Elizabethan England

• Legitimacy:

  • Many Catholics believed Elizabeth was illegitimate because her parents' marriage had been 'illegal'
  • Henry VIII declared Elizabeth illegitimate after the execution of Anne Boleyn, causing doubts about her legitimacy and weakening her claim to the throne
  • Some believed they had more right to rule
• Gender and Marriage:

  • Most people believed the monarch should be a man
  • The violence and chaos of Mary I's reign reinforced the belief that women should not rule
  • Elizabeth did not want to marry to maintain power and authority
  • Concerns about an heir and the risk of civil war if she died without one
• Financial Weakness:

  • Tudor monarchs were expected to pay for the costs of running England
  • Royal finances were strained from war with France, leading to debt
  • Elizabeth cut back government spending to strengthen royal finances
• Choosing her councillors:

  • Elizabeth had to balance tensions between Catholics and Protestants
  • Needed to pick experienced people, many of whom were Catholic
  • Appointed William Cecil as Secretary of State in 1558
• Threats from other countries:

  • War with France in 1558 and the threat of invasion
  • Concerns about Mary, Queen of Scots being supported as ruler of England
  • Potential Catholic alliance between France and Spain against England
• Religious Settlement:

  • Elizabeth wanted a Protestant church that Catholics could accept
  • Act of Supremacy: Titled herself Supreme Governor of the English Church
  • Act of Uniformity: Established the appearance of Churches and form of services
  • Royal Injunctions: Set of instructions on how to carry out the Act of Supremacy & Uniformity
• Mary, Queen of Scots:

  • Mary had a strong claim to the English throne
  • Elizabeth never named Mary her heir due to religious differences
  • Mary's actions, including marriages and involvement in murder, led to her imprisonment in England
• Northern Earls revolt:

  • Earls and followers wanted to make England Catholic again
  • Resented the appointment of a Protestant as Bishop of Durham in 1561
• The Northern Earls revolted to make England Catholic again
• They resented the appointment of James Pilkington, a Protestant, as Bishop of Durham in 1561
• The earls had lost influence at court under Elizabeth, who promoted people she trusted
• The earls involved in the revolt were:

  • Thomas Percy (Earl of Northumberland)
  • Charles Neville (Earl of Westmoreland)
  • Thomas Howard (Duke of Norfolk)
  • Mary, Queen of Scots
• The marriage plan involved Mary marrying the Duke of Norfolk to depose Elizabeth and become queen
• The revolt involved the Earls ordering their tenants to join the army, storming into Durham Cathedral, and appealing to Catholic nobles for help
• The significance of the revolt:

  • Showed Mary, Queen of Scots, could not be trusted
  • The pope excommunicated Elizabeth and called for loyal Catholics to depose her
  • Elizabeth's control over the north of England was strengthened
  • Elizabeth ordered the execution of 700 rebels
• Ridolfi Plot (1571):

  • Planned to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I, trigger a Spanish invasion, and install Mary, Queen of Scots on the English throne
  • The plot was uncovered by Sir William Cecil
  • The significance was that it showed Spain as a threat to England
• Throckmorton Plot (1583):

  • Planned to overthrow Elizabeth and restore Catholicism
  • Sir Francis Walsingham uncovered the plot
  • The significance was that it showed a continual threat from Mary, the Pope, and King Philip II of Spain
• Babington Plot (1586):

  • Planned to murder Elizabeth and put Mary, Queen of Scots, on the throne
  • Sir Francis Walsingham intercepted the plot
  • The significance was that it led to the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots
• Mary Queen of Scots was executed because:

  • She was involved in multiple plots against Elizabeth
  • Evidence showed her involvement with plotters
  • She posed a threat to Elizabeth as a rallying point for disgruntled Catholics
  • The pope excommunicated Elizabeth, making Mary an alternative Catholic monarch
• The relationship between Spain and England soured due to religious and political rivalries
• English response to the Spanish:

  • Secretly helped Dutch Protestants resist the Spanish
  • Provided financial support to rebels
  • Sent troops to support the Dutch Protestants
• By late 1584:

  • Spanish control of the Netherlands had been restored
  • England and Spain were at war
  • The Treaty of Nonsuch was signed with Dutch Protestants
  • Sir Francis Drake was used to disrupt Spanish trade routes