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What was the Privy Council and its role?
The Privy council was a group of about 20 of the Queen’s most trusted councillors.
They advised her on all aspects of government and ensured her wishes were carried out, even if they disagreed with her.
What was the role of Parliament in ruling England?
The Parliament was made from the nobility and the gentry.
The monarchy had a fixed income and if more money was needed Parliament had to be consulted to grant “extraordinary taxation”.
The Queen could pass orders but this could not be enforced in Law without Parliament agreeing.
So Elizabeth avoided it, calling it only 13 times in her 44 year reign.
What was the Gentry?
They were a part of the social elite in Elizabethan England, below the level of nobility. Members owned vast land and lived of the income it provided without actually working themselves.
Basic context for Elizabethan England (x4 points).
England's population had been rising steadily since around 1500. Most people lived and worked in rural areas but thousand cities were growing rapidly. London was by far the largest and most important City.
The economy was dominated by agriculture, but farming practices are changing. The export of woodland cloth to Europe was very important to the economy but merchants but also starting to explore trade with America's and Asia.
Elizabeth Society was dominated by a small land loaning aristocracy of nullity and Gentry. They were growing number of wealthy men who had earn their Livings at lawyers or merchants.
That was great inequality, and the divide between rich and poverty growing. Poverty became a major problem in Elizabeth in England.
Who was Elizabeth I?
She was Henry VIII’s second child, the daughter of his second wife, Anne Boleyn. The third child she was third in line to the throne Como so no one really expected her to become Queen.
She had difficult upbringing so sometimes feared for her life. In 1554, she was accused of conspiring against a half sister, Queen Mary I. She was placed on the house arrest for almost a year.
She was very cautious and only trusted a few close advisors. She could be indecisive commerce she was reluctant to make decisions without carefully considering their possible consequences.
She was intelligent coma confident and very well educated. Despite having had little training in how to governor she became a powerful and effective leader.
What was the main difficulties when she became queen?
She had been declared illegitimate.
People thought it was unnatural for a woman to be in charge.
She was expected to marry and producer heir.
Why was her claimed to the throne doubted?
In 1533, her father had divorced his first wife Catherine of Aragon and married Anne Boleyn. Divorce was forbidden in Catholic Church, so many Catholics believes Henry's managed and was not valid and their daughter Elizabeth was illegitimate.
When Henry's marriage and believed was dissolved and and was executed in 1538, Henry declared Elizabeth illegitimate. Although he later changed his mind about this, some people still questioned Elizabeth's legitimacy.
What did people expect when a woman was in charge?
In 16th century coma most people believe the more not should be a man. They thought the rule by women was unnatural. The violent and chaos of Mary I’s reign had reinforced people's believed that women could not rule successfully.
Many people expected her to act as a figurehead, without any real powerful. She should let her male cancels take control find a husband to govern for her.
But she was determined to rule in her own right and refuse to let her counselors take over.
What did she do which was unusual for a woman of her time (x3 points)?
Because people been believed women could not rule effectively, there was pressure for less was to find a husband who could rule for her.
There was also concerned about the succession. Because if Elizabeth died without a heir, there would be civil war with different groups competing for the throne. To prevent this Elizabeth was expected to marry and produce a higher as quickly as possible.
But she was reluctant to marry, women had to obey her husband, she would lose her power and freedom if she married. Because she never married became known as the Virgin Queen.
Why did Elizabeth have financial difficulties in the early part of her reign?
On the King Edward VI huge sums of money had been spent on Wars in Scotland. Queen Mary I had also spent too much money. So, Elizabeth inherited enormous debts when she became queen.
Mary I had sold off large amounts of land owned by the Crown to cover her debts. Although this has raised money in the short term, in the longer term it reduced some monarch’s income from rent.
The taxation system was old-fashioned and ineffective. Whilst ordinary people faced high taxes, it was common for the members of the nobility and Gentry to pay less tax than their own. Elizabeth was reluctant to change this because it would make her unpopular.
England was suffering under high levels of inflation. This meant that prices were rising, while wages stayed the same or felt. The poor and those living in urban areas were hit the hardest by this.
What did Elizabeth do quickly to ensure stability against France?
In 1557, Mary I took England to war with France to support our husband Philip the second of Spain who was at war with France.
This failed. In January 1558, the French conquered Calais, the last remaining english territory on the mainland. This made defending the channel increasing the chance of French invasion.
In November 1558, Elizabeth wanted to end this war quickly and peace was agreed in 1559.
What was the French threat in Scotland?
When Elizabeth became queen, Scotland was controlled by Francis Catholic royal family and many French troops were stationed in the country but their rule was on popular.
In April 1558, Mary Queen of Scots married the heir to the French throne. The Catholic French of Scotland disliked the protestant English. This meant that they were likely to invade.
In the late 1550s, Scottish Protestants led by the Preacher John Knox rebelled against the French rule.
In 1560, they appealed to Elizabeth and she agreed to support them and English troops and ships were sent into help.
In December 1560, the death of Mary's French husband, and the French being defeated and forced to leave Scotland, reduced the chance of invasion greatly.
