Elizabethan England

What early difficulties did Elizabeth face?

Elizabeth’s mother, Anne Boleyn was executed by her father Henry VIII.

Elizabeth herself came close to being executed for treason on two occasion.

She was accused of being involved in plots against her brother and sister - Edward and Mary

What qualities helped her to become a successful queen?

Self reliant, determined yet cautious. She was also very well educated

Why was ability to rule questioned?

Her legitimacy was questioned by some

Her ability to rule was also questioned because she was a woman in what many thought to be a man’s role

How long did Elizabeth rule for?

45 years from 1558 to 1603

What did the Queen’s court consist of

Queen, her advisers and servants together. It existed wherever the queen was.

She had about 500 courtiers who lived with her and competed for power and influence

Courtiers -

Members of the royal court

How did Elizabeth encourage loyalty from her Court?

Gave loyal courtiers duties at court - patronage

to prevent a courtier becoming too powerful, she sometimes used a ‘divide and rule’ tactic. This caused rivalry but kept people royal

What was the Privy Council?

A group of trusted ministers who helped Elizabeth govern England. Her privy council had only 19 members but she believed it would be more efficient

William Cecil (Lord Burghley) -

Elizabeth’s chief minsiter

Member of the gentry and former MP. Secretary of state

Intelligent and hardworking

Loyal but knew how to manage the Queen

Moderate and cautious - a stabiliser

Robert Dudley ( Earl of leicester)

A member of the nobility

‘Master of the horse’ - Responsible for the Queens’ safety

Comitted Puritan who often disagreed with Cecil about religion and foreign affairs

Ambitious and a radical

Sir Francis Walsingham -

A member of the gentry and an MP

Keen Puritan

Secretary of State for foreign affairs. Also in charge of Elizabeth’s secret service’ controlling spies and informers

often clashed with Cecil

What is a progress?

A progress was when the Queen and her Court went to stay with powerful nobles.

It was very expensive but rich nobles liked it because it gave them access to the Queen.

It was also propoganda opportunity for the Queen as it allowed her to impress nobles with her power. They in turn laid on sumptuous banquets and masques to impress her

What were portraits used for

To show loyalty to the Queen was to have a portrait of her.

Many courtiers commissioned one for their house or as miniature to carry with them

The queen’s image was strictly controlled There were approved portraits which artists had to copy

What was Elizabeth’s power over the Parliament?

Power to call, dissolve and prorogue(postpone) parliament

Why did Elizabeth see parliament as a ‘necessary evil’

necessary - had to get its permission to raise money

evil - thought some MP’s were troublesome

it only met 13 times in 44 years

What was parliament’s role?

Pass laws and approve subsidies(grants of money to the queen). they only twice refused her money and she usually got what she asked for.

Over time, MP’s grew in confidence and tried to influence her decisions

How did Elizabeth control MP’s

She reminded MP’s of her prerogative - she had the final say on issues such as religion, marriage, heirs, war, treatment of Mary.

in 1576, Peter Wentworth demanded that MP’s should be able to talk freely in the House of Commons.

in 1601, she granted concessions to MP’s on the issue of monopolies. She did this to appease Parliament in order to raise taxes to fund activities in Ireland.

Why was Elizabeth expected to marry?

They questioned a woman’s ability to rule england alonme

they wanted her to make a good alliance with a foreign power.

They wanted her to produce an heir to rule after her

Why was Dudley a main suitor?

Dudley was the Queen’s favourite adviser as they were close since childhood. #

However, due to his wife dying in suspicious circumstances in 1560, it would have been scandalous to marry him

Why was King Philip of Spain a main suitor?

Philip had been married to Elizabeth’s sister

Spain was a powerful country in Europe so marriage could’ve been useful

However, Elizabeth rejected him as he was catholic

Why was Francis Duke of Alencon a main suitor?

Francis was younger brother to the King of France. Marriage woudlve been good for England’s relationship with Catholic France.

However, after the massacre of Protestants in 1572, there was strong anti french feelings in England.

Why was the 1590s a bad period for Elizabeth?

A series of bad harvests led to food shortages, risinig prices and increased poverty

An expensive war with Spain

All Elizabeth’s closest advisers died - dudley in 1588, walsingham in 1590, Cecil in 1598

A power struggle began with two powerful people - Dudley’s stepson - the earl of essex and Cecil’s son Robert

Elizabeth had no children and refused to name successor until she was on her death bed

What was the Earl of Essex’s attempt to seize power?

Essex was unpredictable person but Elizabeth gave him a mission to defeat a rebellion in Ireland. He made a truce instead

Elizabeth banned him from Court and removed his sweet wine monopoly which ruined him financially

Essex joined a poorly thought-out rebellion. he marched to London with other courtiers to take Elizabeth prisoner

His route was blocked and he was arrested and executed for treason in Feb 1601

How was Elizabeth England influenced by new Renaissance ideas from Europe?

Humanist scholars stressed the power of the human mind

science flourished. Scholars observed the planets and working of the human body

Printing press allowed ideas to spread more quickly

New schools were set up to offer a broader cirriculum

How did the Gentry develop in the Golden Age.

