Elizabethan England

When did Elizabeth become queen?

1558

When did Elizabeth create the Religious settlement?

1559

Why was Elizabeth called the ‘Virgin Queen’?

She was not married and had no heirs to the throne.

What was the Religious settlement about?

Elizabeth would compromise the two main religions in England (Protestantism and Catholicism)

What did the Puritans (Rigorous Protestants) dislike about the Religious settlement?

The crucifix- Wanted it removed

Vestments- Disliked the fancy robes

What were the two acts in the Religious Settlement?

Act of Supremacy and Act of Uniformity

What was the Act of Uniformity?

All church services were to be the same in every church.

(No different languages- All in English)

What was the Act of Supremacy?

Act which made Elizabeth the Supreme Governor of the church.

All clergy had to swear an oath of alligence to her

What did being a Supreme Governor allow for Elizabeth?

Head of the Church

What problems did Elizabeth face when she first became queen?

Debt, Foreign conflict, Religion, Illegitimacy

Why was Elizabeth seen as an illegitimate queen?

Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon divorced which made Catholics not accept her as a rightful heir.

What challenges did Elizabeth face from the Catholics because of her Religious settlement?

Her father (Henry VIII) being the head of the catholic church- They weren’t used to a Protestant Queen

Changes to the church- Now in English (No Latin), penalisation for those who didn’t attend

Mary I- She had no head of Church, making them annoyed at how a Monarch was the head of the church

What 4 plots were made to revolt against Elizabeth at home?

Northern Earls Rebellion, Ridolfi Plot, Throckmorton Plot and Babington Plot

When was the Northern Earls Rebellion?

1569

Who was involved during the Northern Earls Rebellion?

Mary, Queen of Scots, Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland, King Phillip II of Spain and the Duke of Norfolk

What happened during the Northern Earls Revolt?

1st Plan- Mary was to get married to Duke of Norfolk to get Elizabeth’s approval of her being an heir

2nd plan (actually happened)- King Phillip sent troops to England to help the Northern Earls revolt

What were the consequences of the Northern Earls revolt?

Elizabeth crushed the rebellion quick and she was now suspicious of all Catholics

-Execution of Earl of Northumberland

-The Pope excommunicated (banned) Elizabeth from the church

-Mary wasn’t executed as Elizabeth believed she was a Monarch chosen by God

When was the Ridolfi Plot?

1571

Who was involved with the Ridolfi Plot?

Roberto Ridolfi, King Philip II of Spain, Mary and the Pope

What happened during the Ridolfi Plot?

Ridolfi was a spy and planned to murder Elizabeth.

King Philip plotted to launch a Spanish invasion with 10,000 men

William Cecil (Secretary of State to Elizabeth) found letters of the plans and told Elizabeth

What were the consequences of the Ridolfi Plot?

Recusants (People who refused to attend church services were fined £20

Trying to turn somebody Catholic was treason and punishable

When was the Throckmorton Plot?

1583

Who was involved with the Throckmorton Plot?

Duke of Guise, Mary, King Philip II of Spain, Pope, Francis Throckmorton and Walsingham

What happened during the Throckmorton Plot

Plan was for Duke of Guise (cousin of Mary), to invade England and restore Catholicism

Financial support from Philip and approval from the Pope was given

Throckmorton (English Catholic) carried letters between Mary and the Spanish

Walsingham (Secretary of State to Elizabeth) had spies who found papers in Throck’s house

What were the consequences of the Throckmorton plot?

Throckmorton was executed

Elizabeth saw Philip and the Pope as big threats

Elizabeth put harsher punishments against the Catholics, with 11,000 being imprisoned

When was the Babington Plot?

1586

Who was involved with the Babington Plot?

Anthony Babington, Mary, Francis Walsingham, Duke of Guise

What happened during the Babington Plot?

Anthony Babington wanted to help Mary, who was imprisoned

He wrote a letter telling her the plan, wanting to ‘Dispatch the Usurper’ (Elizabeth)

Duke of Guise was to invade with 60,000 men and overthrow England

Support was given by King Philip and Pope

Walsingham soon found out with the use of his spy tech. He used a cipher (code) to trick Mary into revealing her intentions.

