Early Elizabethan England

Question 1

Elizabethan England in 1558: Society

Answer 1

• Ruled over a population of about 3 million
• Society was based on wealth (owning land)

Question 2

Elizabethan England in 1558:
Government

Answer 2

• By 1558 - sophisticated framework
• Monarch responsible for big decisions but could only rule with support of politically important classes.
  -Hereditary nobles - great power and influence

Question 3

Elizabeth’s problems and decisions - 1558

Answer 3

Religious problems -
- Elizabeth had to decide whether to keep the country catholic or return to Protestantism.
- Had to think about possible reactions

Her heir -
- people worried that if she died and had no children then there could be a civil war

Foreign threat -
- France and Spain were catholic
-England was at war with France, it had gone badly
- Scotland invaded England, the Queen could not lead an army into battle, defeat could lead to her disposal

Gender -
- powerful people thought a women was too weak to lead a country
- expectation of marriage was at national interest

Legitimacy -
- Legitimacy questioned as her parents marriage had been illegal from a catholic perspective

Question 4

Elizabeth’s character and strengths

Answer 4

Her parents -
-Anne Boleyn (mother) was beheaded in 1536, declared illegitimate, lost right to throne
-1543 - Catherine parr persuaded Henry to bring Elizabeth back to court

Education -
- Brought up as a protestant
-Tutor described her as ‘blessed with masculine power’

Danger -
- 1554 - Elizabeth suspected of being involved with a rebellion

Apprenticeship -
- 1558 - Mary died and Elizabeth became queen

Question 5

Privy council

Answer 5

• Important part of Elizabeth’s government:
• Contained men chosen as advisors
• met frequently to discuss big decisions of state
• responsible for administration such as overseeing finances
• William Cecil became secretary of state - principal advisor and supervisor
• Protestant and ran the country for 40 year, aim was to unite the country

Her choices of the privy council became one of the successes of her reign

Question 6

Financial Weaknesses

Answer 6

1558 - Royal finances severely stained by the war with France - debt of £300,000

Rise in prices made it difficult for the crown to crease its sources of revenue

By 1585 Elizabet had built up a reserve of £300,000 from sold crown lands

Question 7

Challenges from abroad

Answer 7

Scotland

-Ruled by cousin (Mary Queen of scots)
-Living in France, married to the heir of the French throne
- Strong link between France and Scotland - threat to England
-French soldiers in Scotland, England in risk of a joint attack from the North and across the channel

France

1558 - France at war with England and Spain
- England allied with Spain because of Mary’s connections
- France was catholic and many thought that the queen of scots should be the queen of England - gave France a motive
- Famine and epidemics from the war in 1557 had killed over 200,000 people

Spain

• most powerful and wealthy in Europe
• Catholic country committed to preventing spread of Protestantism
• Elizabeth rejected his proposal of marriage

Elizabeth decided to make peace with France in 1559, Calais was lost forever.

Question 8

Religious divisions

Answer 8

-Difference in religion would lead to civil war and make a country too weak to fight against a foreign invader
-Henry VIII made himself head of the church
- 1536 - massive rebellion in the north when Henry closed down the monasteries
-Under Edward VI the church became strongly protestant, new prayer book introduced - 1549
-Mary I married the king of spain and restored the catholic religion
-Mary burnt over 300 ‘martyrs’ who refused to change beliefs
-Majority of the people did not like change, image of the church was key
-Elizabeth was protestant and advisors were protestant, had to find a compromise

Question 9

Elizabeth’s religious settlement 1559

Answer 9

-Queen called for a meeting in February 1559
-She changed her title from supreme head to supreme governor
-Parliament passed the acts of supremacy and uniformity which established England as a protestant country

Main aspects:

-Elizabeth was Head of the Church but title was supreme governor, bishops would run the church
-Ornaments and decoration were allowed in churches
-The bible had to be in English and a new protestant prayer book had to be used
-Clergy had to wear a surplice but they were now allowed to marry, all preachers had to have a licence

Main impact:

-acceptable, Catholics accepted title
-appearance of the church was very important, by making no changes Elizabeth was winning them over, some puritans complained it looked too catholic
-omission of Latin was unacceptable to Catholics

Question 10

Puritan challenge

Answer 10

-Pleased new church protestant - not far enough protestant

DIDN’T LIKE:

-Bishops running the church - wanted committees elected by churchgoers to run
-Queen as supreme governor - didn’t believe in a head of church
-Catholic appearance of church - wanted plain, no stained windows, no music
-Religious robes - wanted parish clergy to wear black gowns
-Some of wording in new prayer book - believed presence of Jesus in communion service was spiritual, not physical

They all agreed better to have Elizabeth on throne than Mary scots therefore did not rebel or protest or help foreign power

Question 11

Catholic challenge

Answer 11

Acceptable:

-Supreme governor rather than head
-Kept bishops and clergy continues wearing ornate gowns, still had stained glass so felt the same
-Elizabeth did not persecute people for own beliefs, Mary burnt protestants
-Elizabeth had created a uniquely English church

Not acceptable:

-no Catholic mass - meant chance of going to heaven was at risk

-Some refused to attend, regarded Eliazbeth as illegitimate
-Some established secret meting places where former parishioners could hear mass

-1570 - Elizabeth excommunicated
-No support for rebellion from France or Spain
-Spain didn’t want Mary scots -ties with france
-France involved in own civil war -1562

Queen turned blind eye to Catholics not attending

Question 12

Reintroduction of Catholic practices

Answer 12

1559 - ornate gowns for clergy
1560 - Requiem mass for souls of the dead
1560 - candles and crucifixes remained in Elizabeth’s private chapel

Unable to keep to lack of penalising people for religious beliefs - threat of catholic invasion and plots against her life intensified

1571 - Active Catholics who were hostile were subject to death penalty - 200 executed in her reign

Question 13

The problem of Mary Queen of scots

Answer 13

1568 - Mary scots arrived in England after escaping Scottish imprisonment

Elizabeth kept her as a prisoner for nearly 20 years and refused to release her despite her letters

-Mary was Elizabeth’s heir and only family
-Mary was also catholic

Mary , France and Scotland:

-Strong links to France- married to Francis (heir)
-Elizabeth gave support to protestant lords in Scotland ruling country against her beliefs
1561 - Mary’s husband (king of France) died
1565- married Lord Darnley who had a distant –claim to the English throne - strengthened Mary’s claim to throne
-Darnley died after murdering Mary’s secretary - house blew up - Earl of Bothwell was suspect
-Mary married Earl of Bothwell - shocked Scottish government and forced her to abdicate.

Question 14

Relations between Elizabeth and Mary

Answer 14

-Some Catholics thought Mary should be Queen of England
-Wrote letters to each other - never met

Positives:

-1561 - Mary retuned to Scotland, country run by protestant lords. Mary had little power and was friendly to Elizabeth
-1567 - Elizabeth shocked at murder of Darnley and sent sympathies to Mary

Downs:

-1560 - Mary started displaying England’s coat of arms to show claim to throne. Elizabeth furious
-1565 - Mary married Darnley, he had a claim to the throne
-1566 - Birth of Mary’s son, James, strengthened claim to throne and reminded Elizabeth of childish state
-1567 - Elizabeth criticised Mary for marrying chief suspect in Darnley’s murder
-1568 - arrival of Mary in England, asked for Elizabeth’s help in regaining throne. Relationship all time low, impossible position for Liz
-1569 - Liz’s preference was to restore Mary to throne, to the conditions that Mary gives up attempts for throne

Failure to do this was to do with her council lords who didn’t want Mary in Scotland.

Mary was a schemer, wrote to France, Spain, the pope of England. Any possibility of her release was ended by involvement in plots and rebellion

Question 15

Challenges to Elizabeth at home and abroad 1569-88

Answer 15

Elizabeth faced the Spanish Armada - 1588
- Major reason to successful reputation
Elizabeth also faced many plots and revolts to get her off the thrown

Question 16

Plots and revolts 1569-88 - Revolt of Northern Earls - 1569

Answer 16

-Leaders of revolt - Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland - Leading Catholic nobles
-Strongly opposed religious settlement but also political and personal grievances

9-15 November - tenants and workers of leaders marched south to restore Catholic religion. Durham - Earls stormed into cathedral and destroyed prayer books, Nobles in Lancashire and Cheshire stayed loyal to Elizabeth