Gentry were originally a step below nobility - large landowners

they helped the monarch keep control in their local area but did not usually have national influence

The Tudors deliberately overlooked old nobility. They feared they were too powerful

Under Elizabeth, the influence of the gentry grew further. they also grew richer from trade, exploration, rising population and rising prices.

What effect did the ‘Great Rebuilding’ have?

the wealthy gentry wanted to show off their wealth and status

they built grand and impressive new houses and renovated their existing ones

They had fashionable features such as intricate chimneys, oak panelling, plasterwork ceilings and a lot of glass which was very expensive

Some hosues were built on old monastery land bought by the gentry

How was culture used as propaganda?

Portraits showed Elizabeth as a young and commanding queen

The government licensed printing presses controlled what was published.

What was theatre like in Elizabethan England?

wandering bands of actors, who were popular, performed in market squares or inns. Government feared these people and from 1572, actors had to be licensed.

the first purpose-built theatres was the ‘the theatre’ in 1576 and then ‘the globe’ in 1599 where Shakespeare made his name

The queen had never went and had actors performing for her at court

How did London authorities oppose London theatres?

There was concern that theatres encouraged crime and spread of plague and that plays took apprentices away from work

The authorities wrote to the Privy council asking for the closure of theatres

How did Puritans oppose London theatres?

Puritans were extreme Protestants and was strong in London

they associated theatres with paganism

theatres also reminded puritans of catholic miracle plays

they thought it encouraged sinful behaviour, particularly sex outside of marriage

How did the English challenge Spanish Power in the new world?

Before Elizabeth’s reign Spain and Portugal dominated European exploration. This made them rich

Catholic Spain was very hostile which was responded with privateering

privateers were really pirates licensed and funded by the government to attack Spanish ships

Who was John Hawkins?

A voyager that made three voyages to the Caribbean, trading slaves that he had captured in West Africa.

he was the cousin of Francis Drake.

He also designed improved ships for the navy based on his experience of fighting the Spanish

Who was Francis Drake?

a celebrated English explorer. He accompanied Hawkins on his final trip and was driven by patriotism and an anti catholic desire to seek revenge for the attack on Hawkins

He became the first Englishmen to circumnavigate the glob in 1577-80.

He attacked Spanish ships on his way and returned with treasure worth 200 million in today’s money

he was knighted by the queen and later became vice admiral of the navy

Who was Sir Walter Raleigh?

One of Elizabeth’s favourite courtiers. She had granted him a patent (license) to set up a colony in America.

He claimed an area of North America and named it Virginia to honour Elizabeth. Both of his attempts to found a colony failed.

In 1585, the first settlers left as they faced too many problems and the second disappeared.

In 1595, Raleigh led another unsuccessful expedition in search of a city of gold in South America

What was English trade like?

English trade was over reliant on the cloth industry and on Antwerp.

This was disrupted by war with Spain and Elizabeth’s government wanted to find new trading partners and markets.

New companeis were set up such as the East India Company in 1601, bringing silk spices, cotton and tea from the far east

What were the poor like in 1950s?

Half the people in Elizabethan England were labouring poor. They did not own land or have a trade or own a business

The labouring poor worked for wages. They did not grow their own food so spent 80% on food and drink

If they were unemployed or faced disease or disability they could not earn money for food.

What were the causes of poverty in Elizabethan England?

Population Growth -

Inflation -

War -

Bad Harvests -

Enclosure - good farming land had been fenced off for sheep grazing - which was england’s main industry. sheep farming employed fewer labourers

Rents -

Closure of monasteries - monasteries had previously helped the poor

What were the two types of poor the Elizabethans classified?

Impotent or deserving poor - too young, old, ill or disabled to help themselves

Idle and undeserving poor - ‘Sturdy beggars’ or vagrants that were considered dishonest. They should be punished

Why did the poor scare authorities

Vagrants were seen as a threat to social order and were also blamed for spreading the plague. they were more worried about keeping law and order than helping the poor

What was the 1601 Elizabethan Poor Law?

Justices of the Peace had to appoint 4 Overseers of the poor in each parish

Almhouses were provided for the old or sick to work in

Beggars had to be returned to their place of birth or put into the House of Correction. This was a prison for those who refused to work

A poor rate was charged to pay for these measures

What was religion like in the Elizabethan Era?

Under edward and Mary, England were seesawed between Protestant and Catholic ways

Elizabeth was a Protestant. She rejected catholic ways such as transubstantiation (belief that at mass, wine and bread turned to Christ’s body and blood)

But she was not a religious radical like a Puritan.

What was the Act of Supremacy?

Re-established that Church of England was independent- not ruled by the Pope in Rome

Made Elizabeth Supreme Governor of this Independent Church of England

What was the Act of Uniformity?

Attendance was compulsory at Anglican services

Bible and services are in english

Clergy could marry

Catholic practices were banned

altars were replaced with communion tables

as a compromise, candles, clothes, and colourful robes were allowed

What was the puritan opposition to the middle way?

Some puritans wanted to get rid of all Catholic features. Some MP’s spoke in favour of the Puritan ideas.

even the archbishop of Canterbury, Edmund Grindal, lost his job because he refused to close down Puritan meetings called Prophesying

John Stubbs wrote a Puritan pamphlet which criticised Elizabeth’s religious settlement. He had his right hand cut off as punishment

What was the catholic opposition to the middle way?

Refused to attend Anglican services. They were known as recusants and were fined.

Some Catholics went further and plotted against Elizabeth

This threat increased in 1568 when Mary, Queen of Scots came to England. She was kept in prison by Elizabeth but became the focus of Catholic plots.

They also had support from Europe such as the seminary set up in Netherlands in 1568

What was the causes of the Northern rebellion?

Catholic Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland were unhappy with the religious settlement. They planned to free mary and marry her to the Duke of Norfolk who would overthrow Elizabeth

What was the events of the Northern rebellion?

5000 rebels heard an illegal Catholic mass in Durham Cathedral then captured Barnard castle and Hartlepool. They hoped for help from Catholic leaders in Europe but they never came

What was the consequences of the Northern rebellion?

Elizabeth reorganised the Council of the North which failed to rush the rebellion. She confiscated rebel lands. Northumberland was executed along with 500 rebels

How did the Pope react to the failure of the rebellion

he excommunicated Elizabeth and issued a papal bull to disobey the Queen’s laws

How did Elizabeth react to repress Catholics?

Treason act in 1571 made distributing the papal bull or denying the queen’s supremacy punishable by death.

from 1580, Jesuit missionaries posed a threat. They travelled secretly around the county, hiding in ‘safe houses’ they conducted catholic services to keep beliefs alive

1581, recusancy fines were raised from 12 pence to £20

1585, a law stated that if you were ordained, that was treason. All existing priests had to leave the country#

1603, only 2% were actual recusants

Who was Mary, Queen of scots?

Mary was Elizabeth’s cousin and seen as the rightful heir

She was catholic and briefly married to the king of France. when he died, she married Lord Darnley in Scotland. they had a son who later became king James VI of Scotland and I of England

Darnley was a violent drunk and was murdered. Mary then married Earl of Bothwell that was chief suspect. SHe was forced to Abdicate and fled to Cumberland in may 1658

What was the Ridolfi plot?

In 1571. Ridolfi was Italian banker living in London and plotted that Elizabeth would be kill and mary would marry duke of Norfolk and become queen.

Ridolfi expected 40,000 supporters and 6000 Spanish troops but elizabeth’s spies uncovered the plot and Norfolk was executed in 1572.

What was the Throckmorton plot?

In 1583. Mary was planned to be queen and the rebellion would be supported by French soldiers and Jesuit priests with Spanish and papal backing.

Throckmorton was tortured and confessed and the Spanish ambassador was expelled

What was the Babington plot?

In 1585. Mary who was a prisoner at Chartley hall corresponded in code with french ambassador Anthony Babington. they hatched a plot to replace Elizabeth with mary

her letters were intercepted by a double agent. Walsingham let them carry on until he had proof and Mary was executed in 1587.

E;ozabeth was wracked with guilt over the regicide which made Mary a martyr. She had signed the death warrant as a precaution so the Council had acted without her consent in executing her

Why did Philip launch his crusade against Elizabeth?

she supported privateers who attacked spanish ships and helped dutch rebels in the Netherlands

She made herself head of church and was seen as a heretic by Catholic Europe

she sent help to french protestants and expelled spanish ambassadors who were involved in plots against her

she also executed Mary, Queen of scots

What was Philip’s plan?

130 ships set out from spain in july 1588. the plan was to sail to Calais, pick up soldiers from the Spanish Netherlands and take them to land in Kent, then to attack London.

What was the English’s response?

Elizabeth knew about the Armada but didn’t know where so they set up warning beacons

the English sent eight fireships towards the Spanish Fleet the Spanish boats scattered

the English attacked Spanish boats at the Battle of Gravelines on 8 august 1588. the English destroyed 5 Spanish ships. two more ran aground. No english ships were damaged.

Why did the Armada fail?

Flawed plan - communication between armada and spanish soldiers were impossible

Leadership - medina sidonia, the armada commander, was cautious and inexperienced compared to Lord Howard and Francis Drake

ships - spanish ships called galleons were heavier and slower than the swifter manoeuvrable english vessels

Guns - the spanish used short-range guns and relied on getting close to the enemy. The english used accurate long range guns, culverins which could be quickly reloaded

Weather - strong winds blew the Spanish north and storms wrecked many ships

Why was the defeat a propoganda victory for Elizabeth?

She believed the victory showed that God was on her side

the storm was known as the ‘Protestant wind’

Victory was celebrated with a special medal and the ‘Armada Portrait’

England’s Protestantism and independence had been safeguarded. But it did not end the war with Spain which dragged on till 1604 when both Elizabeth and Philip were dead