Revolts and Plots at Home

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The Revolt of the Northern Earls was in 1569. It was a Catholic attempt to put Mary Queen of Scots on the English throne. However, it failed.
Causes of the Revolts of the Northern Earls:
RELIGION: The group who started the revolt were Catholic nobles and earls. They had a lot of influence to start a rebellion and gain Catholic support from ordinary people in the north.
WEALTH: The Catholic earls lost power and wealth when Elizabeth became Queen. They wanted revenge and to remove her to make way for another Catholic monarch would help restore their power.
POLITICS: The earls wanted to restore the Catholic faith in England. They were influenced by the Pope’s orders for a Counter Reformation.
Causes of the Revolts of the Northern Earls:
GEOGRAPHY: Mary Queen of Scots was under house arrest in England. The earls believed they had an opportunity to free her and easily have a legitimate Catholic monarch as Queen of England.
FOREIGN: The Northern Earls believed they had the support of Spain who also wanted Mary Queen of Scots as a new Catholic Queen. It was believed that Mary had received a letter from Spain promising troops to help with the rebellion.
Features of the Revolt of Northern Earls
Mary Queen of Scots was to marry the Duke of Norfolk and then forcefully remove Elizabeth as Queen.
Elizabeth found out about the plan and Norfolk was arrested and sent to the Tower of London.
The Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland reacted to this by starting the revolt in the north.
The two Earls gained support and took over Durham Cathedral. The Protestant Archbishop fled and the earls celebrated Catholic Mass in northern churches for 2 weeks.
Features of the Revolt of the Northern Earls
The Catholic rebels carried on south with the aim of rescuing Mary Queen of Scots from prison and putting her on the throne. Elizabeth ordered Mary to be moved.
Elizabeth raised an army of 14,000 men and the revolting army of 5,400 fled back north.
The Earls went to meet the Spanish troops but they never arrived as promised in a letter to Mary.
450 rebels were executed and Northumberland was executed in York. His head was put on a spike above the city gates.
Features of the Revolt of the Northern Earls 
Elizabeth was under pressure from her Privy Council to execute Mary Queen of Scots and the Duke of Norfolk but refused
In 1570, the Pope issued a Papal Bull (religious order) to all Catholics to remove Elizabeth from the throne. Elizabeth then passed a law to make any attempt on her life treason.
Elizabeth also set up a ‘Council of the North’ which organised even harsher treatment of Catholics who refused to follow orders.
The failure of the Revolt of the Northern Earls did not stop other Catholics from trying to plot against Elizabeth and bring Mary Queen of Scots to power. Elizabeth put her Secretary of State, Francis Walsingham in charge of finding out who was plotting against her. His network of spies allowed him to collect enough evidence to stop 3 further attempt to remove Elizabeth.
Causes of the Ridolfi Plot (1571) 
Elizabeth made laws against Catholics even tougher after the Revolt of the Northern Earls. The Catholics felt punished.
The Papal Bull (religious orders from the Pope) had ordered Catholics to rebel against Elizabeth to make England Catholic again.
This caused an Italian banker (Roberto Ridolfi) to plot a murder against Elizabeth.
Features of the Ridolfi Plot (1571) 
Ridolfi was a spy for the Pope & worked as a banker in England
Ridolfi planned to murder Elizabeth, start a Spanish invasion and put Mary Queen of Scots in power.
Ridolfi travelled to the Spanish controlled Netherlands to discuss his plans with the Pope, Duke of Alba and Spanish King Philip II.
Ridolfi was given support by the Catholic Duke of Norfolk who promised to marry Mary Queen of Scots (exactly as he had done in the plan for the Northern Earls).
Philip II ordered 10,000 Spanish troops to prepare an invasion.
The Ridolfi Plot (1571) failed as Sir William Cecil discovered the plot and was able to prove that the Duke of Norfolk was guilty of treason.
Consequences of the Ridolfi Plot (1571) 
Elizabeth had the Duke of Norfolk executed but refused to execute Mary Queen of Scots as this would further anger Catholics.
The plot proved that the Catholics were still a threat and support could be brought in from Spain.
There were even tougher laws and monitoring of Catholics to discover any further plots.
Causes of the Throckmorton Plot (1583) 
Elizabeth had made laws against Catholics even tougher after the failure of Ridolfi.
The Papal Bull (Orders from the Pope) had ordered Catholics to rebel against Elizabeth to make England Catholic again.
Features of the Throckmorton Plot (1583) 
The plan was for the French Duke of Guise (a cousin of Mary) to come to England, free Mary Queen of Scots and make her Queen.
Philip II of Spain offered to pay for the revolt.
The Pope knew of and approved the plans.
A Catholic Englishman, Francis Throckmorton agreed to pass letters between Mary Queen of Scots and the plotters.
Why did the Throckmorton Plot (1583) fail? 
Sir Francis Walsingham discovered the plot.
He found letters in Throckmorton’s house.
Throckmorton was arrested and tortured for information.
