Wyatt's Rebellion Flashcards
Did the rebellion go according to the original plan?
No - the plan involved 4 simultaneous rebellions in Kent, Devon, Leicestershire and on the Welsh borders. Only 1 (Kent) actually went ahead
How many men were involved in Wyatt’s rebellion?
Around 3,000
How did Mary initially respond to the threat?
Sent troops under the command of the Duke of Norfolk, but Wyatt uses xenophobia to persuade 500 of his soldiers to join the rebellion
How did Mary manage to maintain support in London?
Gives a great speech at Guildhall declaring Wyatt a traitor
Why was Wyatt delayed in reaching London?
The rebels took a canon when they reached Gravesend and then waste time by marching on Cooling Castle
What problem did Wyatt’s troops encounter when they reached London?
They can’t cross London bridge, so have to march to find another way to cross into London
What issue wasted even more time when Wyatt was trying to enter London?
The wheels on the canon they took at Gravesend broke. Tried to fix it but then left it
How do the rebels eventually enter London?
They reach Kingston bridge, which is broken. They then have to fix it, wasting further time.
What do the rebels do once they enter London?
March to St Paul’s (getting within half a kilometer of Mary!) and then march to Ludgate
How does the rebellion end at Ludgate?
The Londoners refuse to open the gate for the rebels (Guildhall speech) and attack them when they retreat. Wyatt = captured
What happened to Wyatt and some of the rebels?
Charged with treason and executed along with 90 of the other rebels
Reasons why Wyatt’s rebellion was unsuccessful?
Intentions of leaders unclear (some wanted Elizabeth on the throne, some wanted Lady Jane Grey back, some wanted to keep Mary but kick out Philip)
Lots of wasted time
Mary’s Guildhall speech ensured loyalty of Londoners
Religious causes of Wyatt’s rebellion?
Majority of rebels and rebel leaders were heavily Protestant (Courtenay only one who isn’t Protestant)
Rebellion originated in Maidstone, a place where many burnings would take place
In 1554, John Proctor wrote a book called ‘The History of Wyatt’s Rebellion’ which stated that the cause was religion (however, this may have been the government attempting to draw negative attention away from the rebellion)
Did the Spanish marriage cause Wyatt’s rebellion?
Wyatt gave the Spanish marriage as the reason for the rebellion
Wyatt was able to convince Norfolk’s troops to join the rebellion by appealing to English hatred of the Spanish
Could argue that the fact that the treaty was so advantageous to England means the marriage wasn’t a big cause (however, many thought Philip wouldn’t stick to it - had already protested about the fact that his coronation chair was lower than Mary’s)
Economic causes of Wyatt’s rebellion?
Kent was suffering from a decline in the cloth industry. Rising unemployment since 1551 due to slump in the cloth trade in Antwerp
