elizabths court and parliament xxx

Question 1

1. why was elizabeth’s mother executed?

Answer 1

for treason

Question 2

2. how old was elizabeth when she became queen?

Answer 2

25- she needed to establish her authority quickly

Question 3

3. who was most of elizabeth’s power held by?

Answer 3

privy councillors and patronage

Question 4

4. what was patronage?

Answer 4

an important way of ensuring loyalty from courtiers. Elizabeth could award titles, land, monopolies and other powerful positions and money-making opportunities in exchange for obedience and support.

Question 5

5. who was the royal court made up of?

Answer 5

was made up of all the officials, servants and advisors that surrounded Elizabeth. The court was the centre of power,

It included the Privy Council,

Question 6

6. who had power?

Answer 6

• lord lieutenants

• parliament

•justices of the peace

•privy council

Question 7

7. what power did lord lieutenants hold?

Answer 7

• Appointed by the queen.
• Responsible for running a particular area of the country.
• Many also served on the Privy Council.

Question 8

8. what power did parliament hold?

Answer 8

• Had influence over tax and was responsible for passing laws.
• (The queen could choose when to call Parliament and was free to ignore their advice.

Question 9

9. what power did justices of the peace hold?

Answer 9

• Responsible for maintaining order and enforcing the law.

Question 10

10. what power did privy council hold?

Answer 10

Responsible for the day-to-day running of the country,

the most powerful landowners in the country, in order to prevent rebellion.

• Led by the Secretary of State
• William Cecil and Francis Walsingham were two significant and powerful figures

Question 11

11. what problems did elizabeth face?

Answer 11

•foreign policy

•mary,queen of scots

•taxation

•religion

•succession

Question 12

12. how was succession a problem faced by elizabeth?

Answer 12

• Elizabeth was the last living child of
Henry VIl and she had no children of her own. So it was unclear who would succeed her if she died before producing an heir. In the past, situations like this had led to violent struggles for power.

• In 1562, she nearly died of smallpox. This drew attention to the uncertainty of England’s future. As a result, senior figures were keen that she marry as soon as possible.

Question 13

13. how was foreign policy a problem faced by elizabeth?

Answer 13

• Catholic countries like Spain and France wanted influence over England and had the support of the Pope in this aim. The threat of invasion was very real.

• One key area of tension was the
Netherlands, where the Protestant
population was in conflict with its
Spanish rulers.

Question 14

14. how was mary, queen of scot’s a problem faced by elizabeth?

Answer 14

• With no direct heir, the next in line to the throne was Elizabeth’s Catholic cousin, Mary. Many Catholics saw her as an alternative Queen of England and this made her a serious threat to Elizabeth.

Question 15

15. how was religion a problem faced by elizabeth?

Answer 15

• Many Catholics did not trust Elizabeth and some claimed that she had no right to be queen

• Puritanism, an extreme form of Protestantism, was also seen as a threat. There were a number
of Puritans who had hoped to take control of Elizabeth’s Church and make it more extreme - this could have damaged the whole religious
settlement.

Question 16

15. how was taxation a problem faced by elizabeth?

Answer 16

• The country was short of money and Elizabeth needed to raise taxes.
• Poverty was widespread and raising taxes would be very unpopular.

Question 17

17. what were arguments in favour of marriage?

Answer 17

Produce an heir to continue the Tudor line and stop Mary, Queen of Scots from becoming queen when Elizabeth died.

Question 18

18. what were arguments against marriage

Answer 18

• By not marrying, Elizabeth - and England - kept their independence.
• Giving birth was very risky for the mother.
• Her experience of marriage had been bad - her father had
married six times and ordered her mother to be executed and her sister’s marriage to Philip of Spain had been unhappy and did not produce an heir.

Question 19

19. who were elizabeth’s potential suitor?

Answer 19

•Francis, Duke of Anjou and Alençon

•King Philip ll of Spain

•Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester

Question 20

20. who was Francis, Duke of Anjou and Alençon?

