Elizabethan England

how long did Elizabeth reign for?

1558-1603

where was Elizabeth in the royal line of succession?

she was third in line, behind her brother Edward and her sister Mary

how old was Elizabeth when she became queen?

25

who held most of the power in England?

• a few trusted individuals in Elizabeth’s court (many were privy councillors)

• lord lieutenants - men appointed by Elizabeth who were responsible for running a particular area of the country and raising a militia to fight for her if needed (usually part of privy council)

• justices of the peace - responsible for maintaining order and enforcing the law

• parliament - made up of HoC and HoL/ had influence over tax and was responsible for passing laws

what was patronage?

an important way of ensuring loyalty from members of the royal court - Elizabeth could award titles, land, monopolies and other powerful positions in exchange for obedience and support

describe the royal court

• made up of officials, servants and advisors that surrounded Elizabeth

• the source of the latest trends and fashions

• included the privy council

describe the structure of the government

made up of Elizabeth and her closest advisors (usually privy councillors and men whom she trusted)

describe the role and structure of the privy council

• responsible for the day-to-day running of England

• Elizabeth had societal pressure to appoint the most powerful landowners in order to prevent rebellion

• it was almost impossible for Elizabeth to go against them when united, but it was very rare due to internal rivalries

• led by the Secretary of State (William Cecil and Francis Walsingham both held this role at some point and had a huge influence on Elizabeth)

what were the problems that Elizabeth faced during her reign?

• succession - she was the last living child of Henry VIII and had no children so it was unclear who would succeed her. she almost died of smallpox in 1562 which drew attention to the uncertainty of England’s future

• foreign policy - catholic countries like Spain and France wanted influence over England and had the support of the Pope

• taxation - England was short of money and she needed to raise taxes but poverty was becoming widespread so raising them would make her very unpopular

• Mary, Queen of Scots - was next in line of succession and catholics saw her as an alternative Queen of England, which made her a serious threat

• religion:

  • the official religion of England changed many times during the Tudor period (Catholicism - Mary I, Protestantism - Elizabeth and Edward) which had caused instability and violence

  • many Catholics didn’t see her as a legitimate queen due to her parents’ marriage

  • puritanism wanted to make the Church more extreme, which threatened the Religious Settlement

what were arguments for Elizabeth getting married?

• creates an alliance with a foreign country or a powerful English family

• producing an heir to continue the Tudor line and stop Mary, Queen of Scots from becoming queen when Elizabeth died

what were arguments against Elizabeth getting married?

• loss of authority - either to a foreign ruler or an Englishman-not marrying allowed her to keep her independence

• giving birth was risky for the mother

• she had a bad experience of marriage (Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as well as his other 5 wives)

• she was able to use the possibility of it to her advantage when dealing with foreign leaders and powerful figures in England

what did Elizabeth say was her reason for remaining unmarried?

she said that she was married to ‘the kingdom of England’ and that remaining single allowed her to totally focus on running England and keeping it secure and independent

what was parliament?

• consisted of lords, bishops and other nobles who sat in HoL and ‘commoners’ who sat in HoC

• its role was to discuss current issues, advise the queen, pass laws, set taxes

• needed to be dealt with carefully by Elizabeth as she did not have to listen to them but in practice could not ignore them completely

what were key issues that were discussed in Parliament?

• marriage and succession - many MPs saw it as their duty to find a husband for Elizabeth, so much so that they began discussing it openly which then led to her banning the topic completely

• religion - majority of both houses were Protestant and supported Elizabeth’s religious settlement but there were disputes over Puritanism

• freedom of speech - Peter Wentworth was arrested 3 times during Elizabeth’s reign for arguing that MPs should be allowed to speak on any matter that they chose (one of his arrests was organised by other MPs who wished to demonstrate their loyalty to Elizabeth)

• crime and poverty - many MPs recognised that punishing the poor was ineffective and attempted to introduce new poor laws, which failed until 1601 when the Poor Law was passed

• Mary, Queen of Scots - many MPs saw her as a threat to national security and called for her execution

• monopolies - they were an important way for Elizabeth to maintain the loyalty of powerful men in England (many MPs called for changes in their use which Elizabeth responded to by making a speech in 1601 which cleverly gave the impression that she was agreeing to their demands without actually promising anything)

what are some key facts about the Earl of Essex?