22-39 November - Rebels marched to Bramham Moor, Mary had moved prisons to prevent escape. One group captured Hartlepool, hoping Spanish would support them, no support sent

16-19 December - Royal army reached River Tees and rebels fled. Earls escaped to Scotland. Northumberland handed over and beheaded. Westmorland managed to escape abroad. 450 rebels executed

Question 17

Reasons revolt took place

Answer 17

Aims were to:

-restore catholic faith
-restore political power or northern nobility
-remove ‘evil disposed councillors’ who were influencing the Queen away from true faith
-wanted catholic monarch, couldn’t be achieved by killing councillors, only by murdering Elizabeth

-Catholic rulers appeared willing to support revolt

Significance:

-Earls weren’t brave or decisive leaders, news that the army was moving towards them sent them into panic
-Rebels weren’t sure whether to replace Elizabeth or free Mary, when Mary was moved, Earls realised they couldn’t rescue her.
-Liz’s government didn’t panic, officials in north prevented them from capturing important towns, no problem in raising a huge army.
-Support came from tenants, appeals to Catholic nobility failed
-Neither French or Spanish nor pope supported revolt, Spain didn’t want Mary as Queen

Question 18

Ridolfi Plot 1571

Answer 18

Aim:

-Ridolfi - Italian banker, some believe a double agent to trap Duke of Norfolk
-Mary used Ridolfi to carry messages to Duke of Alva and Phillip of Spain to organise an invasion
-aim to overthrow Elizabeth and restore Catholic religion
-a coded document outlining invasion plan was left with Duke of Norfolk

Question 19

Ridolfi plot 1571

Answer 19

What happened:

1571 - Ridolfi met Duke of Alva and explained how a Spanish army could successfully invade England and cause a Catholic rebellion
-Alva didn’t share enthusiasm
-While Ridolfi travelled to Madrid, Elizabeth’s government were carefully unravelling details of plot
-Norfolk’s servants betrayed him under interrogation and was arrested in September
-Ridolfi stayed in Paris and after 6 months of letters and meetings and effectiveness of government’s information systems under Francis Walsingham, the plot was over

Consequences:

1572 - Duke of Norfolk put on trial and found guilty - beheaded in June
-Elizabeth expelled the Spanish ambassador but relations with Spain did not decline
-Plot gave protestant MPs the opportunity to put pressure on Elizabeth to be harsher on Catholics
-Passed an act saying that anyone who claimed she was not the rightful Queen was a traitor

Question 20

Throckmorton Plot 1583

Answer 20

Aims:

-Throckmorton was a young English Catholic
-came to attention of Walsingham as the carrier of letters between Mary and French and Spanish ambassadors
-Throckmorton confessed under torture that there was a plan for a a popular uprising in the north
-Also an invasion led by French Duke of Guise and financially supported by Phillip
-Aim was to free Mary and restore Catholicism
-Government believe the aim was kill Elizabeth

Question 21

Throckmorton Plot 1583

Answer 21

What happened:

-Throckmorton put under surveillance April 1583
-June - Government ordered his arrest
-When house searched, papers found incriminating a number of leading Catholic nobles as well as details for an invasion
-Evidence involving Mary is hazy
-Money from Phillip never arrived
-Plot discovered by government before it could reach public, never any popular support

Consequences:

-Elizabeth expelled Spanish ambassador
-Throckmorton executed July 1584
-Henry Howard and Henry Percy arrested
-Henry Percy, brother of 1569 revolt took his own life in prison and Henry Howard released after being questioned twice
-Government intensified efforts to protect her and Protestantism, in particular councillors focused on finding evidence that would incriminate Mary

Question 22

Babington Plot (1586)

Answer 22

Aims:

-Anthony Babington - 25 year old catholic
-Page to Earl of Shrewsbury when Earl was responsible for Mary’s custody
-Carries letters for her - 1580s
-1586 - Encouraged to join serious plotting - initiated from priest under Elizabeth’s surveillance
-Plotters put in writing intention to kill Elizabeth

What happened:

-July 1586 - Babington wrote to Mary outlining steps - included successful foreign invasion (probably Spain), next was to free Mary
-Since Throckmorton, government determined to find hard evidence on Mary - spied placed
-Spies persuaded her it was safe for her to receive letters in beer barrels
-All letter intercepted and sent to Walsingham
-When Mary replied to Babington, fate sealed

Question 23

Babington 1586

Answer 23

Consequences:

-Babington and 2 others arrested, the rest were rounded up and condemned to death - executed September 1586
-Mary moved to Fotheringhay Castle - 120km from London
-Trial lasted for weeks, October - Mary found guilty plotting for Elizabeth’s life

Question 24

Francis Walsingham

Answer 24

-Secretary of state -1573
-Known as spymaster
-Gathered men skilled in intelligence
-Methods used were ruthless
-passed acts increasing penalties against Catholics
-Many believed Protestantism would never be safe while Mary was alive however Elizabeth was not as ruthless as Walsingham - often delayed action against plotters
-Constantly refused to execute Mary

Question 25

Road to execution of Mary

Answer 25

-Mary found guilty of treason
-Couldn’t be executed until Elizabeth signed death warrant
-2 months Elizabeth distracted councillors to avoid doing this
-Many believe it was difficult for her to kill someone divinely appointed by G-d
-Frustration made Walsingham ill, finally agreed to sign it in 1587 - proposed sending it without her approval and she was furious

Question 26

Spanish Armada (1585)

Answer 26

Why did England and Spain go to war:

Religious rivalry - Spain wanted to force England back to Catholicism
Political rivalry - Rivals for power in Europe and the Americas
Trade and commercial rivalry - England were trying to take over Spanish trade in the Americas
English direct involvement in the Netherlands - Spain wanted to stop England interfering in Spanish Netherlands, where Dutch protestants were rebelling

Question 27

Trade and commercial rivalry

Answer 27

-Rivalry between England and Spain over trade to the New World
-Pre 1550 - Bulk of English trade was based on export of woollen cloth to Antwerp, overproduction led to a slump in the market
-Spain began to campaign to bring Netherlands under tighter control - Antwerp market descended into chaos
-Elizabethan explorers travelled overland and set up trade with Russia and India
-Spanish empire offered many opportunities for trade but needed licence from Spain

-Activities amounted to piracy but financial awards were so great that Elizabeth pretended to know nothing about them
-Circumnavigation of the world included secret orders to attack Spanish Empire whenever possible
-Capture of Cacafuego took place years before war declared - Phillip of Spain made complaints about English pirates

Question 28

Religious rivalry

Answer 28

-It seemed war was inevitable after protestant church set up in 1559
-From 1570s onwards, she began to increase penalties against Catholics
-Phillip II devout catholic, saw it his life’s work t return countries to the Catholic church although he did not want war with England because they were useful

Question 29

Political Rivalry

Answer 29

-Phillip II most powerful country in the world
-Owned land in the ‘New World’ and ruled Netherlands
-1570 - He became king of Portugal
-Treasure found in New world made Spain very wealthy - activities of Francis Drake in Netherlands made Phillip angry and seen as a direct interference with his affairs
-He was more worried about France than England - preferred Elizabeth Queen instead of Mary
-If Mary became Queen, an alliance with England and France was much more likely

-Phillip, although involved with plots, never sent an army. From Elizabeth’s view, Spain’s interference was a major irritation so she expelled ambassadors instead of declaring war

Question 30

English direct involvement in the Netherlands

Answer 30

-Main cause - England’s increasing involvement
-English channel vitally important for both Elizabeth and Phillip - trade and security but for Phillip, access to his territories in the Netherlands
-1572 - Protestants in Netherlands rebelled against Spanish rule.
-Asked for English protestant help - Robert Dudley argued for sending major help

Question 31

Elizabeth’s decision (Netherland’s conflict)

Answer 31

-Sent money and weapons to rebels and allowed their ships shelter
-1578 - Large Spanish army led by Duke of Parma - arrived in the Netherlands - English worried about his presence across the channel
-1584 - Leader of Dutch rebels was assassinated
-1585 - treaty of Nonsuch - agreed to direct involvement in the Netherlands - sent an army of 7,000 led by Robert Dudley
-In exchange for help - Netherlands allowed Elizabeth to use Brill and Flushing as bases for soldiers
-Dudley claimed the name ‘Governor General of the Low countries’ - implied England wanted control - enraged Spain
-Presence of English army slowed down the advance of the Spanish

