Elizabethan England 1568 - 1603 Flashcards

Question

Who was Mary Queen of Scots?

Answer 1

Mary, Queen of Scots was Elizabeth’s cousin (not to be confused with Mary I, who was Elizabeth’s sister), so she had a dynastic claim to the line of succession to the English throne. However, Mary was a Catholic and also half-French, making her unsuitable as a monarch to the majority of English people. Mary’s life had been filled with dramatic events. She had become Queen of Scotland in 1542 when she was just six days old. Her first two husbands died and she was implicated in the second one’s murder. She was forced to abdicate and was imprisoned. She managed to escape and fled to England where she sought refuge from Elizabeth in 1568.

Answer 2

Many English Catholics supported the idea of Mary being named as Elizabeth’s successor, if the queen did not marry and have children. A minority of Catholics supported the idea of Mary replacing Elizabeth as Queen of England, because they thought: Elizabeth was illegitimate and so felt she had no right to be on the throne. (Her father, Henry VIII, had divorced his first wife. Catholics didn’t recognise divorce and so viewed his second marriage to Elizabeth’s mother as illegal.) Mary would restore the supremacy of the Catholic Church and reverse Elizabeth’s Religious Settlement. Mary’s connections to France, both through her mother and her first husband, also made Mary a potentially dangerous threat to England.

Answer 3

The Catholic Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland hatched a plan to get Mary, Queen of Scots out of jail and on to the throne. They gathered an army of 6,000 soldiers in their attempt to return England to Catholicism. Elizabeth got wind of the plan and sent a huge army to crush the rebellion. Elizabeth put 800 rebels to death and the two Earls fled to Scotland.

Answer 4

Roberto Ridolfi, an Italian banker, planned to assassinate Elizabeth and make Mary queen. He had the support of King Philip II of Spain, the Duke of Norfolk, and Mary, Queen of Scots herself. The plot was uncovered by Elizabeth’s advisor, Cecil. Ridolfi and the Spanish ambassador were arrested and expelled from the country.

Answer 5

A young Catholic man, Francis Throckmorton, organised a plan for a French army (paid for by the Pope and King Philip II of Spain) to invade England and replace Elizabeth with Mary, Queen of Scots. Throckmorton was executed and Mary was moved to Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire, where she was held in isolation and allowed no visitors.

Answer 6

Sir Anthony Babington planned to rescue Mary, Queen of Scots from jail and murder Elizabeth. Secret letters between the plotters and Mary were discovered which gave Elizabeth's advisers the evidence needed to prove Mary’s guilt. This finally led to the execution of Mary Queen of Scots, Babington and six other plotters.

Answer 7

Mary was put on trial, found guilty of treason and was executed on 8 February 1587. The executioner held up her severed head and shouted “God save the Queen”.

Answer 8

Elizabeth had always believed that executing Mary would lead to bigger a problem, such as an international backlash, which is why she held off executing her for so long. When Mary was found guilty of treason, Elizabeth hesitated to sign her death warrant. When she eventually did sign, she refused to submit it, but her secretary secretly took it. When Elizabeth found out, she was furious and he was put in the Tower for 18 months. Elizabeth wrote to King James apologising for the death of his mother, Mary.

Answer 9

Puritans were strict Protestants who wanted to ‘purify’ the Church and get rid of all traces of the Catholic faith. Many had fled abroad when Mary I, a Catholic, was queen, but had started to return when Elizabeth, a Protestant, came to the throne. Elizabeth’s Religious Settlement meant that the country was now officially Protestant, but allowed some traditions of Catholic worship. At first many Puritans seemed to accept the Settlement, but they soon started organising campaigns to make it more Protestant.

Answer 10

They raised their points in Parliament , but did not on the whole get involved in plots to overthrow Elizabeth or destabilise the country and were therefore seen as less of a threat than the Catholics. Some of Elizabeth’s most trusted Privy Councillors and MPs, notably Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and Sir Francis Walsingham, were Puritans and tried to pressure her into taking harsher steps against Catholics. Even if they weren't a great threat, Elizabeth still did not welcome the Puritans' challenge to her authority.

Answer 11

Religious differences Spain was a Catholic country and England a Protestant country – meaning that the two rulers had conflicting spiritual outlooks. Spain supported Catholic plots There was evidence of Spanish support for plots to restore Catholicism to England, particularly involving getting Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne and Elizabeth off. The Dutch Revolt Protestants in the Netherlands began a revolt against Spanish rule in 1572. Elizabeth secretly supported the Dutch rebels because she knew the Dutch revolt would keep the Spanish too busy to threaten England.

Answer 12

England and Spain had been at war since 1585 (due to Elizabeth's support of Dutch Protestants), when Mary was executed in 1587, King Phillip II of Spain began plans to launch the Spainish Armada.