• he had been a loyal subject throughout Elizabeth’s reign and was a favourite of hers at one point

• he became a pricy councillor in 1595 and was awarded the monopoly on sweet wine in England

• he developed a rivalry with Robert Cecil (son of William Cecil)

• pleased Elizabeth when he successfully attacked the Spanish port of Cadiz in 1596

what were the causes of Essex’s rebellion?

• soon after his victory against the Spanish he got into an argument with Elizabeth - at one point he turned his back on her and she hit him on the side of the head (he nearly drew his sword but was stopped by fellow councillors and placed under house arrest)

• he was sent to Ireland by Elizabeth to deal with a rebellion but ended up agreeing to a truce with them, going directly against her orders

• he rushed into Elizabeth’s dressing room and caught her without her wig!

• Elizabeth refused to renew his sweet wine monopoly so he lost a lot of his wealth and influence

what happened during Essex’s rebellion?

• Essex took 4 privy councillors hostage and marched them to his London house along with 200 supporters

• Robert Cecil called him a traitor

• many of Essex’s supporters left, while others panicked and released the hostages without his permission

• Essex and his remaining followers were arrested

what were the consequences of Essex’s rebellion?

• Essex was put on trial for treason and was sentenced to death

• he agreed to name other rebels, including his sister Penelope

• he was privately executed on 25th February 1601 (some of his supporters were also executed but most were just fined)

• Elizabeth made it clear that she would not tolerate challenges to her authority

which social group held the most wealth before Elizabeth’s reign?

the gentry

what was writing and acting like during the Elizabethan era?

• playwrights like Shakespeare produced new works every year which included comedies, histories and tragedies

• acting was an entirely male profession

• actors like Richard Burbage became very famous and would have [arts specifically written for them

• works were performed by troupes such as the Lord Chamberlain’s Men

what were the different areas of an Elizabethan theatre?

• galleries - seated, covered areas for the rich

• roof - over the stage (often called the ‘heavens’) and had rigging that was used for scene changes and dramatic entrances

• gentlemen’s rooms

• stage - often decorated with scenery and almost always a trapdoor for special effects like smoke

• pit - where ordinary people stood to watch

• tiring room - where actors change

• lords’ rooms - most expensive seats

why was theatre so popular?

• it was affordable

• it was new and exciting

• it was a social event

• entertaining

• contemporary and relevant to the time

what was opposition to the theatre?

• some saw it as sinful

• puritans saw it as a distraction from prayer

• there were concerns that large gatherings might spread disease

• they were dangerous places where there was drunkenness, crime and immoral behaviour

what were the accomplishments of the ‘Golden Age’?

• art:

  • portraits became very popular and often contained symbolism

  • decorative silverware and textiles became important signs of wealth

• peace, power and pride:

  • Elizabeth brought safety and security to England

  • England’s growing wealth and military success made many subjects proud

• science and technology:

  • there were significant breakthroughs in navigation, astronomy, etc

  • improved printing presses allowed new ideas to spread quickly

• exploration:

  • europeans discovered new lands and peoples

  • England became a major power

• theatre:

  • became popular with all levels of society

  • first permanent theatres were built

• buildings:

  • many stately homes e.g Hardwick Hall were built

  • for the fist time, houses were not built with defence in mind

• literature:

  • many great plays were written during Elizabeth’s reign and are still performed today

  • poetry became very popular

• education:

  • became increasingly important

  • the wealthy received an education but the poor did not

why might the Elizabethan era have not been a ‘Golden Age’?

