Early Elizabethan England, 1558-1588

• Who were Queen Elizabeth I's parents?

  Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn
• Features of the government

  1. Monarch - Head of the government

  
  

  2. Courtiers - Members of noble families who entertained and advised the queen

  
  

  3. Privy Council - About 20 of the queen's most trusted counselors, met 3 times a week and advised them on all aspects of government

  
  

  4. Justices of Peace - Main people of the local government, usually lieutenants who made sure people were abiding by the law

  
  

  5. Parliament - Made up of the house of the lords and house of the commons, carried out extreme taxations whenever the queen needed money, Queen Elizabeth didn't like using them so throughout her whole reign she only met with them like 13 times
• What was the role of the privy council?

  - Debate current issues and advise the monarch on government policy

  - Made sure the monarch's final decisions were carried out

  - Oversaw law and order, local government and the security of England

  - Monitored Justices of the Peace

  - Monitored the proceedings of Parliament
• Name three beliefs of Catholics

  - the church is a hierarchy

  - priests are special and wear special clothes

  - churches are highly decorated in honour of God
• Name three beliefs of Protestants

  - there is no hierarchy in the Church

  - priests are not special and should not wear special clothes

  - churches are plain and simple so people aren't distracted from God
• What were the three major difficulties Elizabeth faced when she became queen?

  - she had been declared illegitimate: divorce was forbidden in the Catholic Church so they felt Henry and Anne's marriage was invalid so Elizabeth was illegitimate. when Henry and Anne's marriage was dissolved in 1536, Henry declared Elizabeth illegitimate before changing his mind.

  
  

  - people thought a woman shouldn't be in charge: they thought she should let her male counsellors take control or find a husband to govern for her

  
  

  - she was expected to marry and produce an heir: if Elizabeth died without an heir there would be a risk of civil war, with different groups competing for the throne.
• Describe two challenges for Elizabeth at home

  - She came into reign when the economy was weak

  
  

  - The French royal family ran Scotland, they were Catholic and they wanted England to be Catholic too so they wanted Mary QoS to be the Queen of England instead which posed a threat of an invasion
• Give three reasons why the threat of invasion by the French had lessened by 1562.

  - In the late 1550s, Scottish Protestants rebelled against the French rule and appealed to England for support. The French were defeated and forced to leave Scotland.

  
  

  - The death of Mary QoS's French husband, King Francis II

  
  

  - The long period of civil war between Catholics and Protestants weakened France and largely removed the threat of a French invasion for the rest of the century
• Write down four key beliefs of the Protestant reformers

  - they believed Christians were saved by faith, not by good deeds

  - they questioned the authority of the Pope

  - they translated the Bible from Latin into languages that ordinary people could understand

  - they thought churches should be plain and simple unlike highly decorated Catholic Churches
• Describe the Act of Supremacy

  One of the acts of the Elizabethan religious settlement.

  - It made Elizabeth the supreme governor of the Church of England

  - All clergy and royal officials had to swear an Oath of allegiance
• Describe the Act of Uniformity

  Said that all churches and clergy had to follow what the queen wanted so that all churches were uniform

  - a new book of common prayer was published for all clergy to follow. the text was carefully chosen to please Catholics and Protestants

  - priests wore special clothes but were simpler than Catholics' robes

  - everyone had to go to Church on sunday or would be fined one shilling
• Describe the Royal Injunctions

  Gave more detail on what churches should look like, the clothes priests should wear and what to do in church services

  - all clergy must teach royal supremacy

  - anyone refusing to go to church was to be reported to the privy council

  - each parish was to have a copy of the Bible in English
• How did the Church play an important role in English society?

  - The Church of England promoted loyalty to the Queen, by repeating prayers of obedience and thanks for her reign in their services

  - Churches organised festivals for their parishioners, such as May Day and Easter celebrations
• Why did the Puritans oppose the religious settlement?

  - the crucifix controversy: to puritans, crucifixes represented idols. Elizabeth liked them and she wanted to keep them. when some Puritan bishops threatened to resign, the queen backed down. there weren't enough suitable Protestant clergymen to replace any bishops who were dismissed.

  
  

  - the vestment controversy: highly decorated vestments were too Catholic for Puritans. the royal injunctions said clergy must wear special vestments. in 1556, the Archbishop of Canterbury invited 110 priests to London to show them what they must wear. 37 refused to attend and they lost their posts however, majority agreed to wear the approppiate vestments so Elizabeth got her way
• Explain what the word recusant means

  a person who refuses to submit to an authority
• Why did Mary, Queen of Scots, have a strong claim to the English Throne?

  - she was related to the Tudors through her grandmother, Margaret Tudor

  - she was Catholic so her claim was supported by many English Catholics
• What were the Casket Letters?

  several letters apparently written by Mary to Bothwell, which implicated the pair in Darnley's murder. Mary's supporters insisted the letters were faked but most members of the inquiry believed they were real
• Why were the Northern Earls unhappy?

