Elizabeth: Queen, Government and Religion 1558-69 Flashcards
(44 cards)
1
Q
Choosing her councillors
-What was the PROBLEM in 1558?
A
-They would help her rule the country so it was important that she chose people she could trust and are loyal, but also had a good image
2
Q
Choosing her councillors
-What were the CHOICES facing Elizabeth?
A
- Whether to choose her men based on their status or ability, or if she should just choose people she knew from her past since she could trust them
- Whether to keep Mary’s old councillors since they were experienced, even though they were Catholic and religion would be a big factor
3
Q
Choosing her councillors
-How GREAT was the problem?
A
- Could cause problems since she risked offending some of the most powerful men in England
- Also a chance they would try controlling her decisions, thinking she was weak
4
Q
Elizabeth’s legitimacy
-What was the PROBLEM in 1558?
A
-Some Catholics thought that Elizabeth was illegitimate because her parents, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, were married by the CofE and not the Pope, therefore she could not be Queen
5
Q
Elizabeth’s legitimacy
-What were the CHOICES facing Elizabeth?
A
- There was nothing she could do the change their views
- She could only hope that in time she could win them over
- Fortunately, Elizabeth was daughter of a much admired King, while MQoS was closely linked to France, England’s greatest enemy
6
Q
Elizabeth’s legitimacy
-How GREAT was the problem?
A
- This could be a big problem as it would mean that MQoS had a claim to the throne, and might try to overthrow her
- If this happened England wouldn’t be in safe hands due to Mary’s marriage to the heir of France (enemies)
7
Q
Marriage and the succession
-What was the PROBLEM in 1558?
A
- Elizabeth was expected to marry quickly and have children to provide the next Tudor monarch, and so ensure political stability
- She had to choose carefully who she should marry
8
Q
Marriage and the succession
-What were the CHOICES facing Elizabeth?
A
- Marriage to an English nobleman would reduce her status and cause anger and jealousy among other nobles
- Most of the princes of Europe were Catholic, so marriage to a foreigner would risk hostility from her Protestant subjects
- If she married a foreign king he would take over England
9
Q
Marriage and the succession
-How GREAT was the problem?
A
- Not too big a problem, but by not having a man by her side she is appearing weak and she needs an heir to ensure social stability
- Also, Elizabeth won’t be able to use the advantages she would otherwise have at her disposal if she married someone powerful
10
Q
Doubts about whether a Queen could rule successfully
-What was the PROBLEM in 1558?
A
- Monarchs needed to be able to keep their powerful nobles under control, dispense justice and make harsh decisions; women were seen as too weak to do this
- Women rulers in the 16th century were seen as both unnatural and a liability
- Unfortunately, the disastrous reign of Mary I seemed to confirm these beliefs when she dragged England into an unpopular war to support her equally unpopular husband
11
Q
Doubts about whether a Queen could rule successfully
-What were the CHOICES facing Elizabeth?
A
- There was nothing for Elizabeth to do in 1558 to solve this (unless she immediately married and handed over her power to her husband so England had a male ruler, though even her Council did not think she’d do this)
- She could only prove she was as strong and powerful a ruler as any man to win them over, but this would take time
12
Q
Doubts about whether a Queen could rule successfully
-How GREAT was the problem?
A
- Not too great a problem
- Could cause other countries to attack or make trade agreements difficult, thinking she is weak, however this could be used to her advantage because they are underestimating her and she could get the upper hand
13
Q
Creating peace and prosperity
-What was the PROBLEM in 1558?
A
- In Mary’s reign, bad harvest occurred at the same time as flu epidemics, resulting in the deaths of about 200,000 people from starvation and illness
- Previous reigns had shown that people were more likely to join any rebellions if they were hungry
- Elizabeth and her Council were therefore anxious about food riots and other social unrest caused by poverty
- Prices had been rising even faster in the 1550s and many people were finding that their wages were losing value
14
Q
Creating peace and prosperity
-What were the CHOICES facing Elizabeth?
A
- Since bad weather was not under her control, Elizabeth could only hope and pray for good harvests
- However after several bad harvests in the 1550s, the harvest in 1558 was very good
- This gave Elizabeth breathing space
15
Q
Creating peace and prosperity
-How GREAT was the problem?
