Challenges to Elizabeth’s reign Flashcards
(70 cards)
1
Q
Why did the Northern Earls rebel?
A
- The Catholic earls had lost much of their influence when Mary I died so were they were quite angry
- They resented Elizabeth for appointing her Protestant favourites like William Cecil and Robert Dudley
2
Q
What two earls were involved in the Northern Rebellion?
A
- Thomas Percy - Earl of Northumberland and his wife
- Charles Neville - Earl of Westmoreland and his wife
3
Q
How did the Catholic nobility plan to restore Catholicism?
A
Mary Queen of Scots would marry the Duke of Norfolk, and depose Elizabeth, becoming queen herself. This plan was supported by the Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland.
4
Q
How did the marriage plan between Mary QoS and the Duke of Norfolk fail?
A
Elizabeth found out and imprisoned the Duke of Norfolk. The two earls feared they would be executed for their involvement, so they rebelled.
5
Q
What were the events of the Northern Rebellion in 1569?
A
Northumberland and Westmoreland took control of Durham Cathedral and held a Catholic Mass. They began to move south, aiming to restore Catholicism by overthrowing Elizabeth.
6
Q
Why did the Catholic nobles’ revolt fail?
A
- Northern landowners remained loyal to Elizabeth
- Elizabeth raised an army to stop the rebels
7
Q
What happened to the earls?
A
Earl of Westmoreland escaped. Earl of Northumberland was executed.
8
Q
Why was the Revolt of the Northern Earls significant?
A
- Showed Mary Queen of Scots could not be trusted
- Elizabeth became suspicious of Catholics and was prepared to give them harsher treatment
- Caused the Pope to issue a papal bull which excommunicated Elizabeth. This allowed Catholics to overthrow her since she was now cut off from the Church
9
Q
Who was Roberto Ridolfi?
A
He was an Italian that worked as a spy for the Pope.
10
Q
What was the plan for the Ridolfi Plot?
A
In 1571, he plotted to murder Elizabeth, launch a Spanish invasion, and put Mary Queen of Scots on the throne. Mary would then marry the Duke of Norfolk.
11
Q
What were the early events of the Ridolfi Plot?
A
- Ridolfi left England to discuss the plot with the Pope and King Philip II of Spain. He was prepared to send 10,000 men to overthrow Elizabeth
- Ridolfi had a letter signed by the Duke of Norfolk in which Norfolk pledged to lead the rebellion with Phillip II’s support
12
Q
What was the outcome of the Ridolfi Plot?
A
- Duke of Norfolk was excecuted as he was found guilty of treason (shown by the letters)
- Elizabeth still would not have Mary, Queen of Scots executed
13
Q
Why was the Ridolfi Plot significant?
A
- It reinforced the threat from Spain and Mary Queen of Scots
- It resulted in Catholics being monitored more closely and treated more severely - recusants would be fined £20
14
Q
Who was the French Duke of Guise?
A
Mary Queen of Scot’s cousin and the brains behind the Throckmorton Plot.
15
Q
What was the plan for the Throckmorton Plot?
A
In 1583, the French Duke of Guise was going to invade England, free Mary and make her Queen. This would restore Catholicism. Philip II of Spain would provide the finances and the Pope supported the plot
16
Q
Who was Francis Throckmorton?
A
He was an Englishman who would act as a go-between with Mary Queen of Scots and the plotters.
17
Q
Why did the Throckmorton Plot not succeed?
A
Sir Francis Walsingham discovered the plot and arrested and executed Throckmorton.
18
Q
What was the significance of the Throckmorton Plot?
A
- Throckmorton’s papers revealed a list of Catholic sympathisers in England, confirming fear of the ‘enemy within’
- Highlighted threat of Spain and Mary QoS again
- 11,000 Catholics were imprisoned or kept under surveillance
19
Q
What was the plan for the Babington Plot?
A
In 1586, the Duke of Guise (again) would invade England, murder Elizabeth and put Mary Queen of Scots on the throne. Phillip II and the Pope supported the plot too.
20
Q
What was the role of Anthony Babington?
A
He wrote to Mary Queen of Scots about the proposed plot.
21
Q
Why did the Babington Plot fail?
A
Sir Francis Walsngham intercepted and read the letters being sent in beer barrels to Mary QoS. This showed her awareness and support for the conspiracy.
22
Q
How did Elizabeth respond to the Babington Plot?
A
- She sentenced Babington to death for high treason
- Mary Queen of Scots was put on trial by the Privy Council and was sentenced to death in February 1587
23
Q
What was the significance of the Babington Plot?
A
- By 1585, Spain and England were virtually at war
- Led to the execution of Mary Queen of Scots
- Were mass arrests of recusants all over England
24
Q
Who was Sir Francis Walsingham?
