Elizebethan

Question 1

How was legitimacy a problem for Elizabeth?

Answer 1

Daughter of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII after his divorce from Catherine of Aragon, not everyone accepted Elizabth’s legitimacy. Many thought that Mary Queen of Scots was the legitimate Queen.

Question 2

Why was religion a problem for Elizabeth?

Answer 2

In 1558, country was divided by religion (Protestant and Catholic)

Question 3

Why was marriage a problem for Elizabeth?

Answer 3

Women were thought to be inferior. A queen ruling by herself was very unusual so many felt that Elizabeth should marry.

Question 4

Why was foreign powers a problem for Elizabeth?

Answer 4

England was weak compared to others as France and Spain were the most powerful and were both Roman Catholic

Question 5

Why was money a problem for Elizabeth?

Answer 5

England had fought costly wars before Elizabeth became Queen. Crown was £300,000 in debt when she took the throne.

Question 6

What was the Elizabethan Religious Settlement 1559?

Answer 6

Elizabeth tried to follow a Middle Way in religion, which both Catholics and Protestants could accept. They passed two Acts of Parliament – the Act of Supremacy and the Act of Uniformity. Together, these are known as the Elizabethan Religious Settlement.

Question 7

Why were puritans a challenge to the Religious settlement?

Answer 7

The main problems were with the use of crucifixes and vestments
Elizabeth had to back down over the crucifix but the majority of priests consented about vestments

Question 8

Why were Catholics a challenge to the religious settlement?

Answer 8

The Pope instructed Catholics to not attend church services
Many of the English Nobilty in the North of England were recusants (Catholics that refused to go to Elizabethan church services).
This led to revolt of the Northern Earls

Question 9

Why were foreign powers a challenge to the Religious Settlement?

Answer 9

Protestantism was rising in Europe but many leading Catholic powers (France,Spain) were a threat to Elizabeth’s settlement. Religious war broke out in France in 1562 and Elizabeth was worried about this threatening her position
Spain’, military presence in the Netherlands during the Dutch revolt was a clear threat to Elizabeth

Question 10

What was the problem of Mary, Queen of Scots?

Answer 10

Many Catholics saw Mary Queen of Scots as the legitimate monarch (she was Elizabeth’s second cousin and had a direct link to the throne). Mary arrived in England in 1568 after the Protestant Scottish Nobles revolted after the suspicious death of her husband.

Elizabeth was unsure what to do with Mary. She did not want to hand her over to the Scottish Lords but she also did not want to allow her to go abroad so she decided to keep her in England in captivity.

Question 11

What were the causes of the revolt of the Northern Earls, 1569?

Answer 11

Northern nobility tended to remain Catholic.
Did well out of Mary I’s reign.
Found their influence reduced under Elizabeth and disliked her ‘favourites’ like Dudley and Cecil

Question 12

What were the main events of the revolt of the Northern Earls, 1569?

Answer 12

November 1659 – earls of Northumberland and Westmorland led a rebellion against Elizabeth called the Revolt of the Northern Earls.
Took Durham Cathedral and celebrated a full Catholic mass

Question 13

What was the plan of the revolt of the Northern Earls, 1569?

Answer 13

Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland would raise an army and take control of Durham and would then march south to join the Duke of Norfolk’s forces
Several thousand Spanish troops would land in Hartlepool to support the rebels
Mary Queen of Scots would be freed, married to the Duke Norfolk and placed on the throne

Question 14

What was the outcome of the revolt of the Northern Earls, 1569?

Answer 14

Most nobles stayed loyal to Elizabeth and by 24 November they were forced to retreat and eventually defeated.
Prompted harsher treatments against Catholics. Pope Pius VI excommunicated Elizabeth (expelled her from the church)

Question 15

What was going on with Elizabeth and the Dutch Revolt?

Answer 15

The Netherlands belonged to Spain at this time but events such as the Spanish Inquisition led to the Dutch Revolt starting in 1566
Elizabeth’s wanted to support the Dutch rebels but also wanted to avoid war.
She allowed Dutch rebels to take shelter in English ports (Sea Beggars), took money from Spanish ships (‘Genoese Loan’) and provided financial help to the Dutch rebels.

Question 16

What was going on with Elizabeth and the Dutch Revolt?

Answer 16

Robert Dudley (Earl of Leicester) also led failed military expeditions in the Netherlands which worsened relations between the English and the Spanish further.
By the 1580s, Elizabeth felt that she could no longer avoid conflict with Spain and signed the Treaty of Nonsuch 1585 in support of the Dutch rebels

Question 17

Who and what happened in the Ridolfi plot?

