Elizabethan Parliament

• Was Parliament important in Elizabethan England?

  It was seen as a necessary evil for lawmaking, granting taxation but Elizabeth increasingly used conciliar government.
• How many parliaments met during Elizabeth's reign and how long did most sessions last?

  13 Parliaments most lasting 3 months.
• What were the two primary reasons parliament was called?

  To grant taxation- 11 of her parliaments were asked to grant revenue. She often had to use extraordinary revenue to finance ordinary crown expenditure as the crown's real income had declined.

  
  

  Make Statue Laws: 438 Acts were passed by Elizabeth's parliament, notably the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity in 1559 and the poor laws of 1597/98 and 1601.
• What was the Patronage System? and what was its impact?

  The Patronage system allowed aristocrats to award local gentry with seats in the House of Commons. It allowed Elizabeth to oblige the support of the aristocrats who could then reward their followers.
• Which House of Parliament was more important?

  The House of Lords as all bills were heard here first.
• Who managed the House of Commons? How?

  Sir William Cecil shaped bills and was assisted in managing the House of Commons by Sir Francis Knollys (until 1576) and then Sir Christopher Hatton.
• Privy Councillors were also deeply involved with parliamentary management as they introduced bills and sat on the committees that produced parliamentary bills. This gave Elizabeth considerable control over her parliament.
• What did Elizabeth consider her prerogitive?

  Her marriage (succession)
• How many bills did Elizabeth refuse to give royal assent to?

  Elizabeth refused to give royal assent to 60 bills. 15 occured in 1585.
• When was Elizabeth challeneged on her prerogitives in parliament in her early reign?

  1563 - Elizabeth became irritated with Parliament for bringing up her marriage. She banished Leicester from Court.

  1566 - When the Queen was ill with small pox, Elizabeth responded furiously to Parliament's attempts to force her to name a successor.
• When did Elizabeth's relations with Parliament detoriate?

  1593
• How did Parliament react to Archbishop Whitgifts Act against Sectaries?

  The Act was opposed by one of Lord Burghley's associates who openly opposed it in Parliament. The Queen barred the advancement of the politician.
• How did the Queen react to Peter Wentworth's argument for Elizabeth to name a successor in 1593?

  She imprisoned Wentworth in the Tower.
• Why did her relationship with Parliament completely breakdown in 1601?

  The relationship broke down in the debate about monopolies. This was because Robert Cecil lacked the skill of his father in managing parliamentary debate.
• How did the 1601 Parliament end?

  The Golden Speech which gathered a crowd of 140 MP's. This solidified her strength.