Paper 2 - Elizabeth/Cold War

• Contents


  • The Revolt of the Northern Earls
  • The Ridol| Plot, 1571
  • The Throckmorton Plot, 1583
  • The Babington Plot, 1586
  • Mary, Queen of Scots' Execution, 1587
  • Walsingham & the Use of Spies in Elizabethan England

  
• The Revolt of the Northern Earls
• The Causes & Consequences of the Revolt of the Northern Earls - Summary
• As discussed in The Catholic Challenge to the Religious Settlement, the vast majority of recusancy occurred in the North of England. These areas contained a high proportion of Catholics and were geographically far away from Queen Elizabeth in London. This limited the power Elizabeth had over her northern subjects.
• The Catholic Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland were angry with Elizabeth. Under Mary I, they had gained wealth and power. Under Elizabeth, they no longer had in}uence in the royal court. Elizabeth favoured new nobles that did not stem from the ancient aristocratic families of England. These included Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and Sir William Cecil.
• In addition to vengeance on Elizabeth, they had an alternative monarch to rally behind. Mary, Queen of Scots had arrived in England in 1569 after }eeing the Protestant nobles in Scotland. The Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland had the perfect conditions to enact a rebellion.

  
• Overall, the Revolt of the Northern Earls failed. Westmorland }ed while Northumberland was executed in York. The revolt was incredibly signi|cant to Elizabeth. It marked the |rst violent challenge to her reign. Her reaction against the rebels and English Catholics was severe. In an eyort to stamp out further rebellion, Elizabeth increased Catholic resentment. This resulted in more plots to overthrow her.

  
• Why Did the Northern Earls Revolt in 1569?

  • The earls had grievances with the rule of Queen Elizabeth I
  • Factors within England gave an ideal opportunity to depose Elizabeth

  
• The Northern Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland rebelled in 1569 because:
• The causes of the Revolt of the Northern Earls

  • The earls had grievances with the rule of Queen Elizabeth I
  • Factors within England gave an ideal opportunity to depose Elizabeth

  
• In your revision, you could categorise the information in the concept map above into 'push' and 'pull' factors.
• 'Push' factors


  Events or motivations for someone to act
• 'Pull' factors


  Benefits from performing an action
• Considering the 'push' and 'pull' factors of the Revolt of the Northern Earls will help you to explain why the earls rebelled against Elizabeth in 1569.

  
• Key individuals in the Revolt of the Northern Earls

  • Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland
  • Charles Neville, Earl of Westmorland
  • Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk
  • Mary, Queen of Scots
  • Ann Percy, Wife of Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland
  • Jane Neville, Wife of Charles Neville, Earl of Westmorland
• Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland


  He organised the revolt as his in}uence in Elizabeth's court had decreased. Elizabeth reduced Northumberland's status as a key power in the North of England. He also lost the rights to valuable copper reserves found on his land
• Charles Neville, Earl of Westmorland

  He organised the revolt as his in}uence in Elizabeth's court had decreased. His wife encouraged him to rebel against Elizabeth
• Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk


  England's most respected Protestant noble. As he came from an ancient noble family, he disliked that Elizabeth favoured newer nobles like Sir William Cecil. His role was to marry Mary, Queen of Scots
• Mary, Queen of Scots


  The exiled Queen of Scotland. Elizabeth had imprisoned Mary after she }ed Scotland to England in 1569. She supported the plan to marry the Duke of Norfolk. She believed the marriage would help her become Queen of England
• Ann Percy, Wife of Thomas Percy, Earl of Northumberland


  She encouraged her husband to rebel against Elizabeth
• Jane Neville, Wife of Charles Neville, Earl of Westmorland