Answer 17

Robert Ridolfi, Italian banker, one of the Pope’s spies.

Murder Elizabeth, Spanish invasion, Mary QOS on the throne

Question 18

Events of the Ridolfi Plot, 1571?

Answer 18

Ridolfi, Phillip II and Duke of Alba plan invasion with help of Duke of Norfolk
Cecil intercepted letter – Norfolk executed, Mary spared

Question 19

Results/significance of the Ridolfi plot, 1571?

Answer 19

Plot reinforced threat posed by Mary and by Spain

Elizabeth tried to improve relations with France

Question 20

Who and what happened in the Throckmorton Plot, 1583?

Answer 20

Duke of Guise, Mary’s cousin, to invade and overthrow Elizabeth. Francis Throckmorton acted as go- between

Question 21

What were the events of the Throckmorton plot, 1583?

Answer 21

Walsingham uncovered the plot. Papers found at Throckmorton’s house and he was tortured and executed in 1584

Question 22

What were the results/significance of the Throckmorton plot, 1583?

Answer 22

Again reinforced threat from Spain and Mary (and potentially France)
List of Catholic sympathisers concerned Elizabeth.
More harsher laws against Catholics

Question 23

Who and what happened in the Babington Plot, 1586?

Answer 23

Duke of Guise would again invade, Catholics encouraged to rebel. Anthony Babington wrote to Mary about the plot.

Question 24

What were the events of the Babington plot?

Answer 24

Walsingham intercepted the letters and deciphered the codes within them.
Babington and accomplices executed

Question 25

What were the results/significance of the Babington Plot?

Answer 25

Elizabeth’s government became determined to crush Catholicism. Mary finally tried by the Privy Council and sentenced to death
Mary executed in February 1587

Question 26

Why was Mary, Queen of Scots executed?

Answer 26

Act for the Preservation of the Queen’s Safety barred Mary from the succession and allowed for her to be put on trial
Walsingham had provided clear evidence that she was involved in plotting against Elizabeth
Rumours of an imminent attack from Spain reinforced the threat that Mary posed.

Question 27

What was the significance of Mary, Queen of Scots’ execution?

Answer 27

Impact on Elizabeth – she was very upset by the execution but it shows her new harsh treatment of Catholics. An important threat removed.
Impact on English Catholics – angered by the execution, they have now lost their hope of Catholic monarch
Impact on relationships with Spain – already bad, made even worse by the execution. Gives Phillip II one more reason to want to remove Elizabeth

Question 28

What was the relationship with Spain like?

Answer 28

Political and Religious rivalry

Elizabeth refused Phillip II’s offer of marriage when she came
to the throne.
Phillip also saw himself as the leading Catholic monarch Elizabeth’s support for Protestants and treatment of Catholics (eg Mary Queen of Scots) created big problems between England and Spain.
English support for the Dutch Rebels was also a significant factor

Question 29

What was the relationship with Spain like?

Answer 29

Commercial rivalry.

Many English merchants directly challenged Spain’s
dominance of the New World (America). Many even attacked Spanish ships and ports.
Francis Drake was the most famous privateer who stole large amounts from Spain.

Question 30

What happened at the ‘Singeing the King of Spain’s beard’?

Answer 30

April 1587 – Drake sailed into Cadiz Harbour and destroyed 30 Spanish ships and a large amount of their supplies.
England knew that Spain was preparing an attack and this raid delayed their preparations by a year and this gave the English more time to prepare

Question 31

Why was the Armada defeated (reasons)?

Answer 31

English Galleons (quicker, able to carry guns more efficiently)
English cannons be reloaded more quickly on these ships
Spanish supplies (poor quality cannon balls, rotting food etc.)
Unreliable communications between Spanish (Medina-Sidonia and Parma)
Duke of Parma had control of no deep sea ports
English tactics – 6x more firepower, fireships
created panic in Spanish
Spanish poor leadership and tactics
Weather finally destroyed the Armada

Question 32

Consequences of the Armada defeat?

Answer 32

Great propaganda victory
“God blew, and they were scattered” medal
showed the importance of the religious victory
Great boost to English pride
Dutch rebels were encouraged to renew their
fight
Showed strength and skill of the English navy
Defeat cost Spain very dearly, financially and
politically and marked the beginning of a decline in fortune

Question 33

What was the Elizabethan Society in the age of exploration like?