• blood sports e.g dog fighting remained popular

• torture and execution was still used by the government

• there was a large class dicide

• life expectancy was low and medical treatment was largely ineffective

what were the main reasons for poverty in Elizabethan England?

• actions of previous monarchs:

  • Henry VII limited the rights of nobles to hold private armies as he feared they might be a threat to his throne - this left many soldiers without work

  • the Reformation led to the closure of monasteries under Henry VIII left monks, nuns, etc unemployed

  • economic problems led to the collapse of cloth trade and the loss of many jobs

• changes in agriculture:

  • bad harvests between 1594 and 1598 led to food shortages and starvation in parts of England and led to inflation due to increased food prices

  • less farm workers were needed because farmers began to keep sheep on their land instead of crops (enclosure)

• population increase:

  • during Elizabeth’s reign the population increased from 2.8 million to 4 million

  • a shortage of places to live gave power to landlords who increased rents (rack renting)

• a flu outbreak in 1556 killed 200,000 people, which included many farm workers

how were the ‘deserving poor’ treated in Elizabethan England?

• many nobles believed that they were ‘better’ than the poor because of the Great Chain of Being

• many believed that it was their duty too help this below them in society

• charities for the poor grew and almshouses were established

how were the ‘undeserving poor’ treated in Elizabethan England?

• they were seen as untrustworthy beggars who had no interest in finding honest work

• Warning Against Vagabonds (published in 1567) encouraged the view that many poor people were merely confidence tricksters or criminals e.g Counterfeit Cranks, Baretop Tricksters, etc

how did former monarchs try to deal with poverty?

• from 1495, beggars were punished in the stocks or sent back to their home towns

• from 1531, beggars were publicly whipped on their first offence, had a hole burned into their ear on their second offence and were hanged on their third offence

• these laws remained in place for most of Elizabeth’s reign

what was involved in the Poor Law of 1601?

• the wealthy should be taxed to pay for the care of the sick and vulnerable

• fit and healthy paupers should be given work

• poor people who refused to work were still dealt with harshly - they could be whipped or placed in a House of Correction

• the poor were categorised into 3 groups:

  • helpless poor - given food and accommodation

  • able-bodied poor - had to work in exchange for food

  • idle poor - punished and sent to a House of Correction

how effective was the Poor Law of 1601?

• it did make a difference to some but was not properly enforced in many areas

• begging seemed to decrease but this may have been due tot he threat of the House of Correction rather than the extra help available

• some historians argue that the law was unsuccessful because each area was responsible for its own paupers - some were simply sent from one place to another without receiving any help

who was the first person to complete a circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition?

Sir Francis Drake (1577-1580)

what are some key facts about Walter Raleigh and the New World?

• he was given royal permission to explore the New World (the Americas) in 1584 and could colonise any land that wasn’t ruled by a Christian

• he had to give Elizabeth 1/5 of all the gold and silver he found

• he did not go himself but sent others

• his men established a colony in Roanoke but it failed

• a second colony was established in 1587 but all the colonists mysteriously disappeared

how was exploration made possible during the Elizabethan era?

• defences - better weapons e.g cannons made it easier to explore possibly hostile territory

• technology - better designed ships were much faster due to the triangular lateen sail

• navigation - the astrolabe allowed sailors to judge their position and more accurate compasses made navigation easier

what are some key facts about John Hawkins and the slave trade?

• he was a respected sailor and courtier, and was responsible for building up the navy and commanding it against the Spanish Armada

• he kidnapped several hundred West Africans in 1564 and sold them in South America (first time the process was carried out by an Englishman)

• he was a successful privateer and is thought to have brought tobacco to England

what was the impact of voyages in terms of wealth?

• raiding Spanish ships and ports allowed riches to be stolen and brought back to England

• trading systems were established from which England’s wealth grew over the following centuries

• trading African slaves brought a significant amount wealth to individuals e.g Hawkins and England as a whole

how did voyages give England more power?