A
Elizabeth’s Secretary of State, also known as the ‘Spymaster’. He was a Puritan.
25
Why was Walsingham important?
* Played a crucial role in uncovering plots against Elizabeth
* His intelligence put continuous pressure on Elizabeth to execute Mary Queen of Scots
26
What three things did Walsingham do to be an effective 'Spymaster'?
* Created a network of spies and informants in every town
* Used ciphers to code all his private letters to Elizabeth
* Threatened threatened to murder Catholic priests if they didn’t give info
27
What were three causes that led to Mary Queen of Scot's execution?
1. Her involvement in a series of plots against Elizabeth
2. New Act passed by Parliament
3. Rumours of Spanish invasion
28
Why did Mary Queen of Scot's involvement in several plots lead to her execution?
Sir Francis Walsingham had gained enough evidence from the Babington Plot (letters exchanged between Mary and Babington) to put her on trial for high treason.
29
Why did passing a new law help Mary QoS get executed?
A new law called the 'Act for the Preservation of the Queen's Safety' was passed, which barred Mary from the throne if Elizabeth was assasinated. Due to the many murder attempts Mary was involved with, she was convicted under this act.
30
Why did the threat of Spanish invasion lead to Mary Queen of Scot's execution?
By the start of 1587, there were many rumours of a Spanish invasion. With Phillip II being heavily connected with plots involving Mary, the threat that Mary posed was heightened. This gave greater reasons for getting rid of her.
31
Why was the execution of Mary QoS important?
* Removed a significant threat to Elizabeth
* Executing an anointed monarch spurred Spain's invasion of England as Mary had left her claim to the throne to Phillip on her death
* Made Elizabeth's heir more uncertain which increased chances of a civil war in the future
32
What are the three main reasons why relations between Spain and England declined?
1. Commercial rivalry
2. Politics: Spanish Fury
3. Religious rivalry
33
What was Spain's background in trade?
By the 1570s, Spain had access to markets in China and Turkey but also the 'New World' (the Americas). This provided the Spanish government with vast amounts of gold and silver, but also control over tobacco and sugar cane trade.
34
Why did Spain's domination of the 'New World' cause tensions for England?
England found it difficult to trade with Europe as the main trade route was through Spain-controlled Netherlands.
35
How did Elizabeth's actions further worsen Anglo-Spanish relations?
* In 1572, Elizabeth hired Francis Drake as a privateer to raid Spanish colonies and bring valuables back
* In 1580, Drake circumnavigated the globe and successfully plundered £400,000 of silver and gold from the 'New World'
36
What is a privateer?
English merchants financed by private investors to capture ships and their cargoes.
37
Why did Elizabeth's and Francis Drake's worsen relations?
* Elizabeth's public knighting of Drake showed her defiance towards Spain's domination of the 'New World'
* The loss of treasure meant that the Spanish government in the Netherlands went bankrupt, so it couldn't pay its soldiers which angered Phillip II
38
What were the religious tensions between England and Spain?
Phillip II was strongly opposed to Elizabeth as she was Protestant and he was a devout Catholic. This led to him being involved in many Catholic plots attempting to remove Elizabeth and Protestantism as a whole.
39
How did Elizabeth exacerbate religious tensions between England and Spain over Netherlands?
Elizabeth outwardly condemned the Dutch Rebels (known as the Sea Beggars) but sheltered them and allowed them to attack Spanish ships. This showed that she was supporting fellow Protestants, which Catholic Spain saw as a danger.
40
What role did Drake play in the Spanish Fury?
Due to Drake stealing their gold the Spanish troops in the Netherlands went unpaid. This resulted in the Spanish Fury, where Spanish troops looted Antwerp.
41
What event happened after the Spanish Fury?
It united Dutch Catholics and Protestant who made a treaty called the Pacification of Ghent. This demanded the Spanish troops leave. Elizabeth sent a loan of £100,000 to the Dutch rebels to help them fight.
42
How did Spain regain control of the Netherlands?
Phillip II put the Duke of Parmar in power to restore Spanish influences.
43
Why did Phillip II see Elizabeth at fault for Spain's near loss of the Netherlands?
He blamed Elizabeth for allowing English privateers to attack Spanish shipping.
44
What three events led to the Spanish Armada?
1. Religious conflict
2. Removal of French threat: Death of Alencon and Treaty of Joinville
3. Elizabeth's acts of provocation
45
How did religion lead to the Spanish Armada?
Phillip II was strongly opposed to Elizabeth as she was Protestant and he was a devout Catholic. This led to him and the Pope being involved in many Catholic plots. The Spanish Armada was a way of removing Elizabeth and Protestantism completely.
46
Who was Alencon and why was he so important?
He was French heir to the throne and Elizabeth promised to marry him if he used French troops to fight the Spanish in the Netherlands.
