Elizabeth - History GCSE

• Why were there changes to Elizabeth's authority?


  Causes of Changes to her Authority:

  ---> Elizabth's court was split into rival groups in the 1590s which began her "second reign" with the makeup of her privy council chanigng drastically

  >Death of ministers,several of her key ministers including Christopher Hatton and Francis Walsingham died aroudn 1590, and William Cecil in 1598 who was suceeded by his son Robert. -->weakened her control of parliament and the court

  >Rival Groups in the Privy Council,Earl of Essex became a member of the Privy council in 1693, and led to a rise in the growth of two conflicting groups: one cenred around Robert Devereux [the new men] and the other the Cecils [the established figures] -->fought for patronage which weakened her government

  >Elizabeth was aging, she was becoming bad-tempered and less clear in her judgement, lost her temper in front of key nobles and ministers, such as the Polish ambassador, later being called 'impatient' by the French ambassador in 1602

  >Courtiers began challenging the monarch's authority, the Earl of Essex turned his back on the Queen and nearly drew his sword on her, being restrained by others to stop him from doing so. Stormed into Elizabeth's bedchamber before she was wigged and gowned, destroying the illusion of the monarch and humiliating her. Courtiers were more educated [over one half had a university education]

  >Losing Financial Independence,she had to call upon parliament in 1601 to raise taxes, -->weakened her position and exposed her to parliamentary demands about succession

  >Poor Harvests,bad harvests in the 1590s led to food shortages and discomfort, as well as high taxes, undermining her popularity and threatening rebellion
• Elizabeth's Authority: debate


  Elizabeth's Authority was Undermined:

  >Lack of control,two factions ultimately competed for royal patronage and influence, disagreeing over important matters such as the war with Spain. Elizabeth was unable to control this, which greatly undermined her authority.

  >Patronage System used less effectively, She seemed weaker towards the end of her reign. She stopped using the patronage systen effectively by the 1590s, and instead of balancing the different grous at court, she let the Cecils become too powerful whilst failing to promote others -->led to a build up of anger and resentment which risked fueling challenges to her authority

  >Tension in court,Conflict made Elizabeth's government less effective as constant competition and in fighting between groups made it more difficult to make decsiions and get things done

  
  

  Elizabeth's Authority Remained

  >Rebellion not aimed at Elizabeth,Lack of support for Essex's rebellion shows that it wasn't a significant threat to Elizabeth's authority and rule. She was still a popular and respected Qeen, and there was no desire to overthrow her or her government, aimed at her advisors

  >Death of Mary Queen of Scots,there remained no more oppositon to her thrown

  >Military Successes,reinforced her authority such as expeditions to Cadiz in June 1596
• Causes of Essex's Rebellion

  ---> February 1601,Causes:

  Robert Devreux the Earl of Essex was a politically ambitious courtier, professional soldier, and favourite of Queen Elizabeth.

  >Fallen out of favour,with the queen, after military failures,

  ---> Cadiz, he distribute gold caputured at Cadiz to his men rather than passing it on to the government

  --->Failure with the Spanish,he failed to capture gold on the spanish treasure fleet crossing form south america to Spain

  --->Failure in Ireland,appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and told to crush the Irish rebellion [nine years war] led by Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, but with limited attempts to fight the rebells, signed a forbidden peace treaty with them, abandoning his post and returning to England disobeying the Queen's explicit orders, leading to accusations of treason

  >Essex's ambition, he overestimated his support in both the court and the country

  >Rivalry between Robert Cecil and Essex,both men competed for the Queen's affections, by the late 1590s, the court and the Privy Council were filled with Cecil's supporters, a rebellion would have strengthened Essex's position

  >Finance,he was not a wealthu man, his finincial position depended on patronage from the Crown and was weakened when Elizabeth banished him from court and failed to renew his licence for the import of sweet wines. A successful rebellion would strengthen his finances.

