Early Elizabethan England c.1558 - 1588

• When was Elizabeth born?

  Elizabeth was born on 7 September 1533.
• Who became king after Henry died in 1547?

  Edward became king at the age of 10.
• What happened in 1553?

  Edward died and Mary became queen, while Elizabeth was imprisoned in the Tower of London.
• What was the significance of the Religious Settlement created by Elizabeth in 1559?

  It established the Church of England's structure and practices through the Act of Uniformity and the Act of Supremacy.
• What event occurred in 1568 involving Mary, Queen of Scots?

  Mary, Queen of Scots, was exiled from Scotland and fled to England.
• What was Elizabeth's response to Mary, Queen of Scots, after she fled to England?

  Elizabeth put Mary under house arrest.
• What happened to Anne Boleyn in 1536?

  Anne Boleyn was executed on the orders of her husband, Henry.
• When did Elizabeth become queen?

  Elizabeth became queen on 17 November 1558.
• How was Elizabeth's first decade of reign characterized?

  Elizabeth had a relatively peaceful first 10 years of her reign from 1558 to 1568.
• What significant rebellion occurred in 1569?

  The Rebellion of the Northern Earls occurred in 1569.
• What did Pope Pius do in 1570?

  Pope Pius released the Papal Bull excommunicating Elizabeth from the Church.
• What significant voyage did Francis Drake begin in 1577?

  Francis Drake began his first voyage around the world stealing from ships
• What was the situation in the Netherlands in 1585?

  The war in the Netherlands escalated in 1585.
• What happened in 1587 regarding Mary, Queen of Scots?

  Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed in 1587.
• When did Elizabeth die?

  Elizabeth died on 24 March 1603 at the age of 69.
• What characterized the period from 1571 to 1585 in Elizabeth's reign?

  Elizabeth had another period of relative peace during this time.
• When did the Babington Plot occur?

  The Babington Plot occurred in 1586.
• What was the outcome of the Spanish Armada in 1588?

  Elizabeth defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588.
• What year did the Ridolfi plot occur in?

  It occurred in 1571
• What year did the Throckmorton plot occur in?

  It occurred in 1583
• What was Elizabeth’s personality like?

  she was highly educated

  very confident

  loved art, music, literature and dancing

  she took pride in her appearance

  excellent understanding on politics
• Why did it take so long for Elizabeth to execute Mary QoS in 1587?


  she was very indecisive
• Why was Mary locked in the Tower of London?

  she was accused of plotting against her sister, Mary I
• What was Elizabeth and her family called?

  The Tudors
• Why was Elizabeth nicknamed The Virgin Queen?


  she had no children during her reign or ever got married
• What jobs were included in the gentry?


  • cottagers, ran a business from home
  • landless labourers, farmers
  • merchants, bought and sold good (30,000 families)
  • professionals, lawyers, doctors, teachers and clergy
  • craftsmen, blacksmiths, glovers, carpenter, silversmiths and tailors
• What were the problems Elizabeth had to overcome during her reign?


  • she was single her whole life ( never got married)
  • she inherited a big amount of debt from her family
  • she was female
  • illegitimacy, as her mother Anne Boleyn was executed for treason
  • she got threats from catholics
  • a lot of religious conflict, mainly between Catholics and Protestants
  • she was Protestant
• How was Elizabeths government structured?

  • Monarch
  • Privy Council
  • Parliament
  • Local government
• Who was Robert Dudley?


  Elizabeth’s best childhood friend who commanded the army. he was sent to the Netherlands in 1585
• Who was Sir Francis Walsingham?


  Head of Elizabeth’s Secret Service that uncovered many plots against Elizabeth
• Who was Sir William Cecil?


  Elizabeth‘s most important advisor who managed the government meetings. He guided Elizabeth for 40 years
• What was the job of the Privvy council?


  The privy council was Elizabeth’s closest group of advisors who she chose from the noble class
• Roles in the local government?

  • Lord Lieutenants, they kept the queen informed about what was happening around the country
  • Justices of the peace, the main person responsible for law and order around the country, they were also unpaid but given power and status
  • Overseer of the poor, organised and collected the poor rate from everyone in the parish and gave out this money to to those who needed charity
• The job of parliament?

  • raise money through taxes
  • pass an act of parliament
  • give advice on important issues
• What were Elizabeth’s parliament banned from?


  • foreign policy
  • religion
  • Elizabeth’s private life
• What did Henry VIII introduce that allowed him to divorce Catherine of Aragon?


  The English Reformation 1532, this brought the Protestant religion to England when he split from the Catholic church
• Who was the head of church according to protestants?

  The monarch
• What were the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism?

  • Bible was written in Latin for Catholics
  • in Protestant churches they were often plain and not highly decorated
• What percentage of people were catholic in 1558 when Elizabeth became queen?


  75%
• Why was the religious settlement introduced in 1559?


  To compromise between two religions Catholicism and Protestantism