How were Protestants different to Catholics?
The protestant reformation began in Germany, in the early 16th century, and gradually spread across Europe. Reformers challenge many Catholic beliefs and practices:
They questioned the authority of the Pope.
They translated the Bible from Latin into languages that ordinary people could understand.
This all churches will be playing in simple unlike highly decorative Catholic churches
What shaped Elizabeth's attitude towards religion?
Under Henry VIII England became Protestant and rejected the Catholic faith. He made himself the head of the English church but did not reform Catholic church itself by much so Catholic beliefs and practices remained unchanged.
Edward VI was a strong supporter of protestantism and heavily reformed the English church. He had a new version of the Bible issued in the English and services were held in English not Latin. Decorations while removed from the churches and elaborate Catholic vestments were banned.
Mary I reversed all these changes as she was a devout Catholic. She restored the Pope as ahead of England. Under her rule Protestants were harshly persecuted. More than 280 people were executed for their beliefs and many fled.
Elizabeth I wanted religious stability. She was a Protestant and committed to her faith but she did not believe that violent reform would be the best for the country. She wanted to end quantum religious changes of the last 30 years by creating a stable and lasting religious settlement.
What was the Act of Supremacy?
This was past in 1559.
Henry VII and Edward VI had used the title “supreme head of the Church of England”. But Mary opted for the “Supreme Governor” of the English church.
This act required churchman and people holding public office to swear the oath of Supremacy. They had to recognise a queen of supreme governor and promised to be loyal to her.
Most parish priest took the oath. However, all but one of the catholic bishops refused and lost their posts. There are replaced by Protestant Bishops, who returned to England after seeing the end of the Protestant persecution.
What was the Act of Uniformity.
This and the Royal Injunctions were passed in 1559.
Elizabeth wanted everyone to conform to a religious settlement. So she imposed moderate Protestant reforms on the church but also made concessions to England's Catholics.
Reforms | Concessions |
Going to church was compulsory and there were fines for missing a church service. A new book of Common Prayer was issued and had to be used in all churches. All parishes had to have a copy of the Bible in English. | The wording of the communal service was deliberately vague so it could be accepted by both sides. Churches were loud to keep someone their decorations and priests had to wear certain Catholic clothes |
Royal commissioners were ordered to visit churches throughout the country this was being carried out.
Why was the church an important role in Elizabethan Society?
Senior churchman were involved in government.
All Bishops held a seat in the House of Lords,
Archbishop of Canterbury was usually a member of the Privy Council.
Parish priests were often the most educated people in their communities, which made them respected and influential. As well as providing religious guidance, they gave advice and helped to resolve disputes playing an important role in providing charitable support for the poor and elderly.
The church helped provide national unity and obedience to the queen. The Queen's coat of arms was often displayed in church's, and the judges included prayers for the Queen and her councillors.
Who were Puritans?
What did they do?
These were extreme Protestants. For them, Elizabeth’s changes were only the first step and they wanted her to go further and remove all traces of Catholicism from the English church.
The vestment controversy of the 1560s, was a serious puritan challenge to the settlement. They refused to wear this surplice, a white vestment used by Catholics, which the royal injunctions had made compulsory.
Until 1565, Elizabeth had tolerated this but then she ordered the Archbishop of Canterbury to ensure that all priests were the correct clothing. Those who did not lost their jobs or were imprisoned.
Who was the Archbishop of Canterbury?
How did he help Elizabeth?
This roll was in the hands of Matthew Parker.
He was a moderate who helped Elizabeth uphold the middle where at the religious settlement and ensured the monox wishes were carried out.
What about the nobility (in relation to religion)?
A large proportion of the nobility were still Catholic.
The compromises in the religious settlement one some of them around, but others refused to attend Church services, they were called recusants.
They were influential in areas outside of the Southeast of England, especially Lancashire. They used their local power to protect catholics and maintain their religious practices.
They were a threat as they might try to overthrow Elizabeth and restore Catholicism.
To minimise this Elizabeth did not Force the Catholic nobility to attend Church services. As long as they did not make a public show of their beliefs there were allowed to continue practicing.
Why did France and Spain not intervene?
The risk of French invasion was serious in the first years of Elizabeth framed but faded with the start of the Wars of religion in 1562, this continued until 1598 and greatly weakened France.
In the 1560s, Spain was facing a growing revolt in the Netherlands. To prevent and Alliance forming between the English and the protestant Netherlands, Spain try to stay on good terms with Elizabeth and avoided challenging her religious settlement.
Why could the Pope not do much in the early years?
The Pope had the power to excommunicate Elizabeth meaning expelling her from the Catholic church. This might encourage Catholic countries to invade England for stop it could also encourage rebellion at home by releasing Elizabeth Catholic subject from their duty of loyalty to her.
in the 1560s, neither France nor Spain had the military resources to invade England. There was no clear support for a revolt against Elizabeth at home so the Pope did not take any action.
Who marian exiles?
These were Protestants who had fled during the reign of Elizabeth the first because of fear of religious persecution. They fled to Protestant countries in Europe such as it near Germany and The Netherlands.