Answer 33

Poor children- No formal education. They learned from their families working on the land, or in the home. They needed to bring in a wage for the family.
Well of children:
Boys-Petty schools age 4-8: (reading, writing and arithmetic)
Grammar school age 8-14: (Latin, Greek, French, ancient and classical history, philosophy, archery, wrestling, chess and running
Girls-Dame schools or educated at home by mothers Reading and writing, arithmetic
Music, dancing, needlework, horse riding and archery

Upper class children:
Boys-Private tutors until early teens (Latin, Greek, French, ancient and classical history)
University (Oxford or Cambridge) from 14 or 15 Inns of Court in London trained lawyers
Girls-Private tutor until early teens
Then sent to another noble household to complete their education
Make useful social contacts and perfect skills expected of them as a noble woman

Question 34

How did entertainment look like in the Elizabethan era?

Answer 34

Nobility – sports such as hunting, hawking, fishing, fencing, real tennis Working people – football was a lower class game – could be very violent and had no rules as such

Spectator sports such as bear-baiting and cock- fighting were popular gambling was also very common

Theatre was also very popular with all classes in Elizabethan England – many new plays and purpose built theatres. Protestantism led to the development of new plays as many thought that the centuries-old plays were too Catholic

Question 35

Why did poverty increase?

Answer 35

Increased population
Rising food prices
Sheep farming and enclosure of fields meant less people were employed in farms
More people forced to move to cities to look for work
International problems such as Dutch Revolt affected trade

Question 36

What were the policies towards the poor?

Answer 36

1563 Statute of Artificers - to collect poor relief money, more harsh treatment of beggars (Poor relief was financial help for the very poor paid for by a local tax called the poor rate
1572 Vagabonds Act - to deter vagrancy. Beggars sent to Houses of Correction
1576 Poor Relief Act - to help able bodied people find work. Elderly and sick given alms houses to live in
Some success but poverty remained a problem throughout Elizabeth’s reign.
Most important change was that these laws recognised that unemployment was a problem that needed to be solved and that people were not unemployed out of laziness

Question 37

What were the opnions about poverty?

Answer 37

There were differing levels of poverty and differing levels of acceptance of reasons for poverty
Impotent Poor (deserving poor) – unable to work through no fault of their own – they received more sympathy Able Poor (idle poor) – able to work but not willing to do so – these people were treated more harshly

Question 38

What led the Elizabethans to explore?

Answer 38

Politics:
Wars with Spain and in Netherlands had hit trade hard
Rivalry with Spain for naval dominance Drake as a privateer targeting Spanish Ships Massive rewards e.g. Americas full of riches; exotic crops, silver.
Financial rewards result in increased power and control

Economics:
Wars with Spain and Netherlands had disrupted wool and cloth trade – needed new markets
Massive rewards e.g. Americas full of riches; exotic crops, silver
Trans-Atlantic slave trade
North-West Passage

Question 39

Other reasons which led the Elizabethans to exploring?

Answer 39

New technology:
Quadrant/Astrolabe – new navigation
Maps/printing – Mercator map more accurate and printing meant they were used by more people
Ship design – Galleons were quicker, more manoeuvrable, more cargo space, more fire power

Better Ships:
Ship design improved making longer journeys possible
Galleons were larger, more stable and faster and also had more firepower to protect them

Other factors:
Sense of adventure
Role of individuals like Drake and Hawkins

Question 40

Why did Drake circumnavigate the world?

Answer 40

Economic opportunities in the New World, to challenge Spanish domination, revenge for Spanish defeat in 1567-8

Question 41

What were the positives and negatives of Drake circumnaviagatong the world?

Answer 41

Positives:
Raided Spanish ships, gathered lots of useful information about Americas, Local Native Americans treated the English with great hospitality

Negatives:
Lost 4 out of 5 ships, mutiny during the voyage

Question 42

What was significant about Drake circumnaviagting around the world?

Answer 42

Massive return for investors. Drake very wealthy and famous. Announcement of Nova Albion encouraged English colonies to be established in America. Destroyed Anglo-Spanish relations

Question 43

Why was establishing a colony in Virginia seen as important?

Answer 43

A base to attack Spanish colonies from
A base for privateering (piracy)
It acts as an example for future colonies
North Americans could choose English traders over Spanish traders
England would no longer need to rely on Europe for trade if it could control the trade from the New World

Question 44

Why did the attempts to colonise Virginia fail?

Answer 44

Vital supplies were damaged on the journey
Gunpowder had been spoiled on the journey
They had the wrong mix of people
They left too late to plant crops
Problems with thw Native Americans e.g. Chief Wingina