Answer 20

• By the time a marriage was proposed, Elizabeth was 46 and probably beyond having children. A
childless marriage could result in
England falling under French control.
• He was Catholic

Question 21

21. who was King Philip ll of Spain?

Answer 21

• One of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world
• He had been married to Elizabeth’s
sister, Queen Mary I, but he had
rarely visited England and the
marriage had not produced an heir.
• He was Catholic.

Question 22

22. who was Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester?

Answer 22

• A childhood friend of the queen and a favourite of hers throughout her reign.
• A key figure in the royal court and a member of the Privy Council.
• When his wife died, he became free to marry Elizabeth but the scandal
surrounding her death (and rumours of his involvement) meant this was
almost impossible.

Question 23

23. why didn’t elizabeth get married?

Answer 23

said that she was married to ‘the kingdom of England’ and that remaining single allowed her to focus totally on ruling her country and keep England secure and independent.

Question 24

24. what was parliament?

Answer 24

• Consisted of lords, bishops and other nobles who sat in the House of Lords and commoners’ who sat in the House of Commons.

• Although the queen could decide when to call Parliament and did
not have to listen to what it said, in practice she could not ignore it completely. She needed to deal with Parliament very carefully.

Question 25

25. what was marriage and succession as a part of parliament under elizabeth I?

Answer 25

Many in Parliament saw it as their duty to find Elizabeth a suitable husband and, by 1566, began to discuss the issue openly. Angry at such interference, she banned them from talking about it again. Elizabeth saw marriage as a decision for her alone.

Question 26

26. what was religion as a part of parliament under elizabeth I?

Answer 26

The majority of those in both houses of Parliament were Protestants and supported Elizabeth's religious settlement. When Elizabeth wished to introduce laws that made life hard for Catholics, she found support in Parliament. One area of disagreement, however, was over the issue of Puritanism. A number of powerful Puritans in Parliament tried unsuccessfully to introduce new laws to change the Church of England.

Question 27

27. what was mary, queen of scot’s as a part of parliament under elizabeth I?

Answer 27

The majority of those in Parliament saw Mary, a Catholic, as a clear threat to national security and a significant number of them called for her execution. This pressure, and that of the Privy Council, may have swayed the hesitant Elizabeth into executing her cousin.

Question 28

28. how did elizabeth manage parliament?

Answer 28

• She made it clear that she was in charge through her words and actions, issuing regular statements about her authority and arresting MPs who went too far in: criticising her.

Question 29

29. what was the background to essex’s rebellion?

Answer 29

• essex became a privy councillor in 1595 and was awarded the monopoly on sweet wine in England. • Essex pleased the queen when, in 1596, he successfully attacked the Spanish port of Cadiz.

Question 30

30. what were the causes of the essex rebellion?

Answer 30

• Soon after his victory against the Spanish, Essex became involved in an argument with the queen during a Privy Council meeting. At one point, he turned his back on Elizabeth and she hit him on the side of the head. He nearly drew his sword but was stopped by other councillors just in time. Essex was placed under house arrest. • Later the queen sent him to Ireland to deal with a rebellion. He not only failed to defeat the rebels but agreed a truce with them - directly against the queen's orders. • On his return to England, Essex rushed straight into the queen's chambers and caught her without her wig! • Essex quickly fell from Elizabeth's favour. • She refused to renew his sweet wine monopoly. As a result, he lost much of his wealth and influence. • Essex began to gather supporters and plot a rebellion against the queen.

Question 31

31. when was the essex’s rebellion?

Answer 31

feb 1601

Question 33

32. what was the essex rebellion?

Answer 33

• In February 1601, Essex took four privy councillors hostage and marched them to his London house, along with 200 supporters. • Robert Cecil, Essex's great rival, responded by labelling him a traitor. Many of Essex's supporters left, while others panicked and released the hostages without his permission. • Essex and his remaining followers were arrested.

