elizabethan england 1580s

• Edmund Campion and the Jesuits arrival in England

  1580
• Edmund Campion and the Jesuits arrival in England details

  *Catholic Jesuit Campion entered England in the guise of a jewel merchant, arriving in London on 24 June 1580, and at once began to preach

  *The Jesuits served the Pope personally and travelled around trying to convert people to Catholicism and organise rebellions against Elizabeth

  *The North (where Catholicism was strongest) and rich/powerful families were targeted

  *Jesuits often hid in 'priest holes' concealed in the houses of the wealthy

  *His presence soon became known to the authorities and he was executed as a traitor in 1581

  *Marked intensification of the Catholic threat and led to harsher anti-Catholic laws
• Philip II gains control over Portugal

  1580
• Philip II gains control over Portugal details

  *Philip of Spain becomes king of Portugal, uniting the Iberian crowns

  *Gave Spain control of Portugal's navy and empire

  *Made Spain more powerful, increasing threat to England

  *England even more concerned about Spanish domination
• Edmund Campion execution


  1581
• Edmund Campion execution details


  *After he was found, he was captured and executed as a traitor
• Recusancy Law passed


  1581
• Recusancy Law passed details

  *Increased recusancy fines Catholics would have to pay an even bigger fine of 20 pounds per month, the equivalent of thousands of pounds in today's money for failure to go to services run by Elizabeth's church

  *Converting to Catholicism was now a crime of high treason and therefore punishable by death

  *Showed Elizabeth's tolerance was over and marked the beginning of severe Catholic repression
• Sir Francis Drake is knighted

  1581
• Sir Francis Drake is knighted details

  *Elizabeth knighted Drake aboard his ship, the Golden Hind, after his circumnavigation

  *Huge symbol of defiance against Spain (Drake had raided their colonies)

  *Boosted naval prestige

  *Enraged Philip II, worsening tensions

  *Symbol of England's rise as a maritime power
• Jesuit Robert Parsons launches propaganda campaign

  1582
• Jesuit Robert Parsons launches propaganda campaign details

  *Parsons published anti-Elizabethan pamphlets from abroad

  *Claimed Elizabeth was illegitimate and urged rebellion.

  *Early form of Catholic propaganda war

  *Justified the government's view that Catholicism = treason
• John Stubbs publishes a pamphlet criticising Elizabeth

  1583
• John Stubbs publishes a pamphlet criticising Elizabeth details

  *The Puritan, John Stubbs, published a pamphlet criticising Elizabeth's on-going marriage negotiations with the brother of the Catholic French king

  *Stubbs was found guilty of stirring up trouble and sentenced to have had his right hand cut off

  *He was released in 1587 and became an MP, reflecting Elizabeth's strict control of dissent, but also her capacity for leniency
• The Throckmorton Plot


  1583
• The Throckmorton Plot details

  *A young Catholic man, Francis Throckmorton, organised a plan for a French army (paid for by the Pope and King Philip II of Spain) to invade England and replace Elizabeth with Mary, Queen of Scots

  *Discovered by Walsingham's spy network

  *Throckmorton was executed and Mary was moved to Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire, where she was held in isolation and allowed no visitors

  *Showed foreign and domestic Catholic threat and increased surveillance and use of torture and execution
• Bond of Association


  1584
• Bond of Association details

  *Following the most recent plot against Elizabeth that involved Mary, Queen of Scots

  *Stated that anyone associated with a plot against Elizabeth could not benefit from her death in any way and would be executed

  *Aimed to protect Elizabeth from assassination

  *Elizabeth's advisors saw it as an important step towards taking firmer action against Mary, Queen of Scots
• Francis Duke of Alencon death

  1584
• Francis Duke of Alencon death details

  *Marriage negotiations went on for nearly a decade with Francis, who was heir to the French throne

  *There were many political advantages to be gained from this alliance, for example influence over French policy in the Netherlands, and Elizabeth used this to her advantage

  *However, Francis died in 1584 and after that Elizabeth was destined to be alone
• Murder of William of Orange

  1584
• Murder of William of Orange details

  *This Dutch protestant was assassinated in 1584 by an extreme Catholic

  *This was supported by the Pope

  *Showed the personal danger Elizabeth was in

  *Parliament demanded action against Mary, Queen of Scots
• Elizabeth appoints Leicester as commander in Netherlands

  1585
• Elizabeth appoints Leicester as commander in Netherlands details


  *She sent the Earl of Leicester to help Dutch rebels

  *He accepted the title of "Governor-General" without her approval

  *Caused tension between Elizabeth and her generals

  *Shows difficulty in controlling military policy abroad
• Acts against Jesuits and Seminary Priests

  1585
• Acts against Jesuits and Seminary Priests details

  *Law passed in 1585 which made becoming a priest an act of treason punishable by death and also ordered all existing Catholic priests to leave England within 40 days or face death

  *It was now legal to kill anyone who attempted to assassinate the queen

  *Final break with Catholic tolerance with church loyalty now seen as political treason
• Treaty of Norsuch


  1585
• Treaty of Norsuch details

  *Signed by Elizabeth

  *Sent troops under the Earl of Leicester

  *Act of war against Spain: Start of the Anglo-Spanish War (1585-1604)

  *It promised to finance 7,400 soldiers to help the Dutch Protestant rebels fight the Spanish

  *Marked a turning point in foreign policy
• Anglo-Spanish War


  1585-1604
• Anglo-Spanish War details


  *This was a war between Spain and Britain from 1779 to 1783 and which ended with the Treaty of Paris

  *It was fought concurrently with the War of Independence, although Spain was not a formal ally of the United States
• The Babington Plot

  1586
• The Babington Plot details

  *Sir Anthony Babington planned to rescue Mary, Queen of Scots from jail and murder Elizabeth

  *Secret letters between the plotters and Mary were discovered which gave Elizabeth's advisers the evidence needed to prove Mary's guilt

  *This finally led to the execution of Mary Queen of Scots, Babington and six other plotters

  *Sir Francis Walsingham uncovered this plot by intercepting and decoding the letters

  *Gave Elizabeth the evidence needed to execute Mary
• Treaty of Berwick


  1586
• Treaty of Berwick details

  *Elizabeth signed a defensive treaty with James VI of Scotland

  *Strengthened Anglo-Scottish relations

  *James quietly dropped support for his Catholic mother (Mary)

  *Strengthened Elizabeth's northern border

  *Early sign of Elizabeth managing James as heir
• Mary, Queen of Scots execution

  1587
• Mary, Queen of Scots execution details

  *Elizabeth had always believed that executing Mary would lead to bigger problems, such as an international backlash, which is why she held off executing her for so long

  *When Mary was found guilty of treason, Elizabeth hesitated to sign her death warrant. When she eventually did sign, she refused to submit it, but her secretary secretly took it

  *When Elizabeth found out, she was furious and he was put in the Tower for 18 months

  *Elizabeth wrote to King James apologising for the death of his mother, Mary

  *Ended Catholic hope of a legitimate alternative monarch.
• Drake's raid on Cadiz

  1587
• Drake's raid on Cadiz details

  *Sir Francis Drake attacked the Spanish port of Cadiz

  *Destroyed ships and supplies for the Armada

  *Delayed the invasion by a year

  *Massive morale boost for England

  *Example of pre-emptive strike and sea power
• Rising fear of Spanish invasion

  1587
• Rise in theatre popularity

  1587-1598