  >Humiliation,Elizabeth had slapped Essec in 1598, telling him to 'go and be hanged', and we was restrained by others from drawing his sword on the Queen, causing him to be banished from court. A successful rebellion would restore his status
• Essex Rebellion: Consequences and why did it fail

  Why did it fail:

  >Arrogance,Essex overestimated. the support he would get from the public and many of the nobility, even those who sympathised with him were not prepared to risk their position and lives by challenging the queen. He also believed that Elizabeth would forgive him for anything and that he could get his own way through a show of force

  >Spies and Warning,government spies in Essex's camp including Ferdinando Gorges undermined the rebellion, by releasing Essex's prisoners so he had no hostages to negotiate over

  >Government response,they repsonded decisively, Mayor instructed by Robert Cecil to advise the public to stay in ther houses, most supporters were quickly offered a radon is they agreed to desert Essex, and his route was blocked forcing him to return hom to his house srrounded by Elizabeth's forces, giving him no choice but to surrender

  Consequences:>sign of Elizabeth's fading power and authority,especially as a former favourite had mounted the rebellion

  >Impermanence of Elizabeth's favourites,swift fall from grace for a former royal favourite to a treasonous traitor of the monarchy, showed the competitive nature of patronage and its impacts

  >Support for Essex collapsed,and Cecil and his faction dominated the court
• Essex's Rebellion Events:


  >Essex's house became a focal point for those disillusioned with the monarch, and they plotted to force her to remove William Cecil as an advisor and make the Queen declare James VI of Scotland as her successor

  
  

  >Februaru 1601, gathered around 300 supporters [unsuccessful courtiers and disgruntled unemployed soldiers] to his house, were he fortified his mansion refusing summons from the Privy council

  
  

  >Hostages, locked up 4 privy concillors as hostages

  
  

  >The March, he marched with his supports to the centre of the city of London, trying to rally support from civilians, most of which were unimpressed and most of his own supporters quix=ckly desrted him too

  
  

  >Failure, the rebellion lasted 12 hours and Essex was given the customary show trial before he was executed for treason on the 25th of February 1601
• Reasons for the increase in poverty Part 1.

  >Demographic changes,since the Black Death, England's population remained stable, but during Elizabeth's reign it dratically increased, rising by 43% between 1550 and 1600Competition for resources was high, such as food and jobs, with wages staying the same, though demand for food had causedinflation

  >Spanish Exploration, the 'New World' in central and southern amercia led to more silver circulation in europe, reducing the value of currencies, especially as Henry III had debased the currency in the 1540s in order to pay for his wars against France and Scotland

  >Cloth trade collapse,international trade was disrupted by wars, the city of Antwerp, England's closest trading ally, had their wollen cloth [England's main export] market crash in the 1550s, and official bans on trade with Spanish uled Netherlands deprived Britain of much needed revenue. Elizabeth encourahes trade monoploies rich only fortified the wealth of the nobility

  >War,when they were fought, taxes were increased which affected the poorest in soicety. Once the war was over, soldiers and sailors would return home seeking new employment, but due to the competition for jobs this was difficult.

  >Bad harvest, these hit subsistence farmers [who ate what they grew], reduced food supply, and drove up food prices. Dearth conditions, where food was so scarce that there was a threat of famine, coincided with the outbreak of the plague worsening the impacts. Food was scarce and could have caused a fmaine.
• Reasons for increase in poverty part 2 [monast. + farm]

  >Developmemts in farming, rack-renting [high rents] led to evictions, driving many people off the land altogether, leaving them with nowhere to live of farm. The growth of enclosure where traditional open fields which were previously open to all were enclosed with hedges to create a few large farms and shutting them off to the ordinary people. The growth of the wool trade after 1500 meant that many farmers preferred to rear sheep rather than grow food, with this less labour intensive form of farming requiring fewer workers, and farms altogether needing fewer labourers.

  >Dissolution of the monastries, before th 1930's, the monastries of England had been a key source of charity, heliping the poor in times of need. But the traditional support for the poor had diminished due to Henry VIII, sopeople travelled to towns to look for a better life, though many towns could not cope with overwhelming numbers of people
• Attitudes to Poverty


  Before Changes:>Elizabethen Society was based on the great Chain of Being, where each person has a divinely appointed position in society, reinforced each week at church. It was considered almost impossible to move between the human divisions

  >labouring classes made up half the families in England, mainly illiterate, did notown their own land, spent 80% of their incone on food

  >many Elizabethens remained suspicious of the poor and demonisedf them as counterfeits and criminals. Vagrants and vagabonds who deceived or threatened the public were dealt with severly : could be imprisoned, enslaved, or hung if caught begging

  Changing attitudes:

  >Groups,A MONOLITHIC ATTITUDE poor were put into three different groups, theimpotent poor,too young/old/ill to provide for themselves or those who wanted to work but couldn't find a job, theidle poorwho were seen as dishnoest and vagabonds, immoral and members of the criminal class, too lazy to find work and happy to live off begging and petty crime

  >Fear,Conflict: that poverty led to disorder and was a potential cause of rebellion. The social order might be threatened if the growing number of poor people allied and vagabonds and beggars might turn to crime.

  Disease: They also thought that the poor might spread disease, especially the wandering poor, moving around the country exacerbating poverty with outbreaks of the plague, smallpox, and influenza

  >Cost, of dealing with the poor, especially poor rates

  >Changing economic circumstances,the wool trade crash, bad harvests and enclosure forced the crow, parliament, and JPs to develop a more construtive attitude towards poverty

  >Population changes and enclosure, meant that the poor were an increadingly visible presence in England
• Responses to Poverty


  Repressive Change:

  Vagabonds Act 1572---> deterred vagrants through harsh punishment as they were seen as a threat . They were: whipped and bored through the ear as a mark of shame and warning, imprisoned if arrested again for vagrancy, given the death penalty for a third offence

  
  

  
  

  Progressive Change:

  Act on Husbandry and Tillage 1598 --> an attempt to slow down the trend for enclosure and thus protect rural jobs

  
  

  Statute of Artificers 1563 -->placed wage limits on skilled workers in order to slow down inlfation

  
  

  Poor rate - a local tax by JPs with the proceeds spent on improving the lives if the poor. Those refusing to pay these could be imprisones. Officials who failed to organise poor relief could pay a penalty of up to £20

  
  

  Poor Relief Act 1576, JPs were required to provide the porr with wool and raw materials to enable them to make and sell things. Those who refused to were treated as idle poor.

  
  

  Recognition of the poor, JPs had to keep register of the poor, those in authority were tasked with finding work for the able-bodied poor.
• Local Action on poverty

  > Norwhich acts, found that 80% of the population lived in poverty. They seperated the poor inot idel poor and unfortunate poor. The former were given work whilst the latter were given food and systems of support. Taxes were raised for wealthier citizens and censuses were carried out to make registers of the poor and idenity them. [poor weren't literate and often moved about, so they couldn't identify the true impact of the welfare system on a quantifiable scale]

  
  

  >York acts, from 1528 a Master Beggar was appointed whose job was to check the others, many beggars expected to work otherwise they would be sent to a house of correction

  
  

  >Ipswich acts in 1569, a special licensing system was introduced for beggars as well as increased support for the poor. One of the first towns to open a hospital for the poor and sick who couldn't afford treatment. Youth trainign scheme established to help children learn a trade to lift them out of poverty. First towns to build a house of correciton.

  
  

  >Hospitals established: St Bartholomew's for the sick, St Thomas' for the elderly, Christ's Hospital for orphans, and Bedlam [Bethlehem] Hospital for the mentally ill and insane
• National/Government Action on Poverty


  >1601 Poor Law [Act of Relief for the Poor], the formalisation of earlier acts that standardised the treatment of the poor across England

  >Charity,charitable giving was still encouraged but everyone had to pay towards a local poor rate, those who refused this could be fined or imprisoned as it was finally anational system of compulsory taxationUsed to pay for parish officials, setting up workhouses, payment of relief to the deserving poor

  >Overseers of the poor,4 were appointed to ensure that orphans had apprenticeships, paid for by the parish, so they learned a trade.

  >Almshouses,used to provde for the old and ill to live in, where they could recieve handouts of money, food, and clothing known as outdoor relief.

  >Seperation of groups,impotent poor were cared for in almshouses or poorhouses, able-bodied poor were sent to a workhouse or house of industry, and idle poor were sent to a bridewell or house of correction. Pauper [poor] children became apprentices.
• Seriousness of the Poverty Problem and Government action effectiveness

  Seriousness:

  >Many argued that the problem of poverty was wildly exaggerated, giving the legislation more credit than in deserves

  
  

  >However, london's population alone rose from 60,000 to 200,

  
  

  Effectiveness:

  Positives:

  >Poor relief and public welfare became the responsibilty of the government, especially pasrishes rather than individual charities. Poor were provided for and did not starve, even when harvests were poor, there was no rebellion or disorder.

