Elizabethan England

when did Elizabeth become queen

1558

elizabethan England 1558

it was very hierarchical and everyone knew their place in society

who was head of society and government

the queen

what was the centre of all political power during elizabeths reign

the royal court

privy council

' a committee of ministers Elizabeth appointed to advise her'

they were a small group of leading nobles and they advised Elizabeth. they had great power and helped run the country

how many people were on the privy council

Elizabeth appointed 19 people to be on the privy council and they met several times a week

nobles

there were about 100 nobles and they were expected to deal with social unrest and crime in their lands. they would also be the army commanders in time of war

who was in the gentry

lesser nobles, knights and lawyers (they helped ruin local governments and acted as judges and sheriffs

who else helped run the government

the growing class of merchants

yeomen and tenant farmers

(large class)

- they rented their land to others

- if they could prove ownership to their land yeomen could vote in parliament

when would Elizabeth call parliament

when it was about finance. Elizabeth needed parliament to grant money from taxes to pay for the running and defence of the country

how many times was parliament called between 1558-88

9 times (all about finance and taxes)

what was parliament consisted of

the house of lords and house of commons

- 100 bishops, lords and judges (HOL)

-the lower house of parliament (HOC)

- there were about 450 Mp's in the commons who were elected by wealthy landowners (mainly merchants, gentry, lawyers)

who was at the base of the hierarchy

labourers, serpents and poor

elizabeths personal problems (4)

- many Catholics believed she was illegitimate and therefore had no right to the throne

- because she was married people believed that she would not be strong or effective enough and that being unmarried would deter foreign rulers. she appeared vulnerable and weak

- marriage would hopefully lead to an heir and Elizabeth was not married so no heir could be produced - issue of succession

- there was a fear Elizabeth would not choose her advisors wisely

elizabeths strengths and character (4)

- she was brought up as protestant

- she was well educated and spoke many different languages

- she endured the execution of her mother so was redeemed as strong as she was brought without a mother

- she was cautious and perceived as politically intrigue for most of her life

What were Tudor monarchs expected to pay for?

Costs of running England

and if they needed more money they had to call for parliament - so the monarchs did not like to do this

in 1558 where was England likely to be invaded by

france

war against France

1557

meant Elizabeth inherited a loss of £300,000 and calais had just been lost which was a valuable port for England

government spending when Elizabeth became queen

government spending was high and despite her being in debt she spent £100,000 on arms and munitions

exchequer

A department or office of state in England charged with the collection and management of the royal revenue and judicial determination of all revenue causes

challenges with the exchequer book

royal land had not produced sufficient rent to keep the exchequer book balanced

Mary QOS (challenge)

many French believed Mary QOS should be ruler as she was catholic legitimate and had a heir and was married to the French kings son

Mary I religion

she had reintroduced roman catholicism which caused great resentment among protestants but pleased the catholics however Elizabeth was Protestant so it changed again

Roman Catholics and protestants (5)

- protestants had rebelled against Queen Mary's reintroduction of Catholicism. Mary had burnt 300 protestants at the stake

- Mary was a protestant who sought to restore Protestantism, but was aware that forcing people to change could start a civil war

- many of Elizabeth's newly appointed advisers were protestant

- there were also puritans who caused controversy too

Elizabeths religious settlement

- tried to create a settlement which would satisfy all religious groups

- acts of supremacy and uniformity

- all government officials and clergy had to swear an oath to elizabeth

- all church services had to be in english

- the prayer book was to be used in english too

- some catholic features were restored such as candles and vestments

-services included prayers for the queen and priests were told what to say

- clergy were allowed to marry

- failure to attend church services meant a fine of on shilling - RECUSANCY FINES

- the settlement did not cause any rebellions

when was the fine introduced for catholics not attending church

1559

when was the religious settlement

1559

what was the act of supremacy

the act that made elizabeth head of the church

what was the act of uniformity

the act specified the form of the church service which had to follow throughout england

What were the Royal Injunctions?

