Elizabeth

• Two features of Elizabethan society

  • It was hierarchical
  • Women had to be obedient to their husbands
• Two features of the Elizabethan government

  • It was centred around the monarch. They could make important decisions with the advice of the Privy Council
  • It was made up of the House of Commons and the House of Lords
• What did people dislike about Elizabeth?

  • There were concerns about her legitimacy
  • Her gender
• Challenges at home and abroad for Elizabeth

  • England was in a debt of 300,000
  • Mary, Queen of Scots
  • The French Threat
• What was the Act of Supremacy?

  The Act of Supremacy made Elizabeth supreme governor of the Church of England
• What was the Act of Uniformity?

  Established the appearance of churches and the services they held
• The role of the Church of England

  • They were in charge of Church Courts, which acted on religious and moral crimes
  • They were responsible for enforcing the religious settlement
• Why did Puritans oppose the Religious Settlement?

  • It allowed crucifixes
  • It allowed elaborate vestments
• The Catholic Threat to Elizabeth

  • The nobility, in Northern England
  • Spain and France
  • Mary Queen of Scots
• Why was Elizabeth concerned by the Dutch Revolt?

  • Spain’s large army was in the Netherlands which was nearby
  • It was an attack on Protestantism
• What were Sea Beggars?

  Dutch rebels that attacked Spanish ships. Elizabeth allowed them to shelter in English Harbours
• Why was the arrival of Mary, Queen of Scots a threat?

  She had a claim to the English throne
• Why did the Northern Earls revolt?

  • They wanted to restore Catholicism
  • They lost influence in court and land since Elizabeth became queen
  • Elizabeth refused to marry or name an heir, creating uncertainty for England‘s future
• Key events if the Northern Earls Revolt

  • There was a plan for Spanish troops to arrive, however they never came
  • They held mass at Durham
• Significance of the Revolt of the Northern Earls

  • It prompted harsher treatment of Catholics
  • The Pope excommunicated Elizabeth
  • Treason laws became harsher
• Features of the Throckmorton Plot

  • It had foreign support, Phillip II would fund it and the Duke of Guise would invade England
  • The plan was to overthrow Elizabeth and replace her with Mary
• What was the significance of the Throckmorton Plot?

  Life for Catholics became harder, sheltering Catholic priests became punishable by death
• Features of the Babington Plot

  • The Duke of Guise would invade England with 60,000 men
  • The plan was to overthrow Elizabeth and replace her with Mary
• What was the significance of the Babington Plot?

  • Relations between England and Spain broke down
  • Mary, Queen of Scots was executed
• Why was Mary, Queen of Scots executed?

  • Her involvement in the plots
  • It was rumoured that Phillip was planning an invasion of England
  • To deter treason
• Walshingham‘s spy network

  • He had an international network
  • He tortured priests for information
  • Wrote letters in codes to hide his plans
• Why was there commercial rivalry between England and Spain!

  • Spain controlled much of the New World
  • Spain controlled the Netherlands which was England’s main route into European markets
• Significance of Drake’s Actions

  • Made it clear that England did not accept Spanish domination of the Americas
  • Boosted England’s finances
  • Only one other sailor had circumnavigated the globe, this made Drake a national hero
• What did the Pacification of Ghent demand?

  1. All Spanish troops were to be expelled from the Netherlands
  2. The restoration of political autonomy
  3. The end to religious persecution
• How was Elizabeth involved in the Netherlands before 1585?

  • She sent a loan of £100,000 to Dutch rebels
  • Sent an armed force to ensure that the Pacification of Ghent was carried out
• How was Elizabeth involved in the Netherlands in 1585-88?

  • She signed the Treaty of Nonsuch which meant that she agreed to intervene on the side of the rebels
  • She sent an army of 7400 troops to fight with the rebels
• Why was Elizabeth’s involvement in the Netherlands unsuccessful?

  1. Elizabeth still hoped to negotiate with Spain and did not give Leicester the necessary funds
  2. Elizabeth had different aims to Leicester and he wanted Dutch independence while she wanted a return to how it used to be governed
  3. Relations between English and Dutch were poor due to Elizabeth’s lack of commitment
• Why did Phillip launch the Spanish Armada?

  • Drake’s actions in the New World
  • Elizabeth’s involvement in the Netherlands
  • Phillip wanted you to overthrow Elizabeth
• Why did the Spanish Armada fail?

  • Spanish ships weren’t supplied properly, as Drake’s raid destroyed many
  • Poor weather
  • Poor communication
• Elizabethan Education

  • Children of nobility learnt a variety of subjects and foreign languages
  • Grammar schools were set up for the middle class, however some promising lower class boys could attend
  • Petty Schools were ran in a teacher’s home
• What sports did the nobility play?

  • Hunting on horseback
  • Fishing
  • Fencing
  • Tennis
• What sport was played by the lower class?

  Football
• Why did poverty increase in Elizabethan times?

  • Population Growth
  • Rising Prices
  • The rise of sheep farming took up land that was used for growing crops
• Why did Elizabethans explore?

  • Expanding trade
  • Adventure
  • New technology made voyages easier, for example astrolabes were developed which helped sailors navigate
• Why did the attempts to colonise Virginia fail?

  • The colonists left England too late to reach Virginia in time to plant crops
  • The climate was humid and mosquitoes were everywhere, leading to malaria and food rotting
  • The colonists were reliant on Native Americans for survival
• Strengths of Elizabeth’s character

  • Highly intelligent and well educated with an excellent grasp for politics
  • Confident and charismatic, able to make great speeches and win over her subjects
• The Puritan Challenge to the Religious Settlement

  Puritan bishops threatened to resign due to the crucifix controversy
• The Catholic Challenge to the Religious Settlement

  The pope issued an instruction in 1566 for Catholics to not attend church
• Why was Mary Queen of Scots a threat?

  • She had a legitimate claim to the English Throne
  • Her mother was from a powerful French family
• When did the Pope excommunicate Elizabeth?

  1570