Question 32

The beginning of the Armada

Answer 32

-England’s defences were strengthened between 1585 and 1588 - soldiers provided to defend the coast and warning beacons set up, trading ships converted into fighting ships
-Elizabeth put Drake in charge of an expedition to attack the lucrative Spanish West Indies
-1585 - sailed with 30 ships and 2,300 men
-Drake missed the opportunity to attack the Spanish treasure fleet and his raids caused him heavy casualties
-Captured 2 wealthy towns so returned home with £30,000
-The expedition helped convince Phillip that he couldn’t put up with the drain on Spain’s finances

Question 33

Raid on Cadiz

Answer 33

-1587 - inflicted heavy damage on the Spanish ships anchored there - ‘Singeing of the King of Spain’s beard’
- delayed construction of Armada by destroying ships and supplies and diverting Spanish war ships in pursuit of Drake
-The convoy sailed northwards, destroying local Portuguese vessels that held food supplies for the Armada
-Went to Azores - captured £114,000 - actions left the Spanish admirals in confusion and dread

-Bought Elizabeth 12 months to prepare England’s defences

Question 34

Spanish Plan

Answer 34

-The Armada will sail through the English Channel to Calais
-The Duke of Parma will march 20,000 troops from the Netherlands to meet the Armada in Calais
-Parma’s army will be ferried across in barges, protected by big ships of the Armada
-Spanish forces will land in Kent and march on London
-English Catholics will rise up
-Elizabeth will have to surrender. After she is overthrown, the Catholic religion will be restored to England

Question 35

Tactics of the Armada and the English

Answer 35

-First critical problem was how the ships would link up - required good communication
-130 Spanish ships carrying 17,000 men sailed up the English Channel in a crescent formation aiming to meet up with the Duke of Parma

-English left harbour in Plymouth and followed the Armada for 8 days - Navy had more ships and quicker with longer-range guns

-Phillip instructed commanders to get close enough to the enemy’s ships for the Spanish sailors to board them - not possible because the English kept their distance
-6th August - Spanish ships reached Calais harbour and dropped anchor - first stage was successful

-At night - English commander - Lord Howard decided to go on the offensive
-Declared that eight unmanned English ships will be filled with inflammable materials such as tar and gun-powder, at midnight - ships set on fire and sent to the Armada

-Arrival of the fireships caused panic and they pulled their anchors - losing their tight battle formation. The fleet were blown towards the coast of the Netherlands

Question 36

Tactics -Gravelines

Answer 36

-No battle formation
-8 August - Lord Howard attacked
-Battle of Gravelines lasted for the day
-Terrible weather - Many Spanish ships were lost
-1,000 sailors were killed
-No English ships were lost - 50 sailors killed

Question 37

Impact of the wind and the weather

Answer 37

-Elizabeth claimed G-d sent protestant wind defeating the Armada
-Impact of Gravelines - detrimental to Spanish ships
-Next day - wind changed - forced them out to North sea
-Went around Scotland and Ireland - over 40 ships were wrecked
-Weather played a key role in Armada’s defeat

Question 38

Quality of leadership

Answer 38

-Elizabeth picked right men for the job - Howard, Drake and Hawkins - ordered the attack of Gravelines at the right time

-Phillip appointed Duke of Medina Sidonia as commander - didn’t have a naval background
-suffered from seasickness
-When he ordered his fleet to anchor off Calais in a final effort to meet up with Parma, Armada was an easy target

Question 39

Drake

Answer 39

1571-2 - led expeditions to plunder Mexico in Spanish New World
1577-80 - circumnavigated the world, captured Cacafuego
1585 - led attack on Spanish West Indies
1587 - singed the king’s beard - delayed them 12 months
1588 - Vice Admiral of the fleet that defeated the Armada

Question 40

Lord Howard

Answer 40

1570 - Commanded a squadron of ships escorting Queen of Spain on a state visit
1573 - became the first Earl of Nottingham
1585 - Made Lord High Admiral by Elizabeth
1588 - Commanded all the forces against the Armada and was considered responsible for England’s victory

