history elizabethan england

who was elizabeth’s main rival to the throne?

mary queen of scots

what was the religious settlement of 1559?

a compromise by elizabeth to reunite protestants and catholics

why did the spanish armada fail in 1558?

english naval tactics, bad weather and spanish mistakes

what was the purpose of the poor laws? (1601)

to provide aid to the deserving poor and punish beggars

who were the puritans?

strict protestants who wanted to remove all catholic elements from the church of england

what was the significance of MQofS execution?

it removed catholic threat but worsened relations with catholic europe

When did Elizabeth I become queen?

1558 after the death of her half-sister Mary I

Why was Elizabeth’s legitimacy questioned?

Many believed she was illegitimate because her mother, Anne Boleyn, had her marriage to Henry VIII annulled; Catholics didn’t accept Henry’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon

Why was Elizabeth’s gender seen as a problem in 1558?

Many believed women were not fit to rule alone and that England needed a male monarch or a husband to lead.

What religious problems did Elizabeth face in 1558?

England was divided between Protestants and Catholics; Mary I had restored Catholicism, but many people in the country supported Protestantism

Why was Elizabeth under pressure to marry?

To produce an heir and secure the Tudor dynasty, and to have a male figure to help rule

What financial problem did Elizabeth inherit?

£300,000 from her sister

Which foreign countries posed a threat to Elizabeth in 1558?

France (which had an alliance with Scotland), Spain, and the Pope (who opposed Protestant rulers)

Who was Mary, Queen of Scots, and why was she a threat to Elizabeth?

A Catholic with a claim to the English throne, supported by France and many English Catholics

What was the ‘Auld Alliance’?

The alliance between France and Scotland, which posed a danger to England through a potential invasion from the north.

What was the Privy Council?

A group of advisors who helped Elizabeth govern, including powerful nobles and trusted officials