Many of these people were Puritans, extreme protestants.
In 1559, after the Act of Supremacy, many of the new Protestant Bishops were Marian exiles.
How did Mary Queen of Scots have a strong claim to the English throne?
Mary was the only child of James the 5th of Scotland. She is related to the Tudor through her grandmother Margaret Tudor. She was Henry VIII’s sister, the wife of James IV and the mother of James V.
Because she was Catholic, many Catholics in England supported her unwanted her to be queen of England.
She became queen of Scotland in 1542 when she was just six days old. Her mother acted as Regent while Mary was raised in France.
In 1558, when Mary was 15 years old she married the heir to the French throne but he died unexpectedly in 1560.
How did Mary lose the Scottish throne?
In 1565, she married the Scottish nobleman Lord Darnley. The marriage was not happy. Her husband hated Mary’s personal secretary, David Rizzio, and though his wife and him were having an affair.
In 1566, So him and some other scottish nobles stabbed Rizzio to death.
In 1567, Darnley was murdered. Many people believe that Mary and her close friend, the Earl of Bothwell, were behind the murder. This suspicion seem to be confirmed when Mary married Bothwell a few months later.
The marriage was unpopular with this Scottish Nobles, who rebelled against Mary. The imprisoned her and forced her to abdicate in favour of a one-year-old son, James.
In 1568, she escape from prison and raised an army her forces were defeated in Battle when she fled South to England.
What was Elizabeth stance on Mary’s right to the Scottish Throne?
She believed that the Nobles had no right to overthrow Mary. As a result, they did not accept her abdication, and still viewed her as a the legitimate Queen of Scotland.
What did Elizabeth do with Mary when she arrived in England?
In 1568, Mary arrived in England and hope that Elizabeth would help her regain control Scotland. But Elizabeth was not willing to do this, Mary's claims that English throne meant that it there would be a constant threat of invasion from the northeastern Mary regained pounds Scotland.
Instead Elizabeth had Mary imprisoned and set up an inquired to investigate if she had been involved in Darnley’s murder.
Elizabeth did not wanting quality find Mary guilty as guilty verdict would lend support to the action of Scottish Nobles who had overthrown Mary, their legitimate Queen.
But it is with did not want to not guilty verdict either, was this would force her to release Mary. Once free Marion might use her claim to the English phone to try to overthrow Elizabeth.
In the end, the inquiry did not reach a verdict, it enabled Elizabeth to keep Mary in captivity and prevent her from being the center of Catholic plots, but her present caused problems for Elizabeth throughout the next 20 years.
What were the “casket letters”
These letters included several letters apparently written by Mary to bothell, which implicated the pair’s role in Darnley's murder.
Mary's supporters insisted that the letters were forgeries.
But most members of the inquiry believe that they were genuine.
What caused the revolt of the northern Earls?
Many northern Nobles were still Catholics. They wanted to see the restoration of Catholicism in England under Catholic monarch. When Mary arrived, they saw her as an alternative to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth had confiscated large areas of land from the Earl of Northumberland and shared them between his main rival in the North and Southern Protestant. He was angry that Elizabeth has claimed all the profits from the copper mines discovered on his estates.
Elizabeth had also reduced the power of northern Nobles and increased her own control in the North. This was done through the Council of the North, which helped govern the region. Under Elizabeth, the Council was controlled by Southern Protestants. The northern Nobles deeply resented this.
The Owls blamed Elizabeth advisors for these policies, especially William Cecil. There wanted to replace these “evil counsellors” with men who would be more sin pathetic to their interests.
What happened in the revolt of the northern Earls?
In 1569, the Duke of Norfolk (the wealthiest landowner in England) hatched a plan to marry Mary the Queen of Scots and to have her recognise as Elizabeth. Supported by Catholic Nobles, including The Owls of Northumberland and Westmorland as it meant Elizabeth would be succeeded by a Catholic Queen.
When their plan was uncovered, they feared that they would be executed for their involvement. In a depth spur attempt to escape punishment, they rebelled and tried to overthrow Elizabeth.
In November 1569, the Earl's captured Durham, here they celebrated Catholic mass in the cathedral. They then marched South, probably heading for Tutbury in Derbyshire, where Mary was imprisoned.
What happened in the end with the revolt of the northern Earls?
Before the Rebels reached Tutbury, a large Royal Army forced them to retreat. Many of the troops deserted and the two fled to Scotland.
Elizabeth showed the rebels little mercy. Westmoreland fled abroad but Northumberland was executed as well at least 400 rebel troops.
What was the consequences to the revoke of the northern Earls (x4 points)?
The revolt was sick the most serious rebellion of Elizabeth's reign. Opposed a major threat to Elizabeth through and showed the danger that Mary Queen of Scots represented as a rallying point for English Catholics.
News the rebellion created widespread fare among England's Protestants about Catholic plots and Revenge. This was viewed by memories of the horse persecution of Protestants during the reign of Mary I.