Throckmorton was then executed.
Consequences of the Throckmorton Plot (1583) 
Throckmorton’s letters proved how much Catholic hatred there was for Elizabeth.
Showed the threat from France not just Spain.
11,000 Catholics were imprisoned.
A new law made sheltering Catholic priests punishable with death.
Causes of the Babington Plot (1586) 
Elizabeth had made laws against Catholics even tougher after Throckmorton.
The Papal Bull (orders from the Pope) had ordered Catholics to rebel against Elizabeth to make England Catholic again.
Features of the Babington Plot (1586) 
Plan was to murder Elizabeth.
The French Duke of Guise was to invade England with 60,000 men and put Mary Queen of Scots on the throne.
Philip II and the Pope supported the plot.
(Catholic) Antony Babington wrote to Mary Queen of Scots while she was under house arrest. However, her letters were closely monitored after the previous plots involving her.
The Babington Plot (1586) failed as Sir Francis Walsingham discovered the plot when looking through the letters sent to Mary Queen of Scots.
Consequences of the Babington Plot (1586) 
Antony Babington was executed.
31 Catholic Priests were executed across England in 1586.
Elizabeth finally signed Mary’s Death Warrant in 1587. This removed any more plots involving her taking Elizabeth’s throne.
Walsingham’s tactics to uncover the plots:
He used a network of spies in every town.
He sent spies abroad.
He paid Catholic informers.
He used codes called ciphers for his letters.
He could work out the codes other letters were written in.
He was willing to use torture against Catholic priests to gain information.
Reasons for Mary Queen of Scots execution:
Involvement in plots
Had broken the law (treason)
Sent a clear message to Catholics
Mary's legitimacy
Mary was determined to take the throne
Francis Walshingham found evidence of involvement with plotters
Parliament (wrongly informed Elizabeth of the Spanish invasion)
Pressure from the privy council
Mary was popular
Mary had links with the Spanish
What caused tension with Spain in the Netherlands?
In 1566, a number of Protestants in the Netherlands tried to rebel against the Spanish in an event known as the Dutch Revolt.
In 1567, Spain sent The Duke of Alba with 10,000 troops to crush the Dutch Revolt. The 'Council of Blood’ was created by Spain to torture and execute Protestants. Elizabeth and her parliament saw Spain as an aggressive threat to the Protestant faith and England.
What caused tension with Spain in the Netherlands?
In 1567, Elizabeth angered Spain by allowing Protestants from the Netherlands to find safety in English ports. These protestants were known as the Sea Beggars. The Spanish were angered by Elizabeth as she was clearly taking sides with the Protestants.
In 1568, Elizabeth angered Philip further. The Spanish were sent money called the Genoese Loan from Italy to help Spanish soldiers in the Netherlands. However, Elizabeth let her sailors steal the money before it reached the Spanish.
What caused tension with Spain in the Netherlands?
In 1581, Elizabeth sent a French Protestant called the Duke of Alencon £70,000 to help defeat the Spanish. The Spanish were angered that she was trying to get France involved.
In July 1577, Philip II sent in a new army led by The Duke of Parma to re-gain control of the Netherlands.
In August 1577, Elizabeth gave an English soldier called Jon Casimir enough money to pay for an army of 6,000 English volunteer soldiers to help fight off the Spanish in the Netherlands. She claimed to have no involvement.
What caused tension with Spain in the Netherlands?
In 1576, Spanish troops went on a violent rampage around many Dutch towns. This was known as The Spanish Fury. With Spain now weak and losing control of its army, it was agreed that the Spanish troops would leave the Netherlands in an agreement called the Pacification of Ghent.
In 1582, the Spanish managed to conquer Portugal. This sent a very strong message to England that Spain’s empire was becoming more powerful and wealthier.
What caused tension with Spain in the Netherlands?
In June 1584, the Duke of Alencon died. This left Elizabeth without any French Support.
On the 10th July 1584, the key leader of the Protestants in the Netherlands, William of Orange was assassinated by the Catholics.
In December 1584 the Spanish arranged an alliance with the French called the Treaty of Joinville.
In 1585, Elizabeth made an alliance with the Netherlands called the Treaty of Nonsuch. She sent an official English army of 7,400 troops to help fight against the Spanish with the hope of removing them from the Netherlands.
What increased tension between England and Spain?
TRADE AND EXPLORATION: Europeans had just recently discovered new lands in modern day North and South America. They called this the 'New World'. Spain had claimed much of the New World and controlled sea ports there. Other countries needed a license from Spain to explore and trade in the 'New World'. Tensions increased when English merchants ignored Spain's rule and traded goods illegally. Some even stole goods from the Spanish - an act of piracy.
What increased tension between England and Spain?
FRANCIS DRAKE: Drake was a famous Elizabethan mechant and explorer. He was keen to bring goods back from the New World to impress Elizabeth. Elizabeth saw him as a ‘Privateer’ - a sailor who was given permission from the government to trade and make money for England. However, the Spanish had little respect for Drake. They saw him as a simple ‘pirate’ who stole from their ships. In 1570, he captured Spanish ships in the New World and stole their goods. In 1572, he captured £40,000 worth of Spanish silver.