  - Elizabeth confiscated large areas of land from the Earl of Northumberland and shared them between Northumberland's main rival in the north and a southern Protestant

  
  

  - Elizabeth reduced their power and increased her control in the north. Under Elizabeth, the Council was controlled by southern Protestants. The northern nobles deeply resented this

  
  

  - The northern nobles blamed Elizabeth's advisors for these policies. They believed that some privy councillors (especially William Cecil) had too much power. They wanted to remove these counsellors and replace them with men who would be more sympathetic
• What was the Revolt of the Northern Earls? (November 1569)

  - In 1569, the Duke of Norfolk planned to marry Mary QoS and have her recognised as Elizabeth's heir. This plan was supported by Catholic nobles.

  
  

  - When the plan was uncovered the Earls rebelled and tried to overthrow Elizabeth in fear of execution.

  
  

  - In November 1569, the Earls captured Durham. They then marched south, probably making for Tutbury where Mary was imprisoned.

  
  

  - Before the rebels reached Tutbury, a large royal army forced them to retreat.

  
  

  - Elizabeth showed the rebels little mercy. Westmorland fled abroad, but Northumberland was executed as well as at least 400 rebel troops
• Why was The Revolt of the Northern Earls a serious threat to Elizabeth's rule?

  - Showed the danger that Mary QoS represented as a rallying point for Catholics

  
  

  - News of the rebellion created widespread fear amongst English Protestants about Catholic plots and revenge

  
  

  - In 1570, Pope Pius V excommunicated Elizabeth
• What was the Ridolfi plot? (1571)

  - Ridolfi, an Italian banker, who had played a small part in the Revolt of the Northern Earls.

  
  

  - He planned to assassinate Elizabeth, marry Mary to the Duke of Norfolk and make her queen

  
  

  - He was supported by the Pope and by King Philip II who agreed to provide troops for a Spanish invasion

  
  

  - The plot failed as Elizabeth's allies passed the names of the main conspirators to her. They also intercepted letters sent by Mary which implicated her and Norfolk in the plot.

  
  

  - Norfolk was arrested and executed. Mary wasn't punished but her supervision was made tighter.
• What was the Throckmorton Plot? (1583)


  - The leading figure in the plot was Francis Throckmorton

  
  

  - It aimed to assassinate Elizabeth and replace her with Mary.

  The conspirators planned for an invasion of England by French troops, financed by King Philip II and the Pope

  
  

  - The plot was uncovered by Walsingham, who placed Throckmorton under surveillance for several months

  
  

  - In response to the Throckmorton Plot, Elizabeth's closest advisors drafted the Bond of Association, which was signed by the English nobility and gentry, required the signatories to execute anyone who attempted to overthrow the Queen.
• How did the Catholic plots pose a threat to Elizabeth's rule?

  - Mary's presence in England and her strong claim to the throne made the plots seem credible

  
  

  - The Pope could rally support for the plots. For some Catholics, obedience to the Pope was more important than obedience to the Queen

  
  

  - Foreign powers were involved in the plots so there was a danger they would lead to a foreign invasion
• What were the weaknesses of the Catholic plots?

  - Elizabeth was a popular ruler and the conspirators lacked public support

  
  

  - Philip II was reluctant to destroy his alliance with Elizabeth so his support for the Catholic plots was half-hearted. He rarely followed through on his promises to help the conspirators.

  
  

  - Elizabeth's informants, and later Walsingham's spy network, ensured that the plots were uncovered before they were fully developed
• What was the Babington plot? (1586)

  - Anthony Babington was one of the key conspirators. He was responsible for sending information to Mary from her and passing back her replies.

  
  

  - The conspirators planned to assassinated Elizabeth and give the English throne to Mary, this time with the support of a joint Franco-Spanish invasion force

  
  

  -Through his spy network, Sir Francis Walsingham intercepted and read Babington's letter to Mary, which clearly demonstrated her awareness of and support for the conspiracy

  
  

  - Babington and the plotters were executed for treason

  
  

  - October 1586: Mary was sentenced to death for her part in the plot. Elizabeth hesitated but signed Mary's death warrant in February 1587, she was beheaded shortly afterwards
• How did Mary QoS execution increase the threat from abroad?

  - In 1587, relations with Spain were at a low point. The two countries were at war over the Netherlands and King Philip II had been prepping for an attack on England since 1585. Mary's execution made Philip more determined to invade.

  
  

  - There was a danger that Mary's son, James VI of Scotland might seek revenge. There were fears he would form an alliance with other Catholic powers in Europe to invade England
• Why was there a commercial rivalry between Spain and England in the Spanish Netherlands?

  - In 1568, Spanish ships with gold bullion took refuge in English ports to escape bad weather.

  
  

  - Elizabeth seized the gold for herself, which enraged Philip. In response, Philip seized English ships in Antwerp and banned English trade with the Netherlands for a time.

  
  

  - This damaged England's economy and caused much hardship for English people.
• Why was there a commercial rivalry between Spain and England in the New World?