A
-A big problem because if her own people rose against her due to the poverty and starvation, England would become even more vulnerable to attack then it already was with it already divided by the different religions
16
Q
Financial weakness
-What was the PROBLEM in 1558?
A
- The monarch was supposed to pay for all the costs of running the country (inc. the court and royal household) with their own sources of revenue
- Their royal finances had been severely strained by the war with France and Elizabeth inherited a debt of £300,000
- In addition, the prices of land had risen, making it hard for the crown to keep up with paying the debt
17
Q
Financial weakness
-What were the CHOICES facing Elizabeth?
A
- If the crown needed extra money, it had to ask Parliament to approve taxation
- However, monarchs didn’t like doing this since it would give Parliament too much power
18
Q
Financial weakness
-How GREAT was the problem?
A
-It was a very big problem, which needed to be solved ASAP since lots of money would be needed to continue to finance the war against France
19
Q
Religious divisions
-What was the PROBLEM in 1558?
A
- Elizabeth needed a national Church which most of her people could accept, but religious instability in the past had led to protests and rebellions
- E.g. there was a rebellion led by Sir Wyatt when Mary I married King Philip II of Spain and restored the Catholic religion
- Mary burnt over 300 ‘martyrs ‘ who refused to change their beliefs
20
Q
Religious divisions
-What were the CHOICES facing Elizabeth?
A
- Most of England was Catholic, as well as the most powerful countries in Europe and MQoS, who had many Catholics supporting her claim on England’s throne
- But Elizabeth herself and most of her advisers were Protestant
- She didn’t want to punish people just for their religious beliefs, but as a Protestant she couldn’t restore the authority and teachings of the Pope
- A compromise ran the risk of pleasing no one and options for a compromise were very limited
21
Q
Religious divisions
-How GREAT was the problem?
A
- Big problem as if England was divided by religion, it would leave the country vulnerable to attack
- Also a chance that her decision could cause a religious crusade
22
Q
Challenges from abroad
-What was the PROBLEM in 1558?
A
- The more immediate problem facing England was the possibility of a French invasion (French was Catholic + previously took Calais from England), however England was also in danger of a joined attack since there were French soldiers stationed in Scotland and MQoS was married to the heir to the French throne
- In addition, Spain was devoutly Catholic, committed to prevent the spread of Protestantism, though England and Spain had been friendly for most of the Tudor period
23
Q
Challenges from abroad
-What were the CHOICES facing Elizabeth?
A
- England could either continue the war with France or make peace
- A military victory would be popular and get Elizabeth’s reign off to a good start, but England was only fighting because Mary had wanted to support her Spanish husband so Elizabeth and her councillors had no interest in continuing the war
24
Q
Challenges from abroad
-How GREAT was the problem?
A
- An invasion could have been the greatest problem for Elizabeth in 1558 since it created an immediate direct threat to the security of England
- Also, Britain couldn’t afford to continue sending aid to Philip II, and restocking the realm’s army required taking out massive loans
25
What Elizabeth ORDERED in the Religious Settlement of 1559:
Head of the Church and the Bishops
* Elizabeth replaced the Pope as the Head of Church, with the title of Supreme Governor
* All judges, government officials, MPs and clergy had to take an oath accepting her title or be imprisoned
* If they refused 3 times they could be executed
* Bishops would run the Church
26
IMPACT of the Religious Settlement of 1559:
Head of the Church and the Bishops
* This was acceptable to all but a few
* Ordinary Catholics accepted the title since they could tell themselves that the Pope was still the Head of the Church
* All but one of Mary's Catholic bishops resigned rather then take the oath
27
What Elizabeth ORDERED in the Religious Settlement of 1559:
Church decoration and music
* Ornaments and decoration were allowed in churches
| * The singing of hymns continued
28
IMPACT of the Religious Settlement of 1559:
Church decoration and music
* The appearance of the Church was very important to the people and by making no changes Elizabeth won many of the over
* Although, the Puritan bishops always complained that the new Church looked too Catholic
29
What Elizabeth ORDERED in the Religious Settlement of 1559:
The Bible and church services
* The Bible and church services had to be in English and every church had to have a Bible written in English
* A new Protestant Prayer Book had to be used in every church
* Bread and wine were to be offered during Holy Communion
30
IMPACT of the Religious Settlement of 1559:
The Bible and church services
* The omission of the Latin Mass was unacceptable to Catholics
* However, many got around this by going to the new church on Sunday and then taking Mass secretly later
* Elizabeth knew about this but turned a blind eye as long as they appeared to be loyal
31
What Elizabeth ORDERED in the Religious Settlement of 1559:
The clergy
* All clergy had to take an oath, recognising Elizabeth's title and agreeing to use the New Prayer Book
* They had to wear a surplice instead of the plain black gowns the Puritans preferred, but unlike Catholic priests, they were now allowed to marry
* All preachers had to have a licence and had to preach at least once a month
32
IMPACT of the Religious Settlement of 1559:
The clergy
* Most took the oath of loyalty to the new church and only 250 out of 9000 priests refused and lost their jobs
* This meant that most people would go to their usual church on a Sunday and hear services conducted by the same member of the clergy as before
33
How did Elizabeth gain support for the new church?
