Situation At Start Of Elizabeth's Reign And Her Problems Flashcards
How did Elizabeth I rule?
As a monarch. Equality wasn’t important, no police, all relied on social structure
What was the Elizabethan social hierarchy?
Nobility, gentry, yeomen, tenant farmers, landless/labouring poor, vagrants
What was social hierarchy of nobility etc. based on?
How much land was owned
What is the social hierarchy of towns and what was it based on?
Merchants, professionals, business owners, skilled craftsmen, unskilled and unemployed. Based on wealth and occupation
What was Court mostly made up of?
Nobility
What was Court?
The body of people living near or with the monarch
What was Court needed for?
To entertain and advise the monarch, to publicly display power and courtiers had influence on monarch
What was the Privy Council?
Group of leading courtiers and advisers, as well as seniors like William Cecil.
How often did the Privy Council meet and what for?
At least 3x a week to debate issues, make sure decisions carried out, oversaw law and security of England, monitored JPs and monitored what parliament was doing
What was Parliament?
Made up of the House of Common and House of Lords, called and dismissed by the monarch
Why was Parliament there?
To offer advice to the monarch and grant extraordinary taxation
Why was there one Lord Luitenant per county?
To maintain power and defence in England, appointed by monarch
What did Lord Lueitenants do?
Oversaw county defences and enforced policies, as well as being part of the local government
Who were Justice of the Peace (JPs)?
Landowners who kept law and order locally, reporting things to the Privy Council
What did JPs do?
Made sure all policies were carried out, heard county court cases every 3 months for serious crimes and were part of the local government
What does it mean that the monarch was the divine right?
She could make government policy with the Privy council, could declare war and peace, could call and dismiss parliament, grant titles, land, money and jobs
What was an effective way of getting support for the monarch?
Patronage
What was the Secretary of State?
Leader of Privy council and closest to Queen
Who was thr Secretary of State until 1573?
Sir William Cecil
Why was parliament needed for the queen?
If she needed more money, extra taxation could be raised under parliaments agreement
What was the royal prerogative?
Areas only monarch could make decisions on