In 1570, Pope Pius V excommunicated Elizabeth. This was supposed to strengthen the revolt, but news of it did not arrive until after their Rebels had fled. It did make the Catholic threat seamore serious because it meant that Catholics no longer have to obey the Queen and were encouraged overthrow her.
From 1570, Elizabeth became less tolerant of reusancy and took increasingly harsh measures against English Catholics.
What was the support for the revolt of the Northern Earls like?
There was little supports among the rest of the Catholic nobility and ordinary people.
When faced with a choice between Elizabeth and their religion, most Catholics chose to support the Queen.
The revolt was the last time English Catholics tried to remove Elizabeth by force.
What was the ridolfi plot?
Roberto di Ridolfi was an Italian banker who played a small part in the revolt of the Northern Ireland.
In 1571, he uses Catholic contact in England and Europe to develop a plot to overthrow Elizabeth.
He planned assassinate Elizabeth, then marry Mary to the Duke of Norfolk and make her Queen. He was supported by the Pope and by King Philip II who agreed to provide troops for Spanish invasion.
The plot failed, because Elizabeth's allies passed the names of the main conspirators to her. They also intercepted letters sent by Mary, which showed her and Norfolk’s role in the Plot.
Norfolk was arrested and executed. Mary was not punished, although her supervision was made tighter.
What was the Throckmorton plot?
In 1583, this plot aimed assassinate Elizabeth and replace her with Mary. The conspirators planned for an invasion of England by French to troops, finance by Philip II and the Pope.
The leading figure in the plot was Francis Throckmorton. He was a young Catholic man who carried messages between Mary and Catholic conspirators abroad.
His role was exposed by Walsingham, who had placed him under surveillance for several months.
In 1584, Francis Throckmorton was executed.
What was a result of the Throckmorton plot?
The Privy Council drafted the Bond of Association.
It was to be signed by English nobility and Gentry.
People who met any of this criteria were agreed to be executed by the signatories:
attempted to usurp the throne
successfully usurped the throne
made an attempt on Elizabeth's life
successfully assassinated Elizabeth
The irony was that Mary, Queen of Scots, herself also signed it.
How did Catholic plots hold threat to Elizabeth (x3 points)?
Mary's presence in England and her strong claim to throne made plots seem credible. Many people were afraid that they may be successful.
The Pope (lead of the Catholic church) could rally support for plots. For some Catholics obedience to the Pope was more important than obedience to Elizabeth.
Foreign powers, especially France and Spain, were involved in the plots and so there was a danger of a foreign invasion.
What were the weaknesses in Catholic plots (x3 points)?
Elizabeth was a popular ruler and the conspirators lacked public support. As the failure of the revolt of the Northern Earls had shown there was little appetite in England for Catholic Revolution.
Phillip II was reluctant to destroy his Alliance with Elizabeth. As a result his support for many Catholic plots were half-hearted, he promised to support the conspirators but he rarely fully did.
Elizabeth’s informants, and later Walsingham’s effective spy network, ensured plots were uncovered before they were fully developed.
Who was Francis Walsingham (x4 points)?
He was Elizabeth principal Secretary and spymaster.
He established a large spy network in England and Europe.
He intercepted the letters of Catholic conspirators and worked with an expert cryptographer to code them.
He also used double agents to infiltrate Catholic networks.
What was the Babington plot?
This was another conspiracy involving France and Spain. They aim to assassinate Elizabeth and give the throne into Mary and this time with a support of a joint Franco-Spanish invasion force.
Anthony Barrington was one of the key conspirators and he was responsible for sending the information to Mary from her supporters in England and Europe and passing back her replies.
Walsingham followed every stage of the plot using his spiy network. With a double agent, he managed to secretly intercept all letters sent to and from Mary and have them decoded. One of Mary's letters approved plans to assassinate the Queen and free her from prison.
By August 1586, Walsingham had all the evidence he needed to break the plot. Barrington and other conspirators were arrested, tried and executed for treason.
Why was Mary Queen of Scots executed?
Mary had been involved in Catholic props before but Elizabeth had always been reluctant to take action against her. The evidence gathered in the Babington plot was enough to put persuade her to put on trial.
In October 1556, Mary was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death.
Elizabeth was reluctant to execute Mary but what she believed in the Divine Right of Kings. In this belief rulers were sent by God to govern their country. Therefore, she felt that she had no right to execute a legitimate monarch. Furthermore, she feared the executing Mary would undermine her own claim to rule by Divine Right and my few more plots against her.
After hesitating for many months, Elizabeth eventually signed Mary's death warrant.
On 8th of February 1587, Mary was executed.
What was the implication of the execution of Mary Queen of Scots nationally?
The execution removed the long-standing Catholic threat to Elizabeth at home. English Catholics now had no one to Rally around, and they lost hope for overthrowing Elizabeth and reversing the religious settlement for stop there were no more major Catholic plots during Elizabeth’s reign.
What was the implication of the execution of Mary Queen of Scots internationally?
Mary's execution inflamed Catholic oppression on broad and increased the Threat of foreign invasion.
In 1587, relations with Spain were at low point. Te countries were at war over the Netherlands and King Philip II had been preparing for an attack on England since 1585. Mary's execution made the situation worse and Philip was now even more determined to invade.