47
When did Alencon die and why was this significant?
Died in 1584. This removed the French threat to Spain and enabled the French to sign the Treaty of Joinville.
48
Why was the signing of the Treaty of Joinville in 1584 important?
It created an alliance between the French and Spanish against Protestantism. This meant that Spain could attack England without risking war with France.
49
What are two examples of Elizabeth's actions provoking Spain?
* She started sending troops to the Netherlands under Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester
* Ordered Francis Drake to continue attacking Spanish ships
50
What did Elizabeth sign to show her alliance with the Dutch in 1585?
She signed the Treaty of Nonsuch in 1585 with the Dutch rebels.
51
What was agreed under the Treaty of Nonsuch?
Elizabeth would provide an army of 7,400 English soldiers led by Robert Dudley who would work with the rebels' government - the Council of State.
52
What was the outcome of Elizabeth's campaign in the Netherlands?
Dudley only managed to disrupt some Spanish forces under the Duke of Parma. He also captured the deep-water port (Ostend) which was needed as a meeting point for the Armada later.
53
Why was Elizabeth's campaign in the Netherlands unsuccessful
* Elizabeth was never fully behind the rebels (differing aims)
* Damaged Anglo-Dutch relations as some of Dudley’s officers defected to the Spanish side
54
What were Elizabeth's orders Francis Drake in 1587 and why?
Since 1586, Spain had been building up its Armada which would be used to invade England. Therefore, Elizabeth ordered Francis Drake to attack Spain's navy.
55
What did Drake do under Elizabeth's orders?
Between 19-22 April 1587, he attacked Cadiz (a major Spanish naval port), destroying 30 ships and much of their provisions. This was known as the 'Singeing of the King of Spain's Beard'.
56
What was the importance of Drake's attack on Cadiz?
* Delayed Spain's preparation of its Armada by a year
* Gave the English more time to prepare
57
What was Phillip II's plan for the Spanish invasion?
* Ordered Duke of Medina-Sidonia to lead 130 ships armed with 2341 guns along the English channel to the Netherlands (where they would join forces with the Duke of Parma)
* Together, they would transport 27,000 troops to Kent to attack London, depose Elizabeth and establish a Catholic government
58
Why was the Armada such a threat?
* If it succeeded, Elizabeth could loose her throne and possibly her life
* English Protestants, including her privy councillors, would all be persecuted under Catholic rule
59
What year did the Armada occur in?
1588.
60
What battles took place during the Armada?
1. The Battle of Plymouth
2. The Battle of the Isle of Wight
3. Battle of Gravelines
61
What were five reasons for England's victory over the Spanish?
1. Communication issues
2. Better weaponry
3. Superior tactics
4. Unseasonal weather
5. Lack of Spanish resources
62
How did communication issues lead to the Spanish Armada's failure?
* It took a week to for word to reach the Duke of Parma that Medina-Sidonia had arrived in the Channel
* Lack of ports in the Spanish Netherlands made meeting up very difficult
63
How did having better weaponry aid in England's victory against the Armada?
* English ships had lighter cannons and smaller guns, so they could be fired more quickly than the Spanish cannons
* English ships were more manoeuvrable
* This meant that they damaged many more ships
64
How did superior English tactics help them win against the Spanish?
* At the Battle of Gravelines, Drake launched English fireships towards the Spanish harbour causing panic
* As a result, the Spanish fleet scattered as they cut their anchors, thus failing to link up with the Duke of Parma.
65
How did unseasonal weather play to Elizabeth's advantage in the Spanish Armada?
* Strong winds forced many un-anchored Spanish ships to drift out into the North Sea
* By the time the Spanish ships reached the Irish and Scottish coasts, they were wrecked by the weather or locals
66
How did lack of Spanish resources lead to their defeat?
* By early August, Spanish ships lacked supplies like cannon balls and all food provisions had rotten
* These events damaged morale and Spain's ability to fight the English
67
What were three consequences of England's victory over Spain?
1. Strenghthened the Protestant cause in England
2. Enhanced Elizabeth's authority
3. Stronger alliances in Europe
68
Why did England's triumph against Spain strengthen Protestantism
Their win suggested that God was on the side of the Protestants. A medal was struck saying: 'God blew and they were scattered'. This persuaded Englishmen to accept Protestant rule.
69
How did the defeat of the Spanish Armada increase Elizabeth's authority?
The Queen was able to portray herself as a military leader through propaganda. This was reflected in portraits of her after England's victory against Spain.
70
How did England's victory over Spain lead to stronger overseas alliances?
England's win against the Spanish Catholics encouraged the Dutch rebels to renew their fight against the Spanish. This strengthened Anglo-Dutch relations and also damaged Spain's reputation.