a set of instructions ordered by sir William Cecil on behalf of the queen for the clergy to follow

clergy

people who have been trained and approved for carrying out religious services in the church

the church if england and ts role in society (4)

- the vast majority of people went to church at least once a week

- peoples lives revolved around the church

- the church ran schools and organised social events for the parish

- leading a good life with the church would lead to a good afterlife

when did dissatisfaction grow with elizabeth and the religion of england

after 1569

the puritan challenge (6)

- happy that that Protestantism was the official religion of england but they were frustrated that Elizabeth had introduced Catholic tendencies int the religion

- in the communion services the puritans felt as though the presence of jesus was spiritual not physical

- some puritans remained as bishops and with puritan MP's tried to persuade Elizabeth to a more puritan style - this evoked elizabeth making all puritan priests resign

- some puritans felt as though Elizabeth should not have any bishops and only have enthusiastic priests

-the puritans were only a minority so elizabeth had to take the rest of the country into consideration

- elizabeth felt settled that the puritans would never plot with the catholic powers of france and spain

when did Elizabeth make all puritan priests resign by

1583

the catholic challenge (6)

- many catholics in the house of lords spoke against the settlement but they were unable to prevent the passing of the acts

- catholics were upset that the settlement did not permit latin mass and therefore catholics often held masses in nobles houses

- some catholics decided not to attend church and elizabeth didnt enforce he recusancy fines too heavily

- the excommunication gave catholics justification for any rebellions against elizabeth and fro any foreign intervention to help Mary QOS

-spain did not wish to challenge elizabeth incase mary QOS became queen and helped France, Spain's enemy

- France was experiencing religious turmoil and did not wish to challenge elizabeth

what did catholics do because they couldn't have latin mass

they held mass in catholic nobles houses

catholic threat (the papacy)

- at first the papacy did not challenge the settlement because it was felt that Elizabeth may change her mind, but Pope Pius V excommunicated Elizabeth in 1570. The excommunication encouraged encouraged catholics not to obey elizabeth and opened the way fro plots against her to get Mary QoS to the throne

when did pope pius V excommunicate against elizabeth

1570

What was the papacy?

the system of RCC government headed by the pope

What was excommunication?

expulsion from the RCC

what was the house of Lords

upper house of parliament, it consisted of about 100 Lords, Bishops and judges

who was Mary Qos married to and when did he die

married to the son of the french king and he died in 1560 - this made mary a threat to elizabeth

when did mary QoS arrive in England

1568

Mary's arrival in England 1568 (6)

- mary was elizabeth cousin and heir but elizabeth had not declared her as a successor

- mary claimed elizabeth was not a rightful queen because she was not legitimate

- mary had been forced to abdicate because she was involved with the murder of her second husband

- Elizabeth decided to keep mary in captivity to prevent plots being plotted against her with other catholics

- elizabeth did not wish to execute a fellow monarch

- marys arrival increased Elizabeths fears of plots and rebellions

when did mary abdicate from Scottish throne

1567

When did Mary flee to England?

1568

relations between Elizabeth and Mary 1568-9 (4)

- on arriving in England Mary wanted Elizabeth to help her gain the scottish thrown back, but Elizabeth refused because she didnt want to cause controversy with the Scottish protestant nobles

- the scots wanted to put her on trial; but Elizabeth feared Catholic reaction home and abroad on the other hand she could accept her as a rightful heir but Elizabeth was concerned about scottish and english reactions

- elizabeths feared were justified when the revolt of the nothern earls happened

- as relations between England and Spain worsened from 1569, Marys presence was seen as a growing threat to Elizabeth

when was the revolt of the northern earls

1569

reasons for the revolt of the northern earls (5)

- the duke of Norfolk planned to marry mary

- Norfolk objcted to William Cecils power and Norfolk wanted to increase the influence of catholics at court

- some nothern nobles such as Westmoreland and Northumberland wanted to have more power not only in the North but also at court

- they wished to restore Catholicism