There was also a danger that James VI of Scotland might seek revenge for his mother's death and there were fears that he would form an alliance with Catholic powers in Europe in order to invade England.
Some context about King Philip II of Spain.
He had been married to Queen Mary I of England and the two countries had fought together against France in the 1550s. The war were France ended in 1559, but Elizabeth and Philip tried to maintain good relations with each other.
Spain was a great imperial power. In Europe, Philip ruled Spain, the Netherlands and parts of Italy. he also had a large Empire in the Americas.
In 1581, Philipp became the king of Portugal. It gave him control of the important Atlantic port of Lisbon as well as Portugal's overseas Empire.
By 1570s, England was starting to have ambitions of it Empire of its own and hopes to become an imperial power to rival Spain.
Philip was a very devout Catholic and disliked the Elizabethan religious settlement of 1559. He became involved in several Catholic plots against Elizabeth although his involvement in these plots were mostly reluctant and half hearted.
The commercial rivalry between Spain and England.
English exports to Europe were vital to the English economy. Many good reached the European market via Dutch ports. Especially via Antwerp in the Netherlands. Because Spain ruled the Netherlands, Philip could limit English access to these vital ports.
In 1568, Spanish ships heavy with Gold took refuge in English ports to escape bad weather. Elizabeth seized the gold for herself, enraging Philip. In response, Philip seized English ships in Antwerp and banned English trade with the Netherlands for some time. This damage England's economy and cause much hardship for the English people.
What did Elizabeth encourage which caused Spanish relations to get worse?
Why?
Example?
Trade with Spain's colonies in North and South America was very profitable but foreigners were not allowed to trade with them unless they had a license. Very few English men were granted licenses.
Elizabeth encouraged private tears to trade illegally with Spanish colonies, raid Spanish ships and attacked the treasure fleets carrying golden silver from the Americas to Spain. Because they was supposedly independent commerce with good deny any responsibility for the activities for stock this helped to prevent open conflict with Philip.
Elizabeth received a share of the properties profits. Given England's financial weakness was very important source of income for her. The treasure received from Drake in 1580 was worth more than the rest of her income for that year put together.
Timeline of the war between Spain and England over the Netherlands.
In 1581, Protestant Rebels in the Netherlands declared independence from Spain and established a Dutch Republic. Elizabeth gave limited financial help to the rebels but she did not want to provoke Philip by getting directly involved.
In 1584, the rebel leader, William the Silent, was assassinated and the Dutch revolt was in danger of being defeated.
In 1585, she decided to give direct assistance to the Rebels and she signed the Treaty of Nonsuch, which placed the Netherlands under her protection and promised military assistance.
Who was Robert Dudley?
What did he do?
Robert Dudley was the Earl of Leicester and was appointed to lead the military expedition to the Netherlands.
When he arrived he accepted the position of governor general. This was a serious mistake and suggested that Elizabeth had taken control the Netherlands for herself which risked provoking Philip even further. Elizabeth forced Dudley to resign immediately.
What was the result of Robert Dudley's actions?
Why?
Dudley's campaigns of 1586 to 1587 were unsuccessful. He suffered many heavy defeats at the hands the Spanish general, Duke of Parma, and had no military successes. He resigned from his post in 1587 and return to England.
There were several reasons:
Dudley was not a good general
His officers were bitterly divided over strategy
He had a very small army compared to the Spanish
The English army was poorly equipped
Elizabeth did not provide enough money to pay the English troops.
What was successful in England war with Spain over the Netherlands?
English naval support for the Dutch Rebels was more effective, they had a fleet of English ships Patrol the Dutch coastline, preventing the Spanish from landing somewhere there forces by sea.
How did Philips see the actions of England in the Netherlands?
What did Elizabeth do?
Philip saw the 1585 Treaty of Nonsuch other declaration of War on Spain and in response he began building a huge fleet, an Armada, that he planned to use to invade England.
Elizabeth was a well Phillips plans. So in 1587, she sent Francis Drake to spy on Spanish preparations and to attack their ships and supplies.
What did Drake to directly against the Spanish?
Most of new ships for the Armada will be in built in the Portuguese ports of Lisbon. This deep was support was protected by strong fortifications and Drake new he could not attack it without any hope of success.
Instead he decided to attack the port of Cadiz which was not well defended. Fewer ships were anchored here but the poor was the centre for large number of Naples supplies which Drake wanted to seize or destroy.
In April 1587, Drake sailed into the harbor and began to attack the ships anchored. He destroyed around 30 ships and seized many tons of supplies, including food and weapons.
And Drake also captures the San Filipe, a Spanish ship returning from America's laden with gold, spices and silk. It's valuable cargo easily covered the cost of Drake's expedition and enabled Elizabeth to improve it England's defenses.
What was the impact of the raid on Candiz?
The raid had a major impact on Phillips planned to invade England and delayed the Armada by more than a year.
Obtaining fresh supplies and weapons was very expensive and strained Spain's finances.
