Elizabeth - key topic 1 Flashcards
(67 cards)
When did Elizabeth become queen?
November 1558
What are 5 parts of Elizabeth’s government?
- Privy council. 2. The court. 3. Parliament. 4. Justices of the peace. 5. Lord Lieutenants
What does the privy council do? (2)
- They’re members of the nobility who help govern the country. 2. Monitor Parliament, JPs and oversee law and order and security of the country.
What does the court do? (2)
- Made up of noblemen who advise Elizabeth. 2. Helped display her power and wealth.
What does the Parliament do? (3)
- Made up of HoC and HoL. 2. Advise Elizabeth’s government. 3. Passed laws and approved taxes (extraordinary taxation)
What is extraordinary taxation?
Extra taxes required to pay for unexpected expenses, especially war.
What do JPs do? (4)
- Large landowners. 2. Appointed by government. 3. Kept law and order locally. 4. Heard court cases
What do Lord Lieutenants do? (4)
- Noblemen. 2. Appointed by government. 3. Governed English counties. 3. Raised the local militia
What does militia mean?
A force of ordinary people raised in an emergency.
What % of people lived in the countryside?
0.9
What % of people lived in towns?
0.1
Who lives in the countryside? (6)
- The nobility. 2. The gentry. 3. The yeoman farmers. 4. Tenant farmers. 5. The landless and labouring poor. 6. Homeless and vagrants
What is the gentry?
Mini nobles - owned small amounts of land.
What are yeoman farmers?
Owned a small amount of land.
What are tenant farmers?
Rented land from yeomen farmers and the gentry.
Who lives in towns? (5)
- Merchants. 2. Professionals like doctors, lawyers. 3. Business owners. 4. Craftsmen including apprenticeships. 5. Unskilled labourers and the unemployed
What were some problems Elizabeth faced when she became queen? (7)
- 21 years old and therefore lacked experience. 2. Government needed money (£300,000 in debt). 3. Legitimacy was doubted. 4. Needed support of Parliament to pass laws. 5. Catholics refused to accept her. 6. She was Protestant compared to Catholic Mary. 7. Unmarried
Why didn’t Elizabeth want to marry? (3)
- Either way it would anger Protestants or Catholics. 2. Her power would decrease. 3. Could involve England in expensive wars and they were already broke.
Why did Catholics deem Elizabeth as illegitimate?
The Pope refused to acknowledge Henrey VIII’s divorce and remarriage to Anne Boleyn.
What were some of Elizabeth’s strengths? (5)
- Confident and charismatic –> helped in Parliament. 2. Resilient. 3. Well educated –> spoke Latin, Greek, French and Italian. 4. Understood politics well and efficiently. 5. She was Protestant and Protestantism was growing.
What does divine right mean?
Chosen by God to rule
What does patronage mean?
Monarch could give land/jobs/titles to reward/bribe subjects –> get more wealthy
Financial weakness in 1558 (3)
1.. Crown was £300,000 in debt. 2. Over £100,000 was owed to foreign moneylenders which charged a high interest of 14%. 3. Inflation grew
How could monarchs raise money? (4)
- Rent and income from their own lands (Crown Lands). 2. Taxes from trade (custom duties). 3. Special additional taxes, known as subsidies, which had to be agreed by parliament. 4. Profits of justice (fines, property of lands from people convicted of crimes)