  She encouraged her husband to rebel against Elizabeth. Jane was the Duke of Norfolk's sister. The marriage of the Duke of Norfolk to Mary, Queen of Scots would bene|t Jane's social position. She could become the sister-in-law to the Queen of England
• You may have noticed that Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, is an outlier in the plotters. The Duke of Norfolk was not a Catholic. His Protestant faith meant he believed that Elizabeth was divinely chosen to be the Queen of England. The Duke of Norfolk's motivations were political. He wanted to restore his in}uence in the royal court. As his reasonings were not based on religion, the Duke of Norfolk was an uneasy participant in the revolt. In an exam question about the reasons why the Revolt of the Northern Earls failed, the Duke of Norfolk's unwillingness to enact the plan is important.
• Religion was a signi|cant cause of the Revolt of the Northern Earls
• Large parts of the North of England were Catholic
• In 1561, Elizabeth appointed James Pilkington, a devout Protestant, as the Bishop of Durham. Elizabeth hoped his appointment would reduce Catholicism. Pilkington's Protestant in}uence only turned more northerners against Elizabeth
• Politics was an equally important factor in the Revolt of the Northern Earls
• A rival Northern family threatened Northumberland's status. The Forsters grew in popularity in the royal court. Elizabeth gave Sir John Forster the position of Warden of the Middle March. This was Northumberland's responsibility. The role was important as it defended England's border with Scotland. Northumberland felt that the appointment of Forster undermined his power in Northern England. His relationship with Elizabeth never recovered
• The Northern Earls hated the newer nobles in Elizabeth's court. Cecil and Dudley's in}uence in political matters increased rapidly. As they were Catholics, Northumberland and Westmorland became distrusted by Elizabeth and her advisers
• The royal succession worried the Northern Earls and Elizabeth's courtiers. Elizabeth had no desire to name her heir, refused to marry, and did not want to have children of her own. Many in Elizabeth's court feared that England would experience a civil war when Elizabeth died. If Elizabeth did not name an heir before her death, many people would claim to be in line to the throne and fight to become England's next monarch.
• The Northern Earls believed that Mary, Queen of Scots could secure the royal succession if she became queen. If she married the Duke of Norfolk, any children they had would become heirs.
• Westmorland and Northumberland's plan to marry Mary to the Duke of Norfolk became known by many in Elizabeth's royal court. The courtiers believed that Mary's marriage to the Duke of Norfolk could be bene|cial because they assumed Norfolk and Mary would raise their children in the Protestant faith and Elizabeth would be more willing to name Mary her heir, which would secure a Protestant monarchy after Elizabeth's death.
• As the Northern Earls developed their plan, many courtiers began to see issues with its details. Elizabeth would have to consent to the marriage of the Duke of Norfolk and Mary, which she saw as a threat. The royal succession was Elizabeth's decision and nobody could persuade her to name an heir. The Duke of Norfolk was a Catholic sympathiser, so if he and Mary married, many Catholics would want Mary to overthrow Elizabeth.
• In September 1569, Robert Dudley became aware of the plot and informed Elizabeth. He informed Elizabeth that the plan for the revolt was that Westmorland and Northumberland would raise an army to take control of Durham, the rebels would march to London and combine with the Duke of Norfolk's forces, thousands of Spanish troops would land in Hartlepool to support the Northern Earls, the rebels would overthrow Elizabeth and her government, and the rebels would release Mary, Queen of Scots from prison. She would marry the Duke of Norfolk and become Queen of England.

  
• The Key Events of the Revolt of the Northern Earls

  • The rebels failed to capture key areas such as York
  • Northumberland and Westmorland were poor military leaders and fled when they heard the Earl of Sussex was marching towards them
  • The Spanish troops never arrived in Hartlepool
  • Elizabeth managed to raise an army of 14,000 men, vastly outnumbering the rebels
  • The rebels were not unified on the plan, with some believing they were overthrowing Elizabeth and others thinking they were just freeing Mary, Queen of Scots
  • Westmorland and Northumberland did not persuade the Catholic earls to rebel, and most English Catholics did not support or join the revolt
  • France, Spain and the Pope did not endorse the revolt

  
• Northumberland and Westmorland's revolt failed because:
• The Revolt of the Northern Earls was significant to how Elizabeth treated Catholics throughout her reign

  
• What Consequences did the Revolt of the Northern Earls have?

  • Short-term consequences: Elizabeth ordered the execution of 450 rebels, Westmorland escaped but Northumberland was captured and killed in York in 1572, the Pope excommunicated Elizabeth in 1570 and called upon loyal Catholics to depose her, the Privy Council wanted the execution of Norfolk but Elizabeth released him
  • Long-term consequences: the power of the Percy and Neville families ended, the papal bull meant English Catholics had to choose between being loyal to their Church or their queen, the Duke of Norfolk became a focus for Catholic plotters

  
• Elizabeth ordered the execution of 450 rebels. While Westmorland escaped, Northumberland was captured and killed in York in 1572

  
• The power of the Percy and Neville families ended with the death and exile of Northumberland and Westmorland
• In 1570, the Pope excommunicated Elizabeth through a papal bull. He called upon loyal Catholics to depose Elizabeth