Elizabethan England

• When Elizabeth I became queen in 1558, she faced several key challenges, including religious conflict, foreign relations, legitimacy, gender, marriage, and finance/economy
• Religious conflict


  Europe was in the midst of the Reformation, with conflict between Catholicism and Protestantism. Henry VIII had broken from the Catholic Church, but the Church of England was not yet clearly Protestant or Catholic under his successors.
• 283 Protestants were burned at the stake by Queen Mary I before Elizabeth's reign
• Elizabeth's goal


  To create a "via media" or middle way to end the religious conflict and please both Catholics and Protestants
• The country was split, with the north and west being more Catholic, while the south and east were more Protestant
• Elizabeth faced pressure from powerful Catholic countries like Spain and France, as well as the Pope
• Spain was the most powerful country in Europe, ruled by the Catholic King Philip II
• France was England's traditional enemy and also a Catholic country, with a growing Protestant movement.
• Scotland was an independent, Catholic country ruled by Mary, Queen of Scots, who was Elizabeth's cousin
• Tensions between Spain and France prevented them from forming an alliance against England
• Elizabeth's legitimacy was questioned by Catholics, who saw her as illegitimate and believed Mary, Queen of Scots was the rightful monarch
• Gender


  Elizabeth faced prejudice and doubts about her ability to rule effectively as a woman
• Marriage


  Elizabeth was expected to marry and produce an heir, but this was problematic as it would limit her power as monarch
• Elizabeth inherited a substantial debt of £300,000 from the wars of her predecessor, Queen Mary I
• Elizabeth also inherited high levels of unemployment, poverty, and poor harvests, causing economic problems
• Differences between Catholicism and Protestantism

  • Pope is head of Church (Catholics) vs. Monarchy of the Church (Protestants)
  • Latin vs. English for Bibles and services
  • Highly decorated churches (Catholics) vs. Plain and simple churches (Protestants)
  • Priests as the only ones who can communicate with God (Catholics) vs. Clergy can marry and anyone can communicate with God (Protestants)
  • Transubstantiation (Catholics) vs. Symbolic Last Supper (Protestants)
• In 1559, Elizabeth passed the Act of Supremacy, Act of Uniformity, and the Royal Injunctions to establish her religious settlement
• Differences between Protestants and Catholics

  • Protestants:
  • Do not believe a priest is holy, just refer to them as clergy
  • Anyone can communicate with God, clergy do not need to wear special vestments
  • Do not believe communion bread and wine literally become body and blood of Christ, it is symbolic

  Catholics:

  • Believe in transubstantiation during communion, where bread and wine literally become body and blood of Christ
• Elizabeth's religious settlement (1559)

  1. Act of Supremacy - Elizabeth became supreme governor of Church of England, pope's authority rejected, oath of loyalty to Elizabeth

  2. Act of Uniformity - Enforced use of English Book of Common Prayer, attendance at Church of England services compulsory

  3. Royal Injunctions - Catholic doctrine, pilgrimages, saints denounced, English Bible, royal supremacy preached
• Elements of Elizabeth's religious settlement pleasing to:

  • Protestants:
  • English prayer book
  • Rejection of Catholic doctrine

  Catholics:

  • Vague wording around communion
  • Retention of some Catholic elements

  Neither:

  • Compulsory attendance at Church of England
• Puritan challenge to Elizabeth's settlement

  • Strong:
  • Friends in high places (privy councillors)
  • Crucifix controversy (forced Elizabeth to back down)
  • Vestment controversy (Elizabeth refused to back down)

  Weak:

  • Divided, no real leader
  • Limited numbers and options (couldn't replace Elizabeth)
• Factors contributing to Catholic threat/lack of threat

  • Threat:
  • Papacy (excommunication of Elizabeth)
  • English nobility (some Catholic nobles)
  • Plots (Ridolfi, Babington)

  Lack of threat:

  • Excommunication late and ineffective
  • Nobles easily crushed
  • Spain and France too occupied to help
  • Elizabeth's religious tolerance
• Mary Queen of Scots was a threat to Elizabeth as she was the heir to the English throne and a Catholic
• Mary Queen of Scots' decline in power

  • Forced to abdicate as Queen of Scotland in 1567
  • Fled to England in 1568, imprisoned by Elizabeth
  • Became a focus for Catholic plots and revolts in England
• The 1569 revolt of the Northern Earls (Northumberland and Westmoreland) aimed to depose Elizabeth and replace her with Mary Queen of Scots
• Families


  Very important north of England and basically ruled the north of England on behalf of the monarchy
• The families (earls of Northumberland, Westmoreland) were Catholics and lost their power under Elizabeth I, being replaced by Protestants
• In 1569, the earls wanted to rebel to try and get their power back, and saw an opportunity with the arrival of Mary, Queen of Scots
• The Northern Earls' rebellion

  1. Marched to Durham

  2. Held a Catholic mass in the cathedral

  3. Appealed to other Catholic nobles in England and foreign countries for help

  4. Expected Spanish troops that did not arrive

  5. Were defeated by a royal army
• 700 of the rebels were executed, but Elizabeth did not execute Mary, Queen of Scots, as she did not want to execute another monarch
• The Pope excommunicated Elizabeth I in response to the executions, but this had limited impact as it was treasonous to share a copy of the excommunication
• After the rebellion, there were no more major rebellions against Elizabeth I, but there were plots to try and murder her
• The Ridolfi Plot of 1571


  1. Involved the Duke of Norfolk, the most powerful nobleman in England

  2. Norfolk was executed for converting to Catholicism and being involved in the plot
• Elizabeth refused to execute Mary, Queen of Scots, despite pressure from her Privy Council
• After the Ridolfi Plot, more action was taken against Catholics in England, including making it treason for Catholic priests to be in England
• The Throckmorton Plot in 1583 led to the Bond of Association, where Elizabeth's supporters agreed to ensure Mary, Queen of Scots, would not benefit from any further plots
• The Babington Plot


  1. Elizabeth's spymaster, Walsingham, discovered the plot and let it unfold until he found evidence that Mary, Queen of Scots, was involved

  2. Mary was found guilty and executed in 1587
• The execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, marked the end of the threats to Elizabeth I within England, but the start of the war with Spain
• Causes of the War of Spain

  • Religious tensions
  • Political rivalry
  • Commercial rivalry
  • The Dutch Revolt
• Religious tensions


  Spain was a Catholic country, England under Elizabeth I was Protestant; the Pope excommunicated Elizabeth, giving Catholic countries permission to try and replace her