Answer 13

An agreement signed between England and Dutch protestants fighting against Spanish rule in the Netherlands.

Answer 14

The Netherlands were ruled by Spain but the English saw the Netherlands as a vital place for trade. By 1572 Protestant ideas had spread in the Netherlands and Protestant Dutch rebels began a campaign for independence from Catholic Spain, leading to the Dutch Revolt. King Philip of Spain sent an army to defeat the rebels. Following the death of the Dutch rebel leader, William of Orange, Elizabeth was approached to become Queen of the Dutch. She declined but sent an army to fight with the Dutch against Spain. Throughout the 1590s the Dutch won several victories against the Spanish and by 1609, after Elizabeth’s death, the Dutch Protestants won control of Holland.

Answer 15

A Spanish plan to invade England by sending an Armada (fleet) of ships to attack and conquer England.

Answer 16

The Armada set sail on 28th May 1588 but is delayed by storms and eventually leaves on the 21st July. The Armada anchors near Calais where more troops and the Duke of Parma are meant to join but the English send burning fire ships towards the Spanish, scattering their fleet. The English attack again during the Battle of Gravelines and inflict heavy damage on the Spanish. The Armada is force north around the East coast and eventually returns to Spain. The Spanish lost half of the fleet and was seen as major victory for the English.

Answer 17

Commanders - The English were led by Lord Howard and was assisted by Francis Drake and John Hawkins who had vast experience fighting at sea. Ships - The British had less battleships (54 compared to 64) but they had been redesigned by Hawkins to be more agile and quicker. Supplies - As the English ships were never far from the coast they frequently resupplied food and ammunition. Weapons - Culverin cannons were used by the English which were easier to reload and had a larger firing distance. Tactics - The English knew that the Spanish preferred fighting at close combat and ensured English ships always attacked from a distance.

Answer 18

Commanders - The Spanish were led by The Duke of Medina Sidonia - little experience of sailing. Ships - The Spanish ships were much larger than the English making them incredibly slow. Supplies - Not fresh – six months’ worth of supplies were stored on the ships. Weapons - 2,000 large cannon – could fire heavy cannon balls, but only over a short distance and were slow to load. Tactics - The Spanish relied on getting close so men could board and capture the enemy ships. The English sailed at a distance to prevent this.

Answer 19

Essex was initially close with the Queen and one her trusted advisors. However, Essex frequently clashed with Robert Cecil (Son of William) and when Elizabeth promoted Cecil twice instead of Essex tensions grew. Essex was sent to crush a rebellion in Ireland, but instead made peace with the Irish, defying Elizabeth's orders. Elizabeth banned Essex from court and removed his monopoly over sweet wine leading to financial ruin. Essex was left desperate and began a plot to seize power.

Answer 20

Essex amassed his forces and marched on London. Elizabeth and her advisers were already aware of this plan and had soldiers ready to fight. Essex hoped the people of London would rise up and support his claim but in reality they simply were not bothered. When fighting began, Essex's forces scattered and he retreated to his manor house.

Answer 21

Essex was arrested and executed for treason. The Rebellion also showed how Elizabeth had begun to decline in her old age, she had lost all of her trusted advisers and was left in a state of shock after one of her favorites took up arms against her.

Answer 22

Poverty was mostly considered to be your own fault in Elizabethan times - the belief that you had a ‘divinely appointed’ position in society was reinforced every week at church and this attitude was widely held.

Answer 23

Elizabeth society was based around 'The Great Chain of Being' the idea that everything on God's Earth had a place in the hierarchy. God was atop, followed by angels, Kings and Queens, Nobles, Peasants, Animals, Plants, and then Non-living things.

Answer 24

Rising population: The population rose by a million during the Elizabethan period. More people meant there was more demand for goods, and so prices rose. Inflation: Prices for goods rose, but wages fell as there were more people around to do the work. Cloth trade collapse: Woollen cloth was the England’s main export. There was a decline in demand and this led to unemployment. Wars: Taxes were increased to compensate for the price of waging war. Bad harvests: Harvests were particularly bad in the 1590s leading to even higher demand and more rising prices. Changes in farming: Many landlords decided to enclose their fields and keep sheep instead of growing crops which led to high unemployment.

Answer 25

Poverty was mostly considered to be your own fault in Elizabethan times, but attitudes started to change towards the end of Elizabeth’s reign and the government decided to take action. This was because of: Fears that the ‘social order’ might be threatened if the growing number of poor people ganged together and started a rebellion. The risk that vagabonds and beggars might turn to crime. Fears that the poor might spread disease.