What were the consequences of the Babington Plot?

Mary was put on trail and found guilty for planning to overthrow Elizabeth.

Babington was executed for Treason

What act was put in place after Mary was put on trial?

The Act for the Preservation of the Queen’s Safety

When was Mary executed and why?

Mary was a figurehead for every plot, found guilty for treason.

Elizabeth sighed her death warrant in 1587

Why did Elizabeth contemplate killing Mary?

Mary was a Catholic- Supported from Catholics in England (Pope too!)

Mary had support from foreign powers- Philip of Spain disliked Elizabeth as he was an committed Catholic

Why did the relationship between Spain and England decline?

Commercial rivalry- Spain controlled the Netherlands which was an important trade route. England illegally would trade with merchants there. Privateers were given permission to attack Spain (Francis Drake)

Political rivalry- Elizabeth refused to marry Philip and supported French protestants.

Religious rivalry- Philip was a committed Catholic and didn’t accept a Protestand Queen. He didn’t like how Elizabeth put harsher laws against Catholics.

How did Elizabeth get involved with the Netherlands in 1572?

Elizabeth sent money secretly to help Protestants who were rebelling against Spain in the Netherlands

What influenced Elizabeth’s actions against Spain in 1572?

Larger Spainish armies arrived in the Netherlands to attack Protestants

What happened in 1584 which made Elizabeth react?

Leader of the Protestant rebellion (William of Orange) was assassinated.

How did Elizabeth react in 1585 towards Spain’s actions in the Netherlands?

-Elizabeth created the Treaty of Nonsuch, which gave her permission to protect the Netherlands.

-She paid for an army of 7000 men to protect in exchange for England’s soldiers to be on the border of the Netherlands (Bill and Flushing.) This is so Spain couldn’t trade.

-Robert Dudley was the Governor General

-Countries were informally at war.

What was the term used when Francis Drake attacked Spain?

‘Singeing of the king’s beard’

How did Francis Drake attack Spain?

• In 1587, Francis selects a specialised fleet

• Bad weather delays him

• He arrived on 19th April

• In two days, Drake attacks in Cadiz (main harbour)

• Drake sails north and attacks Portuguese ships which had important supplies

• Drake’s fleet captured a ship and returned home with £114,000 of stolen goods.

When was the Spanish Armada?

1588

Why did Phillip send the Armada to attack England?

• The Pope offered Phillip a reward

• England would be a good asset to their empire

• Execution of Mary angered Phillip

• He didn’t like Francis Drake attacking ships, or how he got knighted for his work

What were the key events of the Spanish Armada?

• July 1558- The Armada sets sail and England sees them

• England ships chase them down the channel and sends burning ships

• English ships attack Spanish near the Gravelines

• 30th July- Spain tries to sail back by going North

• August- Fierce storms in Scotland break many Spanish ships

• September- 2/3 ships made it back to Spain

What were English strengths during the Armada?

• Ships were smaller and able move more quickly

• Elizabeth listened to her navy leader who told her to improve her Navy

• England were ready 2 days before Spain

• English galleons had powerful canons which reloaded quicker

• England knew their seas well

What were Spain’s weaknesses during the Armada?

• Spain went through powerful storms

• Communication was poor

• Philip ignored advice given to him

• Spain stored their supplies in inferior wood

What were the influences of Education in Elizabethan England?

• Social class/Background

• Humanism- Belief that everybody should be educated

• The reformation- Protestants believed that everybody should learn literacy to read the Bible

How many grammar schools were found in the 1500’s?

42 in the 1500’s and 30 more in the 1570’s

How big of an improvement did education make by the end Elizabeth’s reign?

Education made a minor improvement as 30% of men were literate compared to 20%. However, 10% of women were literate before and after. As well as this, education was off-putting because of expenses.

What sort of education did an upperclass boy and girl have?

• An upper class boy would learn foreign languages and skills fit for men (wrestling/fencing)

• And upper class girl would have received education as Elizabeth was highly educated also. (Leant Greek/Philosophy) They would’ve learnt skills fit for women. (archery/dancing)

• Both classes would have a private tutor, learnt in a noble household and then go to university

What type of education would a middle class boy and girl have?

