The Elizabethans Flashcards
Who did Catholics believe should be the head of the church?
The Pope
Who did Protestants believe should be the head of the church?
The Monarch
Who did Puritans believe should be the head of the church?
No one
Who did Catholics & Protestants believe should run the church?
Archbishops and Bishops
Who did Puritans believe should run the church?
Elected committees
What language did Catholics believe the Bible should be in?
Latin
What language did Protestants and Puritans believe the Bible should be in?
English
What did Catholics believe the church should look like inside?
Decorated
What did Protestants and Puritans believe the church should look like inside?
Plain and simple
Did Catholics allow priests to wear vestments?
Yes
Did Protestants and Puritans allow priests to wear vestments?
No
What did Catholics believe got you into heaven?
Good works
What did Protestants and Puritans believe got you into heaven?
Belief in God
What was Elizabeth’s Religious Settlement?
- Elizabeth’s 1559 Religious Settlement included both Protestant and Catholic features:
- Protestant features: Elizabeth was the head of the Church, rather than the Pope, and all churches had to have an English Bible
- Catholic features: Churches could be highly decorated and priests had to wear vestments
- As a result of this, Elizabeth’s religious settlement was known as the Middle Way
- Everyone was expected to attend church each Sunday. Those who did not - recusants - were fined
What was the Royal Court?
The Royal Court was the group of nobles and privy councillor’s who surrounded the Queen at all times
How was life at court?
- Courtiers travelled with Elizabeth as she toured her 60 residences
- Entertainment at court projected an image of extravagance and wealth, including:
- Jousting tournaments
- Dances and plays
- Banquets
- Hunting parties
How did Elizabeth control the Royal Court?
Elizabeth used a system of patronage to control the Royal Court
- Elizabeth granted positions of power - such as a place at court or on the Privy Council - to wealthy nobles and he favourites
- Courtiers therefore owed all their power to Elizabeth and knew she could remove patronage at any time, guaranteeing loyalty
- The system of patronage meant that power was based on personal relationships with the Queen
What was the Privy Council?
- Elizabeth’s most trusted courtiers
- Met on a daily basis
- Led by Elizabeth’s chief advisor, Secretary of State
How did Elizabeth control the Privy Council?
- Appointing privy councillors with different viewpoints, leaving her free to choose between them
- Appointing the loyal and trusted William Cecil as Secretary of State for most of her reign - her nickname for him was ‘Spirit’
Why did Elizabeth not have complete control over the Privy Council?
- In 1587, Cecil manipulated Elizabeth into executing Mary Queen of Scots
- By the 1590s William Cecil was too old to control the Privy Council, leading to fractional rivalry between his son - Robert Cecil - and other councillors such as the Earl of Essex
Who was the Earl of Essex?
Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex, was the rising star of Elizabeth’s court
- At the age of 18, Essex became Elizabeth’s favourite
- His success as a military commander won him a place on the Privy Council
- After William Cecil died in 1587, Essex believed that he - not Robert Cecil - should become Secretary of State
What was the Essex Rebellion?
- 1598: reached for his sword during an argument with Elizabeth
- 1599: led a failed military expedition in Ireland
- 1600: abandon his soldiers in Ireland and forced his way into Elizabeth’s bedchamber
- 1601: plotted an armed rebellion to remove Elizabeth and make James of Scotland the king
How did the Essex Rebellion reveal Elizabeth’s weakness in the 1590s?
- The death of Cecil led to dangerous fractional rivalry in the Privy Council
- Essex struggled to respect Elizabeth’s authority because she was a woman
What was Parliament?
Parliament was part of Elizabeth’s government in which MPs voted to give their consent for new laws and taxes