  - Elizabeth encouraged privateers to trade illegally with Spanish colonies, raid Spanish ships and attack the treasure fleets carrying gold and silver from the Americas to Spain
• What was the Treaty of Nonsuch? (1585)


  -In 1581, Protestant rebels in the Netherlands declared independence from Spain and formed a republic.

  
  

  - In 1585, Elizabeth signed the Treaty of Nonsuch which placed the Netherlands under her protection and promised military assistance.
• Why did Elizabeth sign the Treaty of Nonsuch? (1585)

  - Religious: Elizabeth wanted to protect Dutch Protestantism and prevent Philip forcing Catholicism on the Netherlands.

  
  

  - Commercial: The Netherlands' ports were essential entry points into Europe for most English exports.

  
  

  - Military: If the rebels were defeated Philip might use the Netherlands as a base for an invasion of England

  
  

  - Strategic: In 1584, Spain was seeking control of the French crown. If the Dutch rebels were also defeated, then Spain would control almost the entire Channel and Atlantic coasts of Europe
• Why didn't Elizabeth want to remove King Philip II as rule of the Netherlands?

  She believed in the divine right. She just wanted to ensure freedom of worship for Dutch Protestants and protect England's military, commercial and strategic interests.
• Who was Robert Dudley?

  - Dudley, Earl of Leicester, was appointed to lead the military expedition to the Netherlands. When he arrived he accepted the position of Governor-General.

  
  

  - This was a mistake as it suggested Elizabeth had taken control of the Netherlands for herself which risked provoking Philip even further. Elizabeth forced Dudley to resign the position immediately.

  
  

  - Dudley's campaigns of 1586-87 were unsuccessful. He suffered several heavy defeats against the Duke of Parma

  
  

  - He resigned his post in 1587 and returned to England
• What were the reasons for the failure of the English campaigns in the Netherlands?

  - Dudley wasn't a talented general (hence why Elizabeth forced Dudley to resign the position immediately)

  
  

  - His officers were bitterly divided over questions of strategy

  
  

  - Dudley had a very small army compared to the number of Spanish troops

  
  

  - The English army was poorly equipped

  
  

  - Elizabeth didn't provide sufficient funds to pay the English troops
• What was the Raid on Cadiz? (1587)

  - Philip saw the 1585 Treaty of Nonsuch as a declaration of war on Spain so he began building an Armada that he planned to use to invade England

  
  

  - In 1587, Elizabeth ordered Francis Drake to sail with his fleet and attack the Spanish port of Cadiz. He destroyed around 30 ships and caused damage to the provisions for the Armada

  
  

  - Drake's raid set the Armada back by about a year and gave England more time to prepare for the eventual attack by the Spanish in 1588
• What were the reasons for the Spanish Armada? (1588)

  - Religion: England was Protestant and Philip II wanted to restore Catholicism. He was supported by the Pope who offered a reward of the restoration of Catholicism

  
  

  - Politics: Philip II wanted to increase his power so they wanted to add England to the Spanish Empire. Also, the French and Spanish signed Treaty of Joinville in 1584 which committed them to wiping out Protestantism in Europe

  
  

  - Events: Elizabeth was a ruler who hesitated on making decisions. This hesitation could be exploited by the Spanish and showed a crucial weakness of Elizabeth.
• Which factors contributed to defeat of the Armada?

  - English Strengths: The English had improved their ship building giving them several technological advantages. Spain relied on large ships whereas England has faster, narrow ships.

  
  

  - Spanish weaknesses: Most of Spain's men lacked experience of naval warfare whereas England . The Spanish plan to meet the Duke of Parma was flawed. Spain didn't control a deep water port where the Armada could anchor safely, so the ships were extremely vulnerable.

  
  

  - Luck: The death of Spain's leading admiral, Santa Cruz, in February 1588, led to the appointment of the inexperienced Duke of Medina Sidonia to lead the Armada. Bad, dangerous weather made it impossible for the Spanish fleet to return to the Channel after the battle of Gravelines
• What was a petty school?

  Petty schools were small, local schools that provided a basic education. Many were run by the local parish priest. They taught basic reading and writing, and sometimes a little maths. Most pupils were boys, although some admitted a few girls.
• Describe Elizabethan home education

  - Children received their eafrly education at home. Most parents taught their children how to behave correctly and gave them a basic religious education.

  - From the age of six, all children had to go to Sunday school.

  - Boys were trained in simple work skills and girls helped their mother with household activities.

  - Some children from noble households were taught at home by a private tutor to teach them how to behave in noble society and give them the skills to be successful at court.
• Describe Elizabethan grammar schools

  During Elizabeth's reign, around 100 new grammar schools were set up. It was very rare for girls to go, most pupils were boys from the upper and middle classes.
• Describe Elizabethan universities


  There were only two English universities, Oxford and Cambridge. The growing prosperity of the upper and middle classes meant that the number of university students increased during Elizabeth's reign.