During his raids, Drake captured more than 1000 tons of planks made of season wood. These were needed to make barrels used to carry food and water. As a result the Spanish made their barrels from unseasoned wood which could not preserve food and water very well.
This caused supply problems for the Armada and affected the morale or Spanish trips and sailors. Freshwater supplies were lost and many tons of food rotted as a fleet sailed to English in 1588.
But these effects with temporary and the Armada would eventually recover.
In the end how big was the Armada and its plans?
By the spring of 1588, the Spanish Armada was complete, and Philip was ready to launch his “enterprise of England”.
The Armada was a huge fleet of around 130 ships, and by approximately 8000 sailors and carrying 18,000 soldiers.
Philip appointed the Duke of Medina Sedonia To lead the Armada. Philipp respected the Duke’s high social status and trusted him to obey instructions. However, the Duke had little military knowledge and he tried to reject the command (unsuccessfully).
The Spanish had thousands more soldiers stationed in the Netherlands under the leadership of Duke of Palma. Philip’s plan was for the Armada to meet Parma’s army at Dunkirk and the combined forces would sail across the channel to England under the protection of the armada’s warships.
The start with the Armada?
The Armada set out in May 1588, but was delayed for several weeks by bad weather in the Bay of Biscay and by temps open English fleet to intercept it.
In July 1988, the Spanish feet was sighted off Cornwall and beacons were lit along the south coast to send the news to Elizabeth in London. English ships set sail from Plymouth to meet the Armada.
The Armada sailed up the channel in Crescent formation and this was an effective defensive strategy which use large armed galleons to protect weaker supply and troop ships.
The English Navy carried out a few minor raids but was unable to inflict much damage and only two Spanish ships were lost and these were both destroyed by accident.
When did the armada's issue start?
The Armada anchored at Calais to wait for Palma’s troops to arrive.
However, Palmer's men were being blockaded by dutch ships and were not able to reach the coast in time.
In the middle of the night, the English sent 8 fire ships among the anchored Spanish ships. This caused panic among the Spanish sailors who cut the anchor cables broke their defensive formation and headed for open sea.
The Spanish ships regrouped at Gravelines but the weather made it impossible for them to return to their defensive position at Calais.
The English moved in and the following battle lasted for many hours. 5 Spanish ships were sunk and the rest were forced to sail away from the French coast into the North Sea. An English fleet followed the Spanish as far north as Scotland to make sure they did not regroup to collect Palma's army.
Medina Sedonia called off the attack on England and return to Spain by sailing around Scotland and Ireland.
The sailors were unfamiliar with this very dangerous route under encountered several powerful Atlantic storms.
Many of the ships sank or were wrecked on the Scottish and Irish coasts, where the local inhabitants owed the survivors little merciful stop those that did complete the journey ranch or supplies and many men died of starvation and disease.
In all, less than half the flea and fewer than 10,000 men made it back to Spain.
English strengths: The English had improved their shipbuilding, which gave them several technological advantages. The Spanish relied on large ships which are heavy and difficult to handle, whereas the English built long narrow ships that were quicker and easier to handle English counts could be reloaded much more quickly than Spanish ones.
Spanish weaknesses: Most of spain's men lacked experience of naval warfare whereas English feet was manned by experienced sailors. The Spanish plan to be Duke of Armada at Dunkirk was seriously flawed. Spain did not control a deep-water port whether our mother could anchor safely so their ships were extremely vulnerable to an attack as it waited for palmers troops to escape the Dutch blockade.
Luck: The death of Spain’s leading Admiral, Santa Cruz, in February 1588, led to the appointment of the inexperienced Duke of Medina Sidonia to lead the Armada. The weather made it impossible for the Spanish fleet to return to the channel off the battle grave lines and forced it to travel into dangerous waters of the Scottish and Irish coasts.
Philip sent 2 further Armadas in the 1590s but they were both unsuccessful.
The war with Spain continued for 15 years but the Armada of 1588 was the last serious Spanish threat to Elizabeth’s throne.
The victory of 1588, contributed to England’s development as a strong naval power to rival Spain. English ships went on many voyages of discovery and established valuable trade routes especially with India and the far East.
By the end of Elizabeth's reign, the Navy was playing an important role in attempts to set up an English colony in North America.
The English victory boosted Elizabeth popularity and strengthened the protestant cause as it was seen as a sign that God favoured Protestantism.
Children received the early education at home and most parents probably taught their children how to behave correctly and gave them basic religious education.
From the age of 6, all children had to go to Sunday school where they learned things like the Lord's prayer, the 10 commandments and the creed (a basic statement or the Christian faith).
From a young age, boys with trained in simple work skills while girls help their mothers with household activities.
Some children from noble households were taught at home by a private tutor. Others were sent to live with another noble family and educated there.
This kind of education was intended to teach children how to behave in a noble society and give them skills to be successful at court.
These were small local schools that provided basic education.
Many were run by local parish priests and others were attached to grammar schools or were set up by private individuals.
Schools taught basic reading and writing and sometimes a little maths but there was not a set curriculum and had a strong religious focus.
The schools did not usually have any books and the main teaching aid was the hornbook, a wooden board that showed the alphabet and the Lord's prayer.