Question 41

John Hawkins

Answer 41

1578 - appointed Treasurer of Navy, redesigned ships to make them more steamlined
1588 - naval commander against the Armada

Question 42

Resources

Answer 42

-Strength of 2 sides was fairly evenly matched
-England had 54 battleships, 140 merchant ships
-Spain had 64 battleships, 45 merchant ships
-Spanish ships slower, couldn’t deal with new England ships
-Spanish cannon was heavier with shorter range, designed to fire once
-English guns could fire consecutively - inflict more damage when they got among the Spanish
-Spanish admirals used to calmer waters - At sea
-England didn’t have permanent army, Parma’s army was the best equipped in Europe -On Land

Question 43

Elizabethan society in the age of exploration, 1558-88 -

Answer 43

Class divide:

Gentlemen: nobles, lords and gentry
Citizens and burgesses in the town: merchants, master craftsmen and lawyers
Yeomen: farmers who owed their own land
The Fourth sort: Farm labourers, servants, tailors

‘The fourth sort’ was the class most people belonged to, included poor and unemployed

Many opportunities for the better-off to increase wealth through education, buying land, moving into trade and commerce

Question 44

Sports, pastimes

Answer 44

-Inns and taverns were important for the lower class
-Tobacco was becoming increasing popular - upper class
-Gambling on sports - lower class
-Celebrating feast days - Mary Day - opportunity for dancing and drinking
-Archery and fishing were popular, wrestling, running and football - lower class
Fencing, tennis and bowls - Gentlemen
-All classes did hunting, upper class - deer, lower class - rabbit
-Musicians for Nobles, Lower classes sang ballads

Question 45

Theatre

Answer 45

-Built by Romans until they left - abandoned
-Authorities thought travelling actors were a threat and vagabonds
-In London, Earl of Leicester protected actors, ensuring plays continued
-1576 - ‘Theatre’ was built, ‘Curtain’ -1577 and ‘Rose’ in 1587 - Shakespeare’s globe - 1599
-All classes loved the theatre. Entrance fees - One penny to stand in the pit. 2 or 3 pennies stand or sit in one of covered galleries. Upper classes sat on stools on the stage
-Some Elizabethans opposed the theatre, thought it encouraged idleness, spread disease
-Elizabeth paid for Lord Chamberlain’s men to perform at the palace -1572

Question 46

Educations in the home, schools and universities

Answer 46

-children in school increased in Elizabeth’s reign
-time of prosperity but education a luxury, population worried about war, starvation, taxation or disease.
-most didn’t send their kids to school regularly
-public school became popular for wealthy classes
-By the end of reign, 30% of men, 10% of women could read or write. Majority of yeomen and gentry were literate
-boys from well off families benefited the most, upper classes saw a university education as necessary for a career at court
-discipline was harsh
-bright balls from lower classes could go to grammar school
-schooling charged lower classes for coal and candles
-2 thirds of who graduated from Oxbridge came from lower classes
-Petty schools - schools for young children - majority were boys
-72 new grammar schools were founded - subjects taught were Latin and Greek
-Eton was one of the earliest independent school
-Sons of nobility educated with tutor, women taught to read and write

Question 47

Reasons for increase in poverty and vagabondage - Changes in farming

Answer 47

-food depended on what was grown by farmers
-worst harvest was in 1556, during reign - worst harvests were in early 1570s and mid-1590s
-price of bread went up, poor suffered
-different methods of agriculture lost farm labourers their jobs - many moved to towns
-rack-renting - landlords increased rent for farmers so they also moved to towns

Question 48

Unemployment in industries

Answer 48

-cloth trade important industry in 16th century
-provided work for spinners and weavers
-trade collapsed in 1550s, tens of thousands lost jobs
-population fallen by half after black death, increased in 16th century, more jobs needed

Question 49

Inflation

Answer 49

-people on lower wages struggled to afford food
-prices went up, wages did not
-caused by increase in demands for goods, and an inability to produce enough meat
-people no longer trusted value of the coin, shopkeepers put up prices

Question 50

Closure for monasteries

Answer 50

-before 1530s, monasteries provided food and shelter for homeless and unemployed, closed down by Henry VIII
-Dissolution of monasteries - less help for the poor

Question 51

Attitudes and policies towards the poor - Vagabonds

Answer 51

-wandering beggars who deliberately avoided work
-Government accepted responsibility for looking after poor
-distinguished between poor who wanted to ward but could not (deserving poor) and those who were able but would not (the idle poor)

-Vagabonds act - 1572
-Vagabonds over age of 14, whipped and burned through right ear
-second offence - sent to prison
-persistent offenders executed
-children placed in domestic service
-local justices of peace were to raise a poor rate for food and shelter

Act of relief of the poor - 1576
-towns required t find work for able-bodied poor
-those refusing an offer of work sent to prison

Question 52

Exploration, voyages of discovery, Raleigh and Virginia - Drake’s circumnavigation of the world 1577-80

Answer 52

-European exploration began in 1400s
-dominated by Spain and Portugal - explored new continents and set up trade routes

Aims:
-voyages in 1568 and 1572 left him with a hatred of Catholic Spain and a desire to inflict a further damage on its empire
-revenge for Spanish attack on Hawkins fleet, 1568 - planned to attack Spanish settlement in Central American from direction of Pacific ocean, where defences were weaker
-capture Spanish treasure and reward investors, Queen’s investment kept quiet - trouble with Spain
-Wanted to weaken Catholic power, prevent attack on England
-Find new lands for the Queen, increase power
-Establish trade routes

Drake’s ships:
-Golden Hind - Main ship - sailed with 4 others
-crew of 164 sailors
-set sail 15 November - encountered severe storms - returned for repairs 3 days later

Question 53

Stages

Answer 53

Stage 1:
-sailing to Brazil - December 1577 - April 1578
-set sail from Plymouth in December, down to west coast of Africa, captured a Portuguese ship and its cargo of wine
-sailed to coast of Brazil

Stage 2:
-sailing from Brazil to Guatulco - April 1578 - April 1579
-sailed down coast, reached Port St Julian
-crew involved in a fight with locals and two sailors killed. Tensions among crew grew, Drake executed Thomas Doughty
-Drake put men and stores onto 3 best ships, burnt others
-In September, remaining 3 ships reached Pacific Ocean, went up west coast of South America, hit by stormy weather
-Island of Mocha - attacked by inhabitants
-Drake attacked Spanish settlements along coast of Peru, captured gold
-Heard of Cacafuego (Spanish ship) leaving port, gave chase and captured Cargo including jewels and precious stones, coins, 80 pounds of gold and silver

Stage 3:
-Sailing from South America to Plymouth, April 1579 - September 1580
-Had to go back through treacherous Magellan Strait, avoid Spanish attacks
-Sailed up North America, landed in California, basis of future plans to establish colonies of English settlers in America.
-Natives thought Drake was god - gave him presents
-Sailed west across Pacific, to Ternate, made a trade treaty, trade with them for spices
-When he reached Plymouth, first question was whether Queen was alive

Question 54

Francis Drake summary

Answer 54

-given knighthood
-brought back gold, silver and jewels worth about £140,000
-Queen paid off national debt
-changed invincibility of Spanish Empire
-made valuable trading with Spice islands
-claimed new lands for England

Question 55

Voyage of Walter Raleigh

Answer 55

-born to gentry family
-served in the army, put down rebellion in Ireland
-1578-command of first ship, sailed to North America to establish an English settlement
-Knighted and given considerable lands in England
-Persuaded Elizabeth to agree to an expedition of North America - exploited resources in that area
-planned 2 year voyage in 1585 and 1587 to establish English colonies - Raleigh didn’t sail

Question 56

1585 Voyage

Answer 56

-April 1584 - explored North Carolina - fertile land and civilised Native Americans
-Chesapeake bay best place for settlement
-Raleigh began to sponsor another expedition

Question 57

1587 Voyage

Answer 57

-settler families towards Chesapeake Bay, led by John White
-relations with Natives were poor
-White returned to England, went back to Chesapeake in 1590, settlers disappeared, known as lost colony

Laid foundations for colonisation, returned a profit, increased knowledge -Successful

Question 58

EXAM QUESTIONS

Answer 58

4 marker:

2 features

12 marker:

Explain why

16 marker:

How far do you agree