Question 34

34. what were the consequences of the essex rebellion?

Answer 34

• Essex was put on trial for treason and was sentenced to death. • Elizabeth had made it clear, even late in her reign, that she would; not tolerate challenges to her authority.

Question 35

35. what’s the nobility?

Answer 35

most powerful and wealthy, held most senior positions e.g. privy councils

Question 36

35. what’s the gentry?

Answer 36

often wealthy land owners, held important positions e.g. JP, might be richer but still below nobles in society

Question 37

37. before elizabeth’s reign who had almost all the wealth?

Answer 37

was held by nobility

Question 38

38. how could people make money?

Answer 38

from trade

Question 39

39. what did they gentry grow as a result of?

Answer 39

as a result of trade this meant they began to fill powerful positions by becoming members of Parliament and Justices of the Peace.

Question 40

40. how could gentry and nobility show their wealth?

Answer 40

by building lavish country homes

Question 41

41. what was the purpose of the homes of the gentry?

Answer 41

no longer defence, but to display refined taste.

Question 42

42. what did gentry homes look like?

Answer 42

• Usually symmetrical with open courtyards • Lots of expensive glass windows showed owner's wealth. • Medieval great hall replaced by a great chamber. • Privacy: number of rooms increased, separating servants from owners.

Question 43

43. who was a main playwriter during the elizabethan time?

Answer 43

shakespeare

Question 44

44. who were play works played by?

Answer 44

theatre troupes such as Lord Chamberlain's Men

Question 45

45. how did theatre change in the elizabethan era?

Answer 45

•they built the first permanent theatres •rich and poor attended performances, whereas theatre was usually just for ordinary people performed in the back room if an inn

Question 46

46. what were the galleries?

Answer 46

seated, covered areas for the rich

Question 47

47. what was the pit?

Answer 47

where ordinary people stood to watch,

Question 48

why did the rich and poor go to the theatre?

Answer 48

rich: opportunity for the rich to show how cultured they were. poor: it was a cheap afternoon out for the poor

Question 49

49. why was the theatre so popular?

Answer 49

• it was affordable •entertaining - plays were humorous, tragic or historical.

Question 50

40. what was the opposition to the theatre?

Answer 50

•some saw it as sinful •There were concerns that large gatherings might spread disease. •Theatres were dangerous places where there was drunkenness, crime and other immoral behaviour.

Question 51

51. what where elizabeth’s accomplishments

Answer 51

•exploration •theatre •buildings • education •literature •science and technology

Question 52

52. what did elizabeth accomplish to do with exploration?

Answer 52

• Europeans discovered new lands and new peoples.

Question 53

53. what did elizabeth accomplish to do with theatre?

Answer 53

• Theatre became popular with all levels of society.

Question 54

54. what did elizabeth accomplish to do with buildings?

Answer 54

• Many great stately homes, such as Hardwick Hall, were built during this period.

Question 55

55. what did elizabeth accomplish to do with literature??

Answer 55

• Many great plays were written during Elizabeth's reign and are still performed today

Question 56

56. what did elizabeth accomplish to do with education??

Answer 56

Seen as increasingly important.

Question 57

57. what did elizabeth accomplish to do with science and technology??

Answer 57

Significant breakthroughs in navigation, astronomy

Question 58

58. what terrible things were still going on through the ‘golden age’?

Answer 58

• Blood sports such as dog fighting and bear baiting remained popular. • Torture and brutal execution were still used by the government. • A small minority lived in luxury while the majority remained poor. • Life expectancy was low and medical treatment was ineffective.

Question 59

59. what was one way elizabeth secured her popularity and her throne with the golden age?

Answer 59

The idea of a 'golden age' was encouraged by Elizabeth and her government. Plays, festivals and pamphlets (small booklets) promoted the idea. The term Gloriana was used to describe the spreading of this message.