| She earned the trust of her people
She brought peace, harmony and progress after Mary I's chaotic reign
34
How did Elizabeth control the new church?
| The churchmen didn’t necessarily believe what they’re saying
She told the clergy what to say in their services
35
How did Elizabeth gain support for the new church?
| Reminded the people of their ruler and her importance and her link to God
Every Sunday when people said prayers in Church, people were asked to give blessings for Elizabeth's rule
36
How did Elizabeth gain support for the new church?
| This kept the Catholics happy and prevented rebellions
Elizabeth turned a blind eye when recusants didn’t pay the fine she had imposed
37
Why did Mary Queen of Scots pose a threat to Elizabeth?
| ALLIANCES
- She was married to the next king of France, but when he died in 1561 she had to come back to Scotland
- Scotland had become a Protestant country so it was difficult for Mary to rule because she was Catholic
- This meant she might want to take over Elizabeth's throne
38
Why did Mary Queen of Scots pose a threat to Elizabeth?
| RELIGION
- Mary was Catholic, which meant that the Catholics who were already challenging Elizabeth's rule would prefer to see Mary as Queen of England
- If any foreign powers decided to launch a crusade against Elizabeth’s Protestant kingdom, Mary would be the perfect replacement as the next queen
39
Why did Mary Queen of Scots pose a threat to Elizabeth?
| MARRIAGE
- Mary married Lord Darnley in 1565, who had a distant claim to the English throne
- Lord Darnley turned out to be an unstable alcoholic who ordered the murder of Mary's secretary, Rizzio, out of jealously but was mysteriously murdered after in 1567
- Mary's next marriage to the Earl of Bothwell—chief suspect of Lord Darnley's death—annoyed the Scottish government so much they forced Mary to abdicate in favour of her infant son, James
40
Why did Mary Queen of Scots pose a threat to Elizabeth?
| POSITION IN ENGLAND
- Mary escaped her prison in Scotland and returned to England to seek help from Elizabeth
- Mary was Elizabeth's cousin - killing her would mean killing a family member
- Mary was also a Queen, anointed by God - killing her risked Elizabeth going to hell
41
Reasons for Elizabeth keeping MQoS in England as prisoner (1568)
- MQoS can’t gain support of English Catholics
- Puts Elizabeth in good terms with Scottish lords
- MQoS can't join her allies in Europe, where she has lots of support (due to her Catholicism and being married to heir of France)
42
Reasons for Elizabeth providing an army to help MQoS to regain the throne of Scotland (1568)
- Could gain Elizabeth strong alliance with Scotland once MQoS was back on the throne
- The alliance would attract Elizabeth the support from the Catholics in England
- MQoS is Elizabeth's cousin and a queen appointed by God, it is Elizabeth's duty to help her
43
Reasons for Elizabeth to let MQoS travel to France to stay with relatives there (1568)
- MQoS is more dangerous to Elizabeth in England, where some English Catholics think she is the rightful Queen of England
- Scots want Elizabeth to send MQoS back to Scotland to be put on trial, but Elizabeth doesn't want to help subjects against their queen
44
Reasons for Elizabeth to hand MQoS over to Scottish lords who want to put her in trial (1568)
- Would keep the alliance with the Protestant lords ruling Scotland, so that England's northern border is secure
- Would eliminate the threat of MQoS overthrowing Elizabeth
- Elizabeth's advisors think that MQoS is too great a threat an must be gotten rid of