• A middle class boy would be sent to a grammar school if they were bright and capable. Study Latin and time was devoted into chess/archery and public speaking

• A middle class girl would’ve been unlikely to have any formal education. Although, they’d be educated by their mothers and practise for a married life.

What type of education would a poor boy and girl have?

• A boy would have no formal education. They’d learn from their families and work on the farm.

• A girl would also have no formal education, they’d learn from their families and work at home.

Why was there an increase in poverty in Elizabethan England?

• Population increase

• Enclosure of land

• Growth of sheep farming

• Falling wages

• Inflation of prices

• Religious change.

How did population increase affect poverty?

• Grew by 35% with more food in demand

Fewer people could afford food. Landowners increased rent

How did enclosure of land affect poverty?

• Large fields replaced with small ones

Tenant farmers were evicted. People could grow fewer crops

How did the growth of sheep farming affect poverty?

• Wool made up 80% of England’s exports.

  Farmers made a lot of profit; Sheep took up land where food was grown

How did inflation of prices affect poverty?

• Less land and more people meant food prices increased

The poor spent 80% of wages on bread and couldn’t afford anything else after that

How did falling wages affect poverty?

• In 1563, the Statue of Artificers was passed (Set up max daily wage)

Employers took advantage of this as there was no minimum wage

How did religious change affect poverty?

• Dissolution of Monasteries (Henry VIII closed them down when he became Protestant)

Most in need had no charity or food support.

What leisure activities were there in Elizabethan England?

• Sports

• Spectator Events

• Literature

• Music and Dancing

What was theatre like in Elizabethan England?

• Everybody could attend

• Most famous was the Globe Theatre.

• Had open roofs with a circular shape

• Nobles say at the top for elevation and cover on rainy days

• Penny stinkers we’re people who stood at the yard. They’d sell food, prostitution offers.

• All female parts were played by men.

What was literature like in Elizabethan England?

• Nobility enjoyed Greek books such as ‘A Knights Tale’

• Poor classes learnt of stories from word-of-mouth. Story telling was popular for them.

What were spectator activities like in Elizabethan England?

• All classes watched bear beating (tied up bears with dogs biting them) and cockerel fighting.

• Puritans weren’t supportive as this was animal cruelty and they’re food

• Lower classes enjoyed taverns, which they’d gamble and drink at.

What was music and dancing like in Elizabethan England?

• Nobility enjoyed expensive instruments like the harpsichord. They went to music events and had household musicians.

• Lower classes like bagpipes, they’d attend fairs and sung ballads.

• Music was popular in churches and taverns

• Nobility and lower classes didn’t dance together.

What were the two major points of view towards the poor?

• Puritans believed being poor was a sin (beggars carried diseases and were criminals.)

• Those committed to religious piety believed that they needed to help the poor. (Landowners have money and monasteries helped with care until they were closed down.)

What was evidence the treatment of the poor stayed the same?

• Vagabonds act- 1572 (Anybody guilty over the age of 14 of being poor was whipped and ears were burnt. Children were placed in domestic services.)

• Poverty stayed the same throughout the poor laws

What was evidence that treatment of the poor changed?

• Act for the relief of the poor- 1576 (Towns were required to find work for poor. People refusing when to prison)

• Unemployment was seen to be a genuine problem

• Ipswich establishes a school for poor children.

What encouraged exploration in the Elizabethan era?

• Printing press- Access stories and be inspired

• Trade- England relied on trade and the New world supplied new crops

• Slave trade- Sold for huge profits

• Ship designs- Galleons were developed, ships were easier to manoeuvre

• Maps- Easier discovery of land, Mercator map with latitude and longitude lines

• Adventure- Men would receive prestige, and have confidence to make money

• Navigation tech- Development of quadrants and astrolabes made accurate calculations. Safer way to travel

What was the most important factors in increasing exploration?

• Financial and military- Englands main priority was defeating Spain. Race built up profit and colony. Basis of how a country survives

• Technical and educational- Finding new places and earn prestige.

• Spread ideas/Influence- Spread religious ideology (Protestantism)