Most pupils were boys, but some schools admitted a free girls and there was no fixed age for people to start school but they usually started at about 6 and kept until they could read and write.
What about grammar schools?
Grammar schools had existed for centuries but there was a big expansion during Elizabeth's reign with the foundation of around 100 new grammar schools.
It was rare for girls to go to these schools and most pupils were boys from upper and middle classes.
Some schools offered free places to bright boys from poor backgrounds but few poor boys were able to attend with their parents needed them to work at home.
Children started a grammar school around the age of seven and lessons mainly focused on Latin and classical literature from ancient Greece and Rome and a few schools also taught Greek.
What about university?
When they left grammar school, some boys went on to study at either Oxford or Cambridge. The growing prosperity of the upper middle classes meant that number university students increased during Elizabeth's reign.
University courses were conducted almost entirely in Latin. Students started advanced written and spoken Latin, before moving on to study arithmetic, music, Greek, astronomy, geometry and philosophy. After completing an undergraduate decrease students might specialise in law, theology or medicine.
The royal court was a large group of over 1000 people that travelled around with the Queen and consisted of the most powerful members of society.
This included Queen Elizabeth’s personal servants, members of the Privy Council, nobles, ambassadors, and other foreign visitors.
The Queen's favourite sports became an important part of court life, and her personal servants, members of the Privy Council and foreign visitors would often participate in leisure activities with her. For example, the Queen was skilled at hawking.
Noblemen and courtiers were expected to be skilled at certain sports in order to succeed at court such as fencing.
The wealthy enjoyed sports including tennis, fencing, football and the theatre.
Noblemen and courtiers were expected to be skilled at certain sports, such as fencing, in order to succeed at court.
Many rich people practised sports from a young age because this helped them to succeed in society.
Some sports, such as hawking, tennis, and bowls, were mostly enjoyed by the rich because they were very expensive.
The Queen's favourite sports became an important part of court life.
The poor enjoyed sports such as football, cockfighting, bull-baiting, and bear-baiting.
Football had little rules and was often played between two villages. Unlimited people could play so matches often descended into long and violent fights.
Poorer people had little time for leisure activities because they typically worked six days a week and had to attend church on Sundays.
Before the 1570s, actors travelled and performed in village squares or in inn courtyards.
The first theatres were built just outside the City of London in the 1570s. These included The Theatre and The Curtain
Many theatres were built just outside the City of London because the London authorities and Puritans opposed the theatre because they viewed it as a source of crime and immorality.
Elizabethan theatres were usually round, open-air buildings with a raised stage.
Poorer audience members, known as groundlings, stood around the stage, while richer people sat under cover around the theatre’s walls.
Support from the elite was important for Elizabethan theatre because acting companies needed them to pay for and promote their performances, and to protect them from opponents of the theatre.
Rapid population growth during Elizabeth's reign, from around 3 million to over 4 million, led to food shortages because food production could not keep up with the growing population.
This caused food prices to rise, increasing poverty as people could not afford to eat.
The standard of living fell because food and other goods prices increased faster than wages, worsened by the Statute of Artificers, which capped wages.
Increased competition for land due to population growth also caused rents to rise, placing more financial pressure on struggling families.
New farming techniques, such as enclosure, reduced the need for farm labourers, leading to evictions, unemployment, and homelessness among the poor.
Many landowners switched to sheep farming for wool production instead of growing grain, worsening food shortages and increasing prices.
Traditional subsistence-level farming was replaced by enclosed farms, which were more efficient but required fewer labourers, contributing to unemployment and poverty.
Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries, which had previously supported the poor, ill, and disabled, left many without assistance.
Additionally, Henry VIII had debased the coinage by using cheaper metals, leading to inflation and higher prices that the poor could not afford.
Although Elizabeth's government began to address the coinage issue in 1560, the rising prices at the start of her reign still contributed to poverty.
Vagabonds were migrant workers who left their villages to look for work in towns and cities.
The government was worried about vagabondage because they thought it would encourage riots and rebellions.
People believed the poor could be split into three categories: the helpless, deserving, and undeserving.
The helpless poor included orphans, the elderly, sick, and disabled individuals unable to support themselves.
The deserving poor were those who wanted to work but could not find employment in their village.
Undeserving poor included criminals and prostitutes.
The government became more involved in poor relief due to fears that rising poverty levels threatened law and order and could incite rebellion.
This prompted the government to take action, as individual charity was no longer sufficient.
The 1563 Poor Law empowered magistrates to raise local funds for poor relief and fine those who refused to contribute, although individuals could decide how much they gave.
The 1572 Poor Law further mandated local officials to determine contribution amounts, leading to a national taxation system for poor relief by the century's end. This funding was allocated to hospitals and housing for the helpless poor, apprenticeships for poor children, and work opportunities for the deserving poor.
The 1576 Poor Law stated that poor people could be sent to prison if they refused to take work.
The undeserving poor faced harsh treatment, including public whipping under the 1563 Poor Law.