  
  

  >Filled the gap left by teh monastries a generation before, and the poor laws remained in use until 1834, suggesting that the legislation was successful

  
  

  >Recognition of unemployment and that most were not lazy but struggled to find jobs instead

  
  

  Critiques:

  >Poverty did not end and more relief money still came from private charities

  
  

  >Many local towns did not follow the law and punish vagrants

  
  

  >Elizabeth and her government's motives were complex and definetlely not selfless, preservation of social order and prevention of rebellion were at the forefront of their aims
• The reasons for Government Action


  >Cost,as number of poor increased, it became increasingly expensive to look after them, especially after th 1590s poor harvests. This put a financial burden on taxpayers who, under the terms of the 1572 poor law, had to pay tax to provide relief for the poor, and the government wanted to reduce this tax burden

  >Threat, many Elizabethens felt threatened by the poor, to their property, safety, and as a source of rebellion. Poor harvests and falling wages led to unrest in the countryside, especially Oxfordshire and Devon. Government action needed to control and appease the poor, to prevent future rebellions

  >Increased visibility,hostility provoked from wealthier people reinforcing the suggested threatening and decietful nature of poor and vagrants, many of whom were attacked and driven out of town put pressure on the government to act. Overpopulation in towns and cities made poverty more visible to the public, forcing the government to address the issue and take responsibility for the people

  >fair punishment, to seperate the idle and impotent poor and classify/reason punishemtn for poor to align with christian values
• What defined the poor and what groups of people were they:

  Vagrants - people without a settled home or regular work.

  Vagabonds -idle and dishonest people who wandered between towns committing crimes

  
  

  Personal traits of poverty:

  >spending more than 80% of you income on bread

  >being unemployed or oll, so you could no longer provide for your family

  >being unable to afford the rising cost of food

  >needing financial help [poor relief] or charity

  
  

  Types of people:

  >widows or women abandoned by their husbands and families as women were paid very little

  >the sick and the elderly who were unable to work

  >orphaned children, 40% of the poor were under 16 years old

  >people on low wages

  >itinerats, vagrants, and vagabonds, homeless people who moves from their parishes looking for work, often involved in crime which worried those in authority
• English Sailors: Hawkins


  >John Hawkins, first English privateer to take part in the Atlantic Slave trade. Made three slave-trading voyages in the 1960s, returning to England to design and build ships for the navy. Elizabeth appointed him as a vice-admiral fighting against the Spnaish armada.

  
  

  >Impact: developed a new type of fighting galleon which was faster, lighter, and better able to withstand the harsh weather conditions. His innovative desings were important in helpping to lead England to victory
• English Sailors : Drake

  >Francis Drake, cousin to John Hawkins grew up as a puritan hating the catholics and the Spanish.

  
  

  >Cirumnavigated, the globe between 1577 and 1580, he explored South America and raised many Spanish settlements, whilst capturing two very valuable Spanish treasure ships in the Pacific.

  >Knighted, when he returned, Drake was knighted by Elizabeth abroad his ship, the Golden Hind. This royal recognition and vast wealth that he had broought bacvk encouraged more English sailors to set out on long-distance journeys

  
  

  >Imapact: Launched successful attacks on the Spanish empire, bringing back gold, silver, and jewels, making a huge profit. Claimed new lands for Enlgand and made valuable trading contacts with the Spice islands. Knighted by Elizabeth and made an admiral.
• Circumnavigation


  Circumnavigated from December 1577 to September 1581

  
  

  > Very Risky, voyages were long and perilous, with the threat of privateers, pirates, disease, shipwrecks, and scurvy, especially as the mechanisms of the sea were still largely unknown
• Voyages and Trade


  >Spanish trade with the American colonies was very profitable-their treasure ships returned to Europe filled with silver and gold. The welath of region attrcated English privateers who hoped to get rich by trading with Spanish colonies.
• The Role of Raleigh


  >Walter Raleigh was a sailor, explorer, and courtier. The Queen invested in his privateering expeditions against the Spanish, where he wanted to establish colonies for england in North America. The area was thought to have an inexhaustible supply of wine, oil, sugar, and flax that would reduce England's trading dependance upon Europe, especially as they had an isolationist trading policy, causing England to lose its key trading port after Spanish capture of the Netherlands

  
  

  >In 1584, obtained a royal charter to estbalish a colony on Roanoke Island off the coats of NC, organising tqo expeditions to take settlers to the colony. El dorado, the city of gold, stems from his travels.