Answer 26

Unpaid local officials (called Justices of the Peace) were made responsible for poverty related issues in their parish. They were allowed to collect taxes in order to help the poor and unemployed. For much of the century the authorities grouped people into either the ‘impotent poor’ or the able-bodied poor’: Impotent poor – people unable to work due to age, disability or other infirmity. Limited relief was provided by the community in which they lived. Able-bodied poor - these were people who were physically able to work and were forced to, to prevent them from becoming vagrants, beggars or vagabonds. It was thought many able-bodied poor were lazy, idle and threatened the established social order. The 1572 Vagabonds Act introduced severe action against vagrants who could now be whipped, bored through the ear and put to death if they were repeatedly caught begging.

Answer 27

They brought in a compulsory nationwide Poor Rate system everyone had to contribute and those who refused would go to jail. Begging was banned and anyone caught was whipped and sent back to their place of birth Almshouses were established to look after the impotent poor

Answer 28

The first 30 years of Elizabeth’s reign saw stability and prosperity but a rising population led to an increase in poverty and growing social problems, especially in towns. By the end of Elizabeth’s reign wide-ranging laws were passed to support the poor, which remained in place for the next 200 years. The Poor Laws can be seen as a major shift in English history, for the first time the government was responsible for the welfare of the weakest people in society however most of the relief still came from private individuals.

Answer 29

It was a time when arts, science, exploration all flourished leading to prosperity in Elizabethan society.

Answer 30

The Renaissance that had started in Europe as early as the 14th century had led to a new flourishing of arts and culture all over Europe. England began to see a growth of the arts in Tudor times, and Elizabeth encouraged this through her patronage of the theatre, music and art. Before Elizabeth’s reign, drama mainly focused on religious plays that were performed in public, and Greek and Roman dramas performed in Oxford and Cambridge universities. During the 1570s permanent groups of actors were set up under the patronage of wealthy nobles and there was even a group called Queen Elizabeth’s Men set up in 1583.

Answer 31

Elizabeth was a great fan of the theatre, she never attended one publicly, but often had private showings at her residences. Elizabeth's admiration led to actors becoming professionals and as a result of this theatres grew in London such as The Theatre, The Globe, and the Rose between 1587 and 1598. Theatres were built to represent Elizabethan society, peasants would stand in the pit exposed to the elements, the first row of seating for the gentry and then the upper levels reserved the aristocracy where they could even rent a pillow to sit on during the performance.

Answer 32

Plays produced during Elizabeth's reign had to portray the Tudors in a positive manner. Richard III by Shakespeare portrayed Elizabeth's Grandfather Henry VII as a hero who saved England from the evil King Richard III.

Answer 33

The Puritans - they believed theatres were the work of the devil, spreading rude and lewd ideas encouraging poor moral behaviour. They also associated the theatre with the Romans, who had persecuted Christians. The authorities - an extract from a law passed in 1572 stated that: “All common players…who wander about and have not a license shall be taken, adjudged and deemed rogues, vagabonds and sturdy beggars.”

Answer 34

By Elizabeth’s time the upper classes saw their culture as superior. Huge inequalities existed within Tudor society and whilst the theatre was universally popular there were two cultures: Higher society - the invention of the printing press and spread of education meant that gentlemen were part of an elitist culture involved in intellectual pursuits, such as reading the classics, studying music, hunting and hawking. Lower society - the vast majority were involved in popular cultural pursuits, which gave them a brief escape from their harsh living conditions. Inns and taverns were an important part of every social ritual. Drinking, gambling on bear-baiting, cockfighting, cards, dice and racing were popular. Tobacco smoking was new and expensive but it was growing in popularity by the end of Elizabeth’s reign. Ordinary people also took part in wrestling, running races and football.

Answer 35

Privateers were essentially pirates who had been given a royal license by Elizabeth to attack and plunder enemy ships as long as Elizabeth received a percentage of the loot. They were also tasked with finding the New World (the Americas) and establishing English colonies.

Answer 36

Sir Francis Drake was the most famous seaman of Elizabeth's reign. His career has been interpreted in different ways, ranging from national hero to villain. He grew up as a Puritan who hated Catholics and he was very anti-Spanish. His first voyage in 1566 was as a slave trader. He was attacked in 1568 by the Spanish at San Juan de Ulua in Mexico, losing four ships and over 300 men. He sought to take revenge on the Spanish after this. Drake was the first Englishman to sail around the world, circumnavigating the globe between 1577 and 1580. He went on to play a role in the Spanish Armada by attacking Cadiz in 1587 and delaying preparations. He was also vice-admiral during the Armada. Launched successful attacks on the Spanish empire, bringing back gold, silver and jewels, making a huge profit. Claimed new lands for England and made valuable trading contacts with the Spice Islands. Knighted by Elizabeth and made an admiral.