The 1572 Poor Law intensified punishments with whipping and ear boring, with repeat offenders facing imprisonment or execution. This harsh treatment stemmed from the perception that the undeserving poor posed a significant threat to society.
Many believed they had incited the Revolt of the Northern Earls in 1569, leading to these severe measures.
English sailors began to take an interest in global exploration from the 1560s, while the Portuguese and Spanish had already begun voyages of discovery in the 1400s. By 1558, Portugal and Spain had established many colonies in the Americas.
Navigational Techniques: The Portuguese and Spanish developed advanced navigational techniques, such as using a sea astrolabe to navigate by the stars or the Sun.
English Adoption: English sailors began to learn these techniques, with 'The Art of Navigation' by Martin Cortes being translated into English in 1561.
Additional Innovations: From the 1570s, the log and line helped estimate speed more accurately, and improvements in map-making provided more detailed and reliable charts.
From the 1570s onwards, English ships became faster, more stable, easier to navigate, better suited to ocean voyages and able to carry larger cargoes.
As tensions rose between England and Spain, it became difficult for English merchants to trade freely through Antwerp.
This encouraged them to seek new routes into Europe and to look further afield, especially to the Americas and Asia.
Elizabeth realised that England needed to compete with Spain globally and encouraged merchants to get involved in long-distance trade, privateering, and establishing colonies in the Americas.
She also granted trade monopolies to some merchants giving them exclusive rights to trade in particular parts of the world.
In 1577, she gave a group of English merchants called the “Spanish Company” a monopoly on English trades with Spanish colonies.
What attracted English explorers to the Americas and Asia?
English sailors were attracted to the Americas by the potential for illegal trade with Spanish colonies and the prospect of establishing their own colonies.
They aimed to profit from the region's wealth, emulating the success of Spanish treasure ships returning to Europe with silver and gold.
Additionally, English merchants sought to develop trade with Asia, bypassing Venetian middlemen who dominated the trade in Asian luxuries like silk and spices and kept prices high.
What were the Francis Drake’s expedition?
Between 1577 and 1580, Francis Drake embarked on a voyage that would become only the second global circumnavigation and the first by an English sailor.
The expedition, initiated by Queen Elizabeth to explore the coast of South America, sought opportunities for English colonisation and trade and aimed to raid Spanish colonies and treasure ships.
Where did Francis Drake visit when exploring the world?
Drake explored the South American coast, raiding many Spanish settlements.
He sailed around the southern tip of South America before capturing two extremely valuable Spanish treasure ships near Lima.
To avoid Spanish ships sent to intercept him, Drake sailed north along the North American coast, possibly looking for the North-West Passage, before crossing the Pacific to Indonesia.
He was able to cross the ocean successfully as he has captured 2 spanish men with charts and knowledge on how to cross.
He returned to England via the Indian Ocean and round the Cape of Good Hope.
Upon his return to England, Drake was knighted by Queen Elizabeth aboard his ship, the Golden Hind.
This royal recognition, coupled with the vast wealth Drake brought back, encouraged more English sailors to undertake long-distance journeys.
Elizabeth's recognition of Drake's achievements motivated other sailors to seek similar royal acknowledgement.
By the 1580s, England had claimed some territory in North America, but had not yet established a successful colony.
During his journey around the world, Drake had claimed New Albion (in California) for England. England also claimed Newfoundland in eastern Canada.
In 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert tried to establish a colony in Newfoundland in Eastern Canada but failed.
After this, Elizabeth gave Walter Raleigh permission to explore and colonise unclaimed territories. She wanted Raleigh to establish a colony on the Atlantic coast of North America.
In 1584, Raleigh sent a fact-finding mission to North America. The team landed on Roanoke Island, explored the area, and returned to England with two Native Americans.
They gave a glowing report of the region, which encouraged Raleigh to organise a second expedition.
In 1585, Raleigh sent five ships to Virginia, led by Sir Richard Grenville. 108 settlers (known as planters) tried to establish a permanent colony on Roanoke, while Grenville went back to England for supplies.
In 1586, when Francis Drake visited Roanoke, Grenville still had not returned and the planters were running low on supplies. Most of the planters decided to return to England with Drake, although a small group of men were left to maintain the colony.
In 1587, a third expedition reached the colony and found it deserted. It’s thought that the men who stayed behind in 1586 were killed by local people. Around 100 planters settled on the island and began to build a colony.
In 1588, this new colony was expecting more supplies from England in another expedition.
In 1590, supplies in another expedition finally arrived at the colony after a delay due to the Spanish Armada.
The colony was never found, and Roanoke soon became known as the ‘Lost Colony’.
Bad Timing: If the supply ships hadn’t been delayed by the Armada, the Roanoke colony might have survived.
Poor Planning: Establishing a colony thousands of miles from England was a major challenge, which required detailed planning and organisation. However, initial exploration of Roanoke was inadequate and the whole project was poorly organised. This was largely because Raleigh’s funds were too limited.
Lack of Supplies: The planters didn’t take enough supplies with them and found it difficult to grow food on Roanoke. This made them more vulnerable to problems like the delay of the supply ships in 1588.
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