elizabethan england 1550s

• Death of Mary I

  1558
• Death of Mary I details

  *Mary died childless; Elizabeth I crowned

  *England shifted from Catholic to Protestant rule again

  *Marked the start of Elizabeth's reign
• Elizabeth I becomes queen

  1558
• Elizabeth I becomes queen details

  *Aged 25

  *Became queen after her sister Mary I died

  *Announced formerly Catholic England as Protestant

  *England was very unstable during this time so her reign was seen as a fresh start

  *Huge expectations, but religious tension still high

  *She inherited a divided country, religious unrest, foreign hostility and a debt of £300000, primarily a result of costly wars and land sales by her predecessors, Henry VIII and Mary I

  *Last monarch of Tudor dynasty
• Appointment of William Cecil

  1558
• Appointment of William Cecil details

  *He was her most important minister and guided her wisely for 40 years

  *In 1571 he received the title Lord Burghley
• Religious settlement


  1559
• Religious settlement details

  *This was an attempt made by Elizabeth I in 1559 to end the conflict in England between Catholics and Protestants and unite the country

  *Made herself the Supreme Governor of the Church - the term 'Supreme Head' was avoided because Christ was seen as Head of the Church

  *She instituted an Oath of Supremacy, requiring anyone taking public or church office to swear allegiance to the monarch as head of the Church and state
• Act of Supremacy


  1559
• Act of Supremacy details

  *This made Elizabeth Supreme Governor of the Church - the term 'Supreme Head' was avoided because Christ was seen as Head of the Church

  *She instituted an Oath of Supremacy, requiring anyone taking public or church office to swear allegiance to the monarch as head of the Church and state

  *Denying Elizabeth's position in the Church was considered treason
• Act of Uniformity


  1559
• Act of Uniformity details

  *This made Protestantism England's official faith and also set out rules of religious practice and worship in a revised prayer book - this retained some Catholic traditions which Elizabeth hoped would make a good compromise and keep her people happy

  *There was broad support for the new Settlement and very few refused to take the oath of loyalty to the queen

  *Elizabeth's tolerant approach seemed to have worked on the whole, but it did not keep everyone happy and she faced numerous threats

  *Opposition came not only from Catholics, but also from more extreme Protestants (Puritans) who objected to any compromise with Catholic ideas

  *Those who refused to attend Church of England services (recusants) were forced to pay a fine of a shilling a week for not attending church on Sundays or holy days - she however turned a blind eye to this occasionally
• King Philip II proposes to Elizabeth I

  1559
• King Philip II proposes to Elizabeth I details

  *He was a Catholic who had been married to Mary, Elizabeth's sister

  *MPs were not in favour of this alliance for fear of causing religious unsettlement and creating a foreign influence in government

  *Elizabeth cautiously rejected this offer.