In 1577, Elizabeth gave Drake secret orders to attack Spanish ships and ports and gave him 100,000 crowns to support this. Drake became a national hero and showed England’s strength. From this voyage, it is estimated that Drake returned to England in 1580 with around 400,000 of Spanish treasure. The Spanish were angered even more when Elizabeth rewarded Drake for his raiding expeditions by knighting him on board his famous ship (The Golden Hind) in 1580. This was a very public stunt to show Drake’s power and Philip II was outraged by Elizabeth giving him the title Sir Francis Drake.
What increased tension between England and Spain?
RELIGION: Since Elizabeth’s Religious Settlement in 1559 Catholic countries in Europe demanded a Counter-Reformation (for England to return to Catholicism). Spain and England were allies but the Religious Settlement began the decline in their relationship. Elizabeth increased her attacks against Catholics in England as a result of the many Catholic plots against her. She also introduced new anti-Catholic Laws. Spain strongly believed the Protestant faith should be exterminated and tension grew as Phillip gained support from the Pope.
In 1585, Elizabeth decided to directly support the Protestants in the Netherlands by sending in her own English troops. This now put England and Spain directly at war with each other. The aim was to push the Spanish out of the Netherlands to restore the Protestant faith there. However, this proved very difficult for the man she put in charge - Robert Dudley.
Dudley managed to stop the Spanish Duke of Parma from taking a key deep water port in the Netherlands called Ostend. This was important as the large ships used for the Spanish invasion of England depended on this deep water port to help re-supply. Not being able to use Ostend was a key factor in England defeating the Armada.
Why was England's time in the Netherland's a fail?
Elizabeth did not want to take charge as she still hoped to negotiate with Spain.
Elizabeth did not give Robert Dudley enough money, men or supplies to fight effectively against the Spanish.
Elizabeth could not control Robert Dudley once he was in the Netherlands. Dudley made a foolish mistake by accepting the title of ‘Governor General of the Netherlands’ without getting Elizabeth’s permission first. This angered Philip II who was meant to be in charge of the Netherlands.
Why was England's time in the Netherland's a fail? 
An English sea captain changed sides and gave a captured port in the Netherlands back to the Spanish.
Dudley did not defeat the Spanish in the Netherlands or stand up to the strong Spanish leader, the Duke of Parma.
Elizabeth had to call Robert Dudley back from the Netherlands in 1587 because of his poor actions.
Drake’s attack on Cadiz ‘The singeing of the King of Spain’s beard’ (1587) 
Spain was already preparing its invasion of England with an armada (an invasion fleet of ships).
In March 1587, Elizabeth ordered Francis Drake to attack Spain’s navy.
In April 1587, he sailed into Cadiz harbour in southern Spain. This was Spain’s most important port.
Drake’s attack on Cadiz ‘The singeing of the King of Spain’s beard’ (1587) 
Over 3 days, Drake destroyed 30 ships and most of the ships' supplies.
He then spent the next few weeks attacking the Spanish coast of Portugal.
Drake’s attack was known as the ‘Singeing of the King of Spain’s beard’ because of how humiliating it was for the Spanish and their king.
The Consequences of Drake’s attack on Cadiz
Spain were not able to build the invading armada while the attack was in progress.
The disruption to Cadiz put the Spanish invasion back a year which gave Elizabeth time to plan.
It meant that Spain did not attempt an invasion until 1588, by which time Elizabeth had prepared.
It was a humiliation for Spain and showed the strength of the English navy.
Reasons for the Spanish invasion of England (1588) 
RELIGION: Philip was determined to make England Catholic again. He was also influenced by the support and encouragement of the Pope. The Pope had promised to forgive the sins of those who took part in the armada and offered Philip a reward if he was successful.
POLITICS: Spain now had the support of France after they became allies with the Treaty of Joinville in 1584. Spain could use ports in France such as Calais to take on more supplies. Also, successfully invading England would give Spain more power and a bigger empire.
Reasons for the Spanish invasion of England (1588)  
GEOGRAPHICAL: Spain now had control of Portugal which gave Philip access to more ships and ports for an invasion.
ECONOMIC: Drake’s attacks on Spanish ships in the New World left Spain without their supplies of silver and gold. This angered Philip greatly. Drake’s attack on Cadiz also caused the loss of Spanish treasure as well as being a huge humiliation for Philip.
Features of the Spanish invasion plans
Philip ordered 130 ships.
30,000 men in total to invade.
2431 guns on board the ships.
Under the command of The Duke of Medina Sidonia.
To sail up the English Channel to the Netherlands, meet the Duke of Parma and then sail to London.
To gain more supplies and men in the Netherlands.
27,000 troops to land in England and march to London.
To march on London and remove Elizabeth.