England In 1558 Flashcards
Who were the parents of Elizabeth?
Elizabeth was born to Anne Boleyn after she married Henry VIII in 1533.
What change happened to religion in England due to Henry VIII’s divorce?
The Church in England had to become Protestant as Henry VIII did not get permission from the Pope to marry Anne Boleyn. As a result, he broke away and left the Roman Catholic Church and therefore became the leader of his own Church in England.
How were female monarchs regarded in the Tudor Period?
During the Tudor Period female monarchs were not viewed as being as capable as male monarchs. A Queen ruling alone was viewed as unusual. The Christian religion taught that women should be under the rule of men. Women were also regarded as being incapable of leading an army into battle as male monarchs were expected to at the time.
Why might Elizabeth have had reservations (concerns) about marriage?
Elizabeth’s observations of those who had married in her family were not positive. She had seen her mother executed in 1536 due to her father’s orders. By the end of his reign Henry had married six times so Elizabeth would be forgiven for not having a positive attitude towards marriage. Her sister had married Philip of Spain and that had made the country unpopular as England was dragged into wars to support Spain. This financially damaged England.
Explain how Elizabeth’s gender may have made her early reign more challenging.
Elizabeth’s background and character would provide some challenges to her early reign. Many had doubts about the fact that she was a female ruler and therefore many wanted her to marry in order to be more secure on the throne. Elizabeth was reluctant to do this as she had seen her father marry six times and her mother executed. Her experiences of marriages were therefore not positive. She also wanted to rule England in her own right as she was a confident and intelligent woman and this may well frustrate many of her advisors. She was a female monarch in a time when men were expected to rule over women. Women were also not seen as strong enough to lead in both a mental and physical sense. She was also from a Protestant background in a period following on from the Catholic rule of her sister Mary. The fact that most ordinary people were Catholic and she was Protestant would cause difficulties in her early reign and beyond.
Why were doubts over Elizabeth’s legitimacy such a difficult problem to solve?
One reason why her legitimacy was such a difficult problem to solve is that it was a problem that she simply couldn’t solve. She could make some people change their mind and recognise her as the rightful monarch but in the eyes of many people Elizabeth was illegitimate. She had been declared illegitimate after her father, Henry VIII, divorced Anne Boleyn and declared Elizabeth illegitimate. Despite reversing that decision later, many Catholics still saw Elizabeth as a product Henