Elizabethan England

What was the Religious Settlement of 1559?

A plan to unite England by creating a moderate Protestant Church with some Catholic features.

What were the two main parts of the Religious Settlement?

The Act of Supremacy and the Act of Uniformity.

 What did the Act of Supremacy (1559) deare?

Elizabeth was Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

What did the Act of Uniformity (1559) do?

Established a new Protestant prayer book and made attendance at church compulsory. Official religion was Protestant but compromises for Catholics available

What were recusancy fines?

Fines imposed on those who refused to attend Church of England services.

Who excommunicated Elizabeth and when?

Pope Pius V in 1570 via the Papal Bull.

What was the Papal Bull?

A decree that released Catholics from obeying Elizabeth.

Why was the Papal Bull dangerous to Elizabeth?

It encouraged rebellion and declared her illegitimate.

What was the Treason Act of 1571?

Made it treason to deny Elizabeth’s legitimacy or introduce Papal Bulls.

What law was passed in 1581 about Catholic mass?

Attending or helping at Catholic mass became an act of treason.

What were Seminary Priests?

Priests trained abroad (e.g. Douai) to return and convert English people to Catholicism.

Who founded the seminary in Douai in 1568?

William Allen.

Who were the Jesuits?

Members of the Society of Jesus, aiming to convert Protestants to Catholicism.

Who were the two most well-known Jesuits in England?

Edmund Campion and Robert Parsons.

What happened to Edmund Campion in 1581?

He was tortured and executed for spreading the Catholic doctrine in public.

Why was Robert Parsons not executed?

He informed people about the Catholic doctrine in secrecy.

Why were Jesuits seen as a threat?

Authorities feared they were helping to incite rebellion.

What was the Counter-Reformation?

A Catholic movement to win back Protestants and reassert Catholicism.

When did the Jesuits begin arriving in England?

1580.

What were “prophesyings”?

Puritan meetings for discussing the Bible, often criticising the Queen.

What was Elizabeth’s response to prophesyings?

 She suspended Archbishop Grindal for allowing them.

Who was Mary Queen of Scots?

Elizabeth’s Catholic cousin, with a claim to the throne.

 Why did Mary arrive in England in 1568?

She fled Scotland after being implicated in her husband's murder. Put on house arrest for 19 years and became the focus of all Catholic plots.

What was the Northern Rebellion (1569)?

A Catholic revolt led by the Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland to put Mary on the throne.

What illegal act did Westmorland and Northumberland perform during the Northern Rebellion?

They held an illegal Catholic mass in Durham Cathedral in 1569 to show defiance against Elizabeth's Protestant rule.

How many joined the Northern Rebellion?

Around 6,000 men.

What happened to the rebellion?

It was crushed by 14,000 government troops, who were sent by Earl of Sussex, saving Elizabeth’s life.

What was the result of the Northern Rebellion?

450 rebels executed; Mary moved further south.

Why was the delay of the Papal Bull in 1570 significant to the Northern Rebellion?

It arrived too late to encourage more rebels. If on time, it could’ve made the rebellion more dangerous.

What was the Ridolfi Plot (1571)?

A Catholic plan involving Spain and the Pope to replace Elizabeth with Mary.

Who led the Ridolfi Plot?

Roberto Ridolfi, an Italian banker and spy for the Pope.

Which foreign countries supported Roberto Ridolfi’s plot in 1571?

Spain, the Netherlands, and the Pope backed the Ridolfi Plot to replace Elizabeth with Mary, Queen of Scots

Who was executed after the Ridolfi Plot?

The Duke of Norfolk because he was caught plotting to marry Mary Queen of Scots.

How did Walsingham’s spies help stop the Ridolfi Plot?

A hidden letter in a bag of coins was found, and the cipher key was under a doormat—Walsingham cracked it.

What was the Throckmorton Plot (1583)?

A plot involving a French invasion and uprising of English Catholics.

Who led the Throckmorton Plot?

Sir Francis Throckmorton.

Who discovered the Throckmorton Plot?

Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth’s spymaster.

What happened to Throckmorton?

He was executed.

What was the Babington Plot (1586)?

A plan to murder Elizabeth and place Mary on the throne.

Who led the Babington Plot?

Anthony Babington.

What role did Walsingham play in the Babington Plot?

He intercepted coded letters between Babington and Mary, proofing Mary’s involvement in the plot.

What was the result of the Babington Plot?

Mary was put on trial for treason and granted a private execution in 1587.

 What impact did Mary's execution have?

Outraged Catholics in Europe and pushed Philip II of Spain to launch the Armada.

What did Puritans believe?

That the Church should be fully Protestant, removing all Catholic elements.

What were prophesyings?

Bible study meetings held by Puritans, often with criticism of the Queen.

What happened to Archbishop Grindal for allowing prophesyings?

He was suspended by Elizabeth.

Who replaced Grindal in 1583?

John Whitgift.

What actions did Whitgift take against Puritans?

Banned unlicensed preaching, fined recusants, and imprisoned hundreds of clergymen.

What happened to John Field in 1588?

He died; he was a key Puritan leader and critic of the Church.

What happened to Separatists like Henry Barrow and John Greenwood in 1593?

They were hanged for forming an illegal church.

Why did Elizabeth eventually crack down on Puritanism?

Loss of powerful allies (Dudley, Walsingham) and increasing disobedience.

Who was Peter Wentworth?

A Puritan MP who demanded free speech in Parliament — imprisoned.

What was the High Commission?

A court created to discipline those who disobeyed religious rules.

Why was Elizabeth pressured to marry?

To produce an heir, form political alliances, and provide strong leadership.

Why didn’t Elizabeth marry Philip II of Spain?

She didn’t want to be controlled by a foreign Catholic ruler.

Why couldn’t she marry Robert Dudley?

His wife, Amy Robsart had died mysteriously — rumours he murdered her. And he wasn’t well liked among many noblemen as many believed he would use his power to control her decisions.

Who was the Duke of Anjou?

A French prince once proposed to Elizabeth — he rarely visited and was disliked.

Why didn’t Elizabeth marry the Duke of Anjou?

Elizabeth was 46 by the time marriage was considered, making her likely too old for childbirth.

Why was Elizabeth afraid of childbirth?

Her stepmother Jane Seymour died giving birth, and her mother Anne Boleyn was executed.

What title did Elizabeth adopt to show independence?

The “Virgin Queen.”

What did the lack of an heir lead to?

Uncertainty about succession and plots to replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots.

Who were the gentry?

Wealthy landowners below the nobility — rising in power during Elizabeth’s reign.

What were Sumptuary Laws (1574)?

Laws that regulated what people could wear based on their assets.

What was the Great Chain of Being?

A belief in a strict hierarchy: God, angels, monarch, nobles, gentry, peasants, animals, plants.

What is patronage?

When Elizabeth gave out jobs, land, or titles in return for loyalty.

Who were Justices of the Peace (JPs)?

Local officials who kept law and order — usually from the gentry.

What were Lord Lieutenants?

Nobles in charge of counties and raising militias.

Why did Elizabethan theatre flourish?

It was popular with all classes and supported by the Queen.

What was the most famous theatre?

The Globe Theatre, built in 1599.

What happened to the Globe in 1613?

It caught fire due to a stage cannon during a performance.

Who was the most famous playwright?

William Shakespeare.

What were some of the famous plays that Shakespeare wrote?

The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet.

Who was a famous Shakespearean actor?

Richard Burbage.

What was the first purpose-built theatre in Elizabethan England?

‘The Theatre’, built in 1576 by James Burbage, was the first official theatre in London.

What law controlled actors?

They had to be licensed or were considered vagabonds in 1572.

Who opposed the theatre and why?

Puritans and authorities — feared theatre promoted idleness and sin, believing it encouraged immoral behaviour and distracted from religious duties.

What illegal activities occurred outside theaters?

Bear Baiting: A cruel sport where a tethered bear was attacked by dogs for entertainment.

Prostitution: Was frowned upon but thrived due to the demand from largely male theatre audiences.
Drunkenness: Widespread consumption of alcohol that often led to public disorder and fights

How did Elizabeth use the theatre for power?

Plays promoted Tudor greatness and royal propaganda.

What was enclosure?

Landowners fencing off land for sheep farming — displaced many peasants.

How did landlords worsen poverty?

They raised rents, forcing many off the land.

What were the causes of poverty?

Bad harvests, inflation, enclosure, rising population, taxes.

What did Thomas Harman write about in 1567?

Trickster beggars in his book.

What was a "Clapper Dudgeon"?

A beggar who injured himself to elicit sympathy and financial aid from passersby.

What was a "Tom O’Bedlam"?

A beggar who pretended to be insane, often using props, like a chicken's head, to attract attention and gain sympathy.

What was a “Counterfeit Crank”?

A beggar who pretended to suffer from “the falling sickness” (epilepsy). They would foam at the mouth using soap and fake fits to draw pity.

What were almshouses?

Housing provided by the rich for the elderly or poor who couldn’t work.

What was the 1561 Poor Relief Act?

Parishes had to raise funds to support the poor.

What was the 1572 Vagabonds Act?

Harsh punishments like whipping and execution for repeat beggars.

What was the 1576 Poor Relief Act?

Created work for the unemployed and distinguished between ‘deserving’ and ‘idle’ poor.

What was the 1601 Poor Law?

Made all previous laws national; each parish had to care for its poor.

What were the causes of the Spanish Armada?

Execution of Mary Queen of Scots, religious conflict, trade rivalry, and Drake’s raids.

How did the death of Mary Queen of Scots cause the Armada?

She was a Catholic figurehead — her execution angered Philip II and removed the last hope for a Catholic heir.

What religious reason did Philip II have for invading England?

He wanted to restore Catholicism and remove Protestant Elizabeth.

What political reason did Philip have for attacking?

England had helped Dutch Protestants rebel against Spain and insulted Spanish pride.

What was the Treaty of Nonsuch (1585)?

Elizabeth agreed to fund 7,000 troops to help Dutch rebels fight Spanish forces.

What was the "Singeing of the King of Spain’s Beard"?

In April 1587, Francis Drake raided Cadiz, destroying 30 Spanish ships and delaying the Armada.

How many ships did the Spanish Armada have?

130 ships (galleons and supply ships).

How many soldiers and sailors were in the Armada?

30,000 soldiers, 8,000 sailors, and 2,000 gunners.

How many horses were on board?

Around 1,800 horses.

What formation did the Armada sail in?

A crescent formation — strong warships outside, supply ships in the middle.