  
  

  >Impact: imprisoned in the Tower of London in June 592 for marrying one of Elizabeth's ladies-in-waiting, and later released in August 1592 to lead a successful naval attack against the Spanish. During imprisonment, Raleig wrote many poems and a history of the world, before becoming a Member of Parliament
• Drake and the Americas: causes of exploration Part 1


  >economics: profit/plunder. Private investment, Priavte investors such as Elizabeth 1 and her courtiers funded many of the voyages of discovery. Loot, booty, and trade meant there were huge profits to be made from Drake's proposed journey. He wished to establish trade routes with the 'spice isalnds' in order to dominate mew trading monoploies. as well as destroying the Spanish monoploies at the time. The Crown benefitted by charging duties and taxes on imported goods, and granting trading licenses to organisation like the Barbary Company and the East India Company.New goods such as potatoes, tobacco, coffee, spices, and dried grapes could enter English markets . English merchants needed new trading oppurtunities as war with Spain and in the Netherlands had severly damaged the wool and cloth trades, as bans wetre implimented from trading with England's biggest ally, the port in Antwerp.

  >detirorating anglo-spanish relations,Drake planned to attack and raid Spanish colonies to antagonize the Spanish King Phillip II, and destablize Spain's authoirty and dominanece in the New World. The Spanish had attacked Drake's fleet at St Juan de Ulua and most of his men had been killed. They wated to explore and expand their terrirory into the new world to weaken Spanish influence there, and claim terriroty of Elizabeth's governmnet, leading to settlement and colonisation. Attempts for hegemony and establishing cultural control for colonisation in order to solve the poverty crisis,as emigration would aid the problems caused by over-population in England.
• Drake and the Americas: causes of exploration Part 2

  >CONT. Drake wanted to investiagte trading, conquest, adn settlemt oppurtunities in areas occupied by the Spanish as pludering Spanish shipping would make the voyage pay for itself, and even bring back profit due to the stories heard of prosperous Spanish and wealthy Portugeuse colonies in South America. Naval power grew, bringing them into conflict with Spain.

  
  

  >Techology advancements and the idea of innovation and adventure encouraged Drake, as he set off on his voyage of discovary and exploration. The published accounts of these viyages persuaded others to venture into the unkown as Drake would be seen as a naval hero, and would increase his social status and recognition in Elizabethen Engladn, especially as he was working under the Queen's approval. The developmemt of standardised maps such a the Mercator Map of 1569 meant that sailors and traders could be confident they were going in the right direction, reducing risks of the arduous jounreys. Ship and Galleon designs needed to be imoproved and developed with bigger sails, faster and easier movement, and greater firepower to attack against pirates. Renaissance encouraged a spirit of learning and adventure with new inventions and ideas spreading across Europe
• Drake and the Americas: consequences of exploration Part 1


  >Worsening of Spnaish relations, the losses of Spain made King Phillip II view England as an irreconcilable enemy, with the eventual result drawing him towards revenge. Plundering of Spanish ports along the West coast of South America caused a hostile relationship with Spain, and made apparent the vulnerability of Spanish colonies in the 'New World'. Delays made to the establishemnt of the Spanish Armada further angered the King, and placed a temporary strain on Spain's finances and naval integrity. Most critical consequence of exploration as the increase in tension acted a turning point towards the Anglo-Spanish war [1585-1604], heavily impacted all groups across Elizabethen England and was the climax of tension between the two rivals

  
  

  >Economic/Technological impact on Elizabethen England, benefits of wealth and technology were overshadowed by the threat of war. Advances made by Drake benefitted navigation and maritime science, especially as the illustrations and maps created aided further explorations. Cartogrpahic skills presented as a grave danger to Spanish control and influence in the area, leading to a fear of England as a nation rising in naval supremacy. Drake's successful acts of piracy led to a vast fortune of treasures and riches being returned to England. Spanish gold, silver, and other precious materials were gifted to the Queen, worth over £400,000. Pirated treasures enraged King Phillip and his demands for restitution were rejected. Trade lines with Indonesian 'spice isalnds' were valuable and broke the Spnaish trading monopoly. All advancement antagonized Spain as their breif authority in the 'new world' was shattered.
• Drake and the Americas: consequences of exploration Part 2

  >Drake's personal gain, he was knighted on his ship 'the golden hind', angering the spanish as elizabeth praised the theft and piracy fo her privateers. Riyal recognition led him to be appointed as vice-admiral when fighting the Spnaish armada under the command of Lord Howards. Many Spaniards feared him during his explorations due to his violent plunders limiting their naval strength. Drake became a national hero, brining glamour and respectibility to the seaman tradem achieveing power in english politics and the navy.