GCSE History - Elizabethan Age, 1558-1603

Key People

• Queen Elizabeth I: Queen of England
• King Philip II: King of Spain
• Pope Pius V: Head of the Catholic Church
• Mary, Queen of Scots: Queen of Scotland, cousin of Elizabeth
• Sir William Cecil: Elizabeth’s Secretary of State
• Sir Francis Walsingham: Elizabeth’s 2nd Secretary of State & Spymaster
• Sir Francis Drake: Privateer working for Elizabeth
• Sir Walter Raleigh: In charge of colonizing the New World
• The Duke of Alba: Spanish Duke who crushed the Dutch Revolt
• The Duke of Parma: Spanish Duke in the Netherlands
• The Duke of Medina-Sidonia: Spanish Duke leading the Spanish Armada
• Thomas Percy: Catholic Earl of Northumberland involved in the Revolt of the Northern Earls
• Charles Neville: Catholic Earl of Westmorland involved in the Revolt
• Roberto Ridolfi: Main figure in the Ridolfi Plot
• Francis Throckmorton: Key figure in the Throckmorton Plot
• Anthony Babington: Key figure in the Babington Plot
• Duke of Alencon: French heir to the throne assisting Elizabeth

Key Events and Periods

• 1558: Elizabeth crowned Queen
• 1559: Elizabeth’s Religious Settlement
• 1566: Papal Bull discouraging attendance at Protestant churches
• 1570: Pope excommunicates Elizabeth
• 1588: Spanish Armada attack

Key Challenges Faced by Elizabeth

• Legitimacy: Elizabeth’s claim challenged by Catholics, viewed as illegitimate.
• Gender and Marriage: Unusual to have a queen; societal views on women affected perceptions of her rule.
• Finances: England was £300,000 in debt; reliance on Parliament for tax approval made financial management difficult.
• Foreign Relations: Challenges from France and Scotland due to Mary Queen of Scots and the Auld Alliance.
• Religious Division: Divided between Catholics, Protestants, and Puritans.

Elizabeth’s Religious Settlement (1559)

• Act of Supremacy: Made Elizabeth head of the Church of England.
• Act of Uniformity: Required uniform church services and attendance.
• Royal Injunctions: Set guidelines for clergy and enforcement of the settlement.

Catholic and Protestant Tensions

• Recusants: Catholics who refused to attend the new church.
• Puritan Challenge: Puritans sought to remove Catholic practices; conflicts arose over vestments and church decorations.

Key Plots Against Elizabeth

• Ridolfi Plot (1571): Plot to assassinate Elizabeth and instate Mary.
• Throckmorton Plot (1583): Aimed to invade England and replace Elizabeth; discovered before execution.
• Babington Plot (1586): Similar to Throckmorton, led to Mary’s execution.

Spanish Armada (1588)

• Triggered by rising tensions, including English piracy and support for Dutch rebels.
• Key failures in Spanish planning and poor supplies contributed to defeat.

Elizabethan Society

• Social Structure: Nobility, gentry, yeoman, tenant farmers, laboring poor, and vagrants.
• Puritanism and Leisure: Puritan discontent with sports and entertainment; theatre flourished but was regulated.

Poverty and Governmental Response

• Poor Laws: Implemented to address rising poverty and vagrancy, including various punishments and support systems.