• naval power had been growing under Elizabeth and was able to hold it’s own in any sea battle due to improved weapons and tactics

• the English victory over the Spanish Armada showed the dominant position that England held

how did voyages give England more territory?

their perseverance led to an increasing number of colonies (particularly in North America)

how were Protestant and Catholic beliefs different?

• Protestants believed that the monarch was the head of the Church whereas Catholics believed that it was the Pope

• Catholic services and bibles were in Latin whereas Protestant services and bibles were in English

• Catholics had highly decorated churches whereas Protestants had very plain churches

• Catholic priests linked ordinary people to god whereas Protestants believed that ordinary people could connect to God through prayer

how were Protestant and Catholic beliefs similar?

• both believed that God created the world

• both believed that Jesus was the son of God

• both believed that those who challenge the true faith must be punished

what was involved in Elizabeth’s religious settlement?

• priests were allowed to marry

• services were all in English and followed the Protestant Book of Common Prayer

• she declared herself ‘governor’ rather than ‘head’ of the Church

• Catholics could worship in their own way in private

• a moderate Protestant called Matthew Parker was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury

what were challenges to Elizabeth’s religious settlement?

• Northern Rebellion - 1569:

  • 2 northern nobles led a rebellion against Elizabeth which was caused by her refusal to let the Duke of Norfolk to marry her Catholic cousin Mary

  • the Earl of Westmorland and the Earl of Northumberland took control of Durham Cathedral and held an illegal Catholic mass

  • they marched South with 4600 men but the rebels disbanded when the loyal Earl of Sussex raised an army against them

  • Northumberland was executed, Westmorland escaped to France and Norfolk was imprisoned

• papal bull - 1570:

  • Pope Pius V issued a special message in which he stated that Elizabeth wasn’t the true queen and called on the people of England to not obey her laws, as well as excommunicating her from the Church

  • his aim was to stir up rebellion by forcing English Catholics to choose between their queen and their religion

• Ridolfi Plot - 1571:

  • led by an Italian named Ridolfi but also included the Duke of Norfolk and a second northern rebellion (this time, the uprising would include an invasion of foreign Catholics from the Netherlands and Elizabeth’s murder)

  • Mary Queen of Scots would be placed on the throne and marry the Duke of Norfolk if the plan succeeded but they were discovered before they could carry out the plot

what were Catholic threats to Elizabeth?

• Throckmorton Plot - 1583:

  • led by Sir Francis Throckmorton, who was executed when the plan failed

  • the plan was to assassinate Elizabeth and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots - there would then be an uprising of English Catholics and a French invasion

• Babington Plot - 1586

• Jesuits

• European Catholic rulers

• the Pope

what was the Counter-Reformation?

an attempt by the Catholic Church to bring many Protestants back to the old faith

who were the Jesuits?

the Society of Jesus was created in 1540 and it began to send missionaries to England from 1580 - it’s purpose was to convert the Protestant population to Catholicism and Elizabeth saw them as a threat

who were the key Jesuits in England?

Edmund Campion and Robert Parsons arrived in England in June 1580 as missionaries - Campion became a wanted man because the authorities were convinced that he wanted to start a rebellion and was eventually brutally tortured and hung, drawn and quartered

how did Elizabeth respond to the Catholic threat?

• 1571:

  • she implemented recusancy fines for Catholics who did not take part in Protestant services - however, the rich could afford this and she didn’t enforce the law very harshly

  • it became illegal to own Catholic items e.g rosary beads

• 1581:

  • recusancy fines were increased to £20, which was more than most could afford and the law was now strictly enforced

  • it became high treason to convert to Catholicism

• 1585:

  • any Catholic priest who had been ordained after 1559 was considered a traitor and he, and anyone protecting him, faced death

  • it became legal to kill anyone who attempted to assassinate her

• 1593:

  • the ‘statute of confinement’ was introduced - Catholics couldn’t travel more then 5 miles from home without permission from the authorities

why did Elizabeth’s religious policy change?

• threat from abroad

• powerful Catholics - she feared that powerful families in the north of England would obey the Pope’s command and rebel

• Jesuit missionaries

• plots

who were the Puritans?

• strict Protestants who were influenced by extremists in Europe e.g John Calvin

• some lived in exile during Mary’s reign

• they were keen to remove all Catholic elements from the English Church

• some were appointed as bishops by Elizabeth

who were the Presbyterians?

• hard-line Puritans who questioned Elizabeth’s religious settlement and the need for bishops

• they held ‘prophesyings’ in the 1570s to discuss the Bible (there was often criticism of the queen and her religious policies too)

who were the most powerful Puritans in England?

• Sir Francis Walsingham - Elizabeth’s senior minister and spymaster

• Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester - a privy councillor who was seen as a potential husband for Elizabeth

• Peter Wentworth and Anthony Cope - Presbyterian MPs who tried to bring change to the Church by introducing bills to Parliament but did. jot gain much support

how did Elizabeth respond to Puritanism?

• new rules introduced by Whitgift (Archbishop appointed in 1583) banned unlicensed preaching and forced church attendance with recusancy fines

• introduced a new High Commission with the power to fine and impression Puritans who refused to follow the rules

• dismissed and/or imprisoned hundreds of clergymen

• punished printers that speed the Puritan message

• she cracked down on high profile Puritans e.g Anthony cope was imprisoned in the Tower of London

why did the influence of Puritanism decline after 1590?

• the Church of England had brought stability to religion and people were unwilling to risk losing it

• Whitgift’s crackdown broke the organisation of Puritanism

• the death of powerful Puritans removed it’s influence in the royal court

what were the main 2 reasons for rebellions/plots against Elizabeth?

• religion e.g Babington and Northern Rebellion

• power and influence e.g Essex Rebellion

why did plots against Elizabeth ultimately fail?

• spies:

  • her huge network of spies was able to quickly identify threats and deal with troublemakers

• unconvincing alternatives:

  • most people (even Catholics) preferred the idea of an English queen to a foreign ruler

  • Mary, Queen of Scots was generally not trusted because she was widely blamed for the death of her husband

  • the lack of a popular alternative monarch meant that most rebellions could not gain wide support

• a skilled politician:

  • she was good at getting her own way and dealt with Parliament with great skill, allowing MPs and lords to feel that they had influence while still showing that she had the final say

• punishment:

  • she rarely shoed mercy to those who betrayed her

  • rebels were tortured and brutally executed

  • this caused many to fear rebelling against her

• religious settlement:

  • compromises kept the majority happy and religious differences were mostly tolerated

who was Mary, Queen of Scots?

• Elizabeth’s cousin (her grandmother was Henry VIII’s sister)

• a Catholic

• became Queen of Scotland in 1542 at only 8 days old

• married the heir to the French throne in 1558 and was briefly queen of 2 countries

• heir to the throne of England

why was Mary, Queen of Scots seen as a threat?

• Protestants were worried that she would lead or inspire a rebellion against Elizabeth

• the idea of her being queen reminded people of the horrors of Mary I’s reign

• she was seen as a figure that Catholics could rally around

what happened during the Babington Plot?

• a rich young Catholic called Anthony Babington planned to kill Elizabeth, rescue Mary from imprisonment and place her on the throne

• Babington got Mary’s servants to hide coded messages within beer barrels that were sent to her room

• Mary replied to the messages and gave her backing to the plot

• the servants were actually spies for Walsingham and the messages were decoded and taken straight to Elizabeth

• Mary was put on trial for treason and was executed in 1587

why was Elizabeth hesitant about killing Mary, Queen of Scots?

• she feared that executing another monarch might inspire her enemies or that her son would want revenge

• she didn’t want to kill another queen

• she was concerned about the reaction of France and Spain

what was the impact of Mary, Queen of Scots’ execution?

• her son James became the new heir to the throne and became king after Elizabeth died

• she was seen as a martyr to her faith and many believed her execution was proof that Elizabeth was a wicked heretic

• France and Spain did not react and James accepted Elizabeth’s apology for the death of his mother

why was there conflict between Spain and England?

• issue of marriage:

  • King Phillip II of Spain had been married to Mary I and had been joint monarch of England during their marriage - the plan was that their child would unite England and Spain under one monarch but when Mary died, so did the plan

  • Phillip proposed to Elizabeth in 1559 but she kept him waiting for an answer - as it became clear that the marriage would not take place, tensions between the countries grew

• religious difference:

  • Elizabeth had turned England to Protestantism but Spain was still Catholic, which eventually led to conflict

• papal bull:

  • Elizabeth was excommunicated by the Pope in 1570 which distanced her from Catholic powers

• trade and piracy:

  • England traded illegally with Spanish colonies against Spain’s wishes

  • Elizabeth unofficially supported voyages made by pirates which angered the Spanish

• the Netherlands (ruled by Spain):

  • there was a Protestant uprising in 1566 - Phillip sent troops to restore oder but this led to even greater resistance

  • Elizabeth agreed to send money to support the Protestants and allowed English volunteers to go and help in the fight, which greatly angered Phillip

  • William of Orange (Dutch rebel leader) was assassinated in 1584 and Elizabeth sent 7000 English troops to support her fellow Protestants that were led by Robert Dudley - they had very little impact but were seen as a clear act of war against Spain

what were the three factors that naval superiority depended on?

• size of fleet

• tactics:

  • ‘line of battle’ was sometimes used - ships formed a single line and fired together at the enemy

  • raids - ships took enemy ports by surprise and destroyed as many ships as possible before the enemy had a chance to fight back

  • fireships - an old ship would be set on fire and sent into the middle of the enemy fleet, which would cause panic and cause the ships to retreat

• technology:

  • a new triangular sail (lateen) allowed for faster travel and new ships allowed for greater speed and manoeuvrability so they could travel further distances

  • cannons made it possible to fire at enemy ships from a distance

  • the astrolabe allowed for greater accuracy when planning voyages and working out locations

when was the Spanish Armada?

1588

what was the plan for the Spanish Armada?

• 151 ships, 7000 sailors and 34,000 soldiers would sail tot he Netherlands and collect more men before invading England

• the ships would sail in an unbreakable crescent formation

• Phillip was so confident that he would defeat the English navy that he filled the ships with weapons for land battles that would follow once the fleet arrived in England

what happened during the Spanish Armada?

• they were anchored off the Dutch coast on the 6th of August

• they were delayed for several hours waiting for additional soldiers to arrive

• the English, led by Sir Francis Drake, chose to strike during this moment and sent 8 fireships into the Spanish fleet - there was mass panic and the well-organised Armada descended into chaos

• the Battle of Gravelines began on the 8th of August and the English fired constantly from a distance of 100m - the Spanish ships were badly damaged but none sunk

• the Spanish, led by the Duke of Medina-Sidonia, tried to retreat but the English gave chase

• a big storm blew the Spanish off course and out of 151 ships, only 65 returned to Spain

why was the Armada defeated?

• English tactics:

  • England had many experienced commanders e.g Lord Howard, Drake, etc

  • they had 200 cannons

  • they bombarded the Spanish which made it impossible for them to escape

• weather:

  • storms caused great destruction to the Spanish fleet and delayed their return to Spain, meaning that their food and water eventually went off or ran out

• spanish mistakes:

  • the Duke of Medina-Sidonia had no experience of naval warfare and was unfit to lead the Armada

  • they only had 130 ships whereas England had 200

  • their ships were designed for the Mediterranean and could not cope with the harsh conditions of the English Channel and the North Sea

what were the consequences of the defeat of the Armada?

• it proved that England was a major naval power

• Phillip quickly began planning a second attempt but never actually tried again

• it brought England together as most Catholics declared loyalty to Elizabeth under foreign threat and it made her even more popular and respected as a leader - this helped boost the idea of the ‘Golden Age’