- Understood the dangerous world of court
- Elizabeth was confident, charismatic and persuasive
- Her fiery temper caused some fear among the government
- She took a long time to make decisions
What was the financial situation like when Elizabeth I took to the throne?
- The crown was in a £300,000 debt which was huge in 1558
- The annual income for the crown was £286,667 approximately
How could money be raised by the monarch?
- Through rents and income from their own land
- Taxes from trade (customs duties)
- Subsidies (additional taxes that had to be agreed by parliament.
- Profits of justice (fines)
- Loans
How did Elizabeth help legitimise her rightful claim to the throne?
She campaigned for her mother Anne Boleyn to be remembered in a positive way; as Henry’s greatest love and a martyr for the Protestant cause
What was the problem that Elizabeth had to overcome to stay powerful?
She had to be wealthy as defending England and the throne was expensive . However, taxes were unpopular and parliament had to agree to them. Parliament could make demands on Elizabeth because of this so she had to not rely on Parliament for her income
Why were France threatening for England?
They were wealthier and had a larger population than England. They were also friends with England’s other enemy Scotland in what was known as the Auld Alliance. Mary, Queen of Scots was also married to the French heir Francis and later became queen of France in 1559
Why were Scotland threatening aside from their friendship with France?
Mary, Queen of Scots declared herself the legitimate Catholic claimant to the English throne when Mary I died. She was the granddaughter of Henry VII’s sister. She was also a strong catholic so could recieve support from the people who were against the marriage of Henry VII and Anne Boleyn. Scotland was an independent country and had a traditional feud with England and the border between the two countries is remote and hard to defend.
What were Elizabeth’s concerns about France and Spain?
Elizabeth was concerned that through Spain’s and France’s hate for each other they would unite through their catholic faith. Protestants and Catholics had had conflicts throughout Europe and Elizabeth was concerned that France and Spain would turn on England as it was a protestant country.
Why did Queen Elizabeth put regaining the port of Calais in her foreign policy?
England had held the French port of Calais since 1347 until England had been humiliated after they lost the war in France with Spain. The treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis meant England had to give Calais back to the French. Calais was important for trading with Spain as well as being a military base in France. Elizabeth wanted to take back what had belonged to her ancestors but France were threatening.
What was the European reformation?
The European reformation was when people, known as Protestants, abandoned the Roman Catholic faith as they believed it had become corrupt and greedy. They established their own churches without the pope.
When did the English Reformation take place?
It began in 1532 when Henry VIII created the Church of England. However, Henry was not a true protestant. By 1558,the Reformation was tearing up Europe and dividing countries.
What are the key features of a Roman Catholic church?
- The Pope is the head of the church
- Underneath the pope are the cardinals, archbishops, bishops and priests
- Church services and the bible should be in Latin
- The church can forgive sins
- Priests are special and should wear vestments
- During mass a miracle occurs (bread and wine represents Jesus)
- Churches should highly decorate and honour God
- There are seven sacraments (Special church ceremonies)
- Priests are forbidden to marry
What are the key features of a Protestant church?
- There should not be a pope
- Not necessary to have cardinals, archbishops or bishops
- The bible and church services should be in your own language
- People have a direct relationship with God through prayer and bible study
- Bread and wine represents the last supper, not a miracle
- Sins can only be forgiven by God
- Priests are not special so should not wear special clothing
- Churches should be plain and simple so as not to distract from God
- Only two sacraments(baptism and holy communion)
- Priests can marry
What was the problem Elizabeth I faced with the clergy?
Elizabeth was the first real protestant monarch but most of her clergy (religious leaders) were Roman Catholic and were in the House of Lords. Although, many priests changed their religion to keep their job, some were devout and went against the Queen.
Where were the majority of Catholic dioceses in England located?
Most Roman Catholic dioceses (areas looked after by a bishop) were in the North and Western parts of England. They tended to be far away from London.
Where were the majority of Protestant dioceses in England located?
London, East Anglia and the south east were more in favour of Protestantism. This is because the had links with the Netherlands and German states where Protestantism had become popular and most Protestant materials come from to London.