Answer 37

He built ships for the navy. Elizabeth appointed him as a vice-admiral fighting against the Spanish Armada. Developed a new type of fighting galleon which was faster, lighter and better able to withstand harsh weather conditions than ships in the Spanish fleet. His innovative designs were important in helping to lead England to victory. Hawkins was also a slave trader who played a role in developing the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.

Answer 38

He was a famous sailor, explorer and courtier. The queen invested in his privateering expeditions against the Spanish. He wanted to establish colonies for Elizabeth in North America. The area was thought to have an inexhaustible supply of wine, oil, sugar and flax and would reduce England’s trading dependence upon Europe. In 1584 he obtained a royal charter to establish a colony on Roanoke Island off the coast of North Carolina. He organised two expeditions to take settlers to the colony. The first group came home after a year; the second were left there but later disappeared. There is no conclusive proof of what happened to the colonists - perhaps they were forced to leave, ran away or lacked food. The reasons for their disappearance are unclear and Roanoke is sometimes given the name ‘The Lost Colony’.

Answer 39

Hawkins and Drake frequently raided Spanish ports and ships for their loot and to challenge Spanish Catholic authority. As they had been blessed by the Queen, the Spanish saw this as an act of war.

Answer 40

As Elizabeth never married, she no heir to name as her successor. There were two main claims: The Suffolk Claim - Both Mary and Catherine Suffolk had angered Elizabeth by marrying without her permission - leading to both them no longer being considered as potential heirs. The Stuart Claim - Mary, Queen of Scots had a stronger claim to the throne but was executed after being found guilty of treason. Mary's son, James VI of Scotland would eventually be Elizabeth's successor become King James I of England.

Answer 41

The wealth of the gentry also helped to cause the development of new fashions. The wealthy used their money to buy expensive clothes. Clothes showed off your wealth and status. In 1574 the Sumptuary Laws were passed – this controlled the clothes people could wear depending on their social rank.

Answer 42

The rise of the gentry meant that there was more money available amongst this new class in society. Architectural influences from Italy during the Renaissance led to new styles such as loggias and symmetrical building design. Exploration led to new materials being available such as velvet and suede. The dissolution of the monasteries led to great amounts of land becoming available for purchase.

Answer 43

Two members made up the wealthier members of Elizabethan society: the nobility and the gentry. The gentry class grew for three reasons: The Tudors’ suspicion of the ‘old’ nobility: the Tudors had deliberately marginalised the nobles, who they saw as a threat, by granting few new titles and excluding them from government. The dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII: made more land available to buy than ever before. Increasing wealth: growth in trade and exploration, population growth, rising prices and enclosure, all helped gentry families make their fortune. They were able to use their money to establish estates, build grand houses and educate themselves

Answer 44

The nobility was made up of the most respected members of society, second only to the queen herself. The highest noble title was duke but others included earl and baron. Their average income was £6,000 per year (equivalent to about £1 million today). A member of this group was born into it or awarded a title by the queen. Nobles had special privileges, including protection from torture. A noble who committed treason would always be beheaded and never hanged, avoiding public humiliation. Most nobles had large amounts of land, which was passed down from father to son. The richest in society were members of this group. It is estimated that 14% of all the country’s income went to just over 1% of the nobility.

Answer 45

The gentry were the landlords of the countryside. They lived on the rents of their tenants and did no manual labour themselves. The income of a member of this group could vary between £10 and £200 per year. Some members were wealthier than the poorer nobles. They had significant influence and power over their lands with many filling important roles such as Justice of the Peace, and serving in Parliament. Some were given the title of knight and others had the title esquire.

Answer 46

Economic Motives Trade and Wealth: England wanted to expand its trade networks, especially after conflict with Spain disrupted access to valuable markets. Explorers hoped to find new trade routes and goods like spices, silk, and gold. Competition with Spain and Portugal: These countries had grown rich from their empires. England wanted to share in this wealth by exploring and claiming new lands. Political Motives National Rivalry: England was in direct rivalry with Catholic Spain. Exploration was a way to challenge Spanish dominance and expand English influence overseas. Empire Building: There was growing interest in establishing colonies (e.g., attempts to settle in North America) to increase England’s power. Religious Motives Spread of Protestantism: Some explorers were motivated by a desire to spread Protestant Christianity and counter Catholic influence in the New World. Technological Advances Improved Navigation and Ship Design: Innovations like the astrolabe, better maps, and more maneuverable ships (like the galleon) made long voyages safer and more feasible. Printing Press: Allowed the sharing of travel accounts, maps, and ideas, which inspired and informed further exploration. Desire for Adventure and Fame Many explorers (like Sir Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh) were motivated by personal glory, adventure, and the hope of royal favor.

Answer 47

To reflect wealth and status Political stability The rise of the gentry To reflect architectural trends inspired by the renaissance

Elizabethan England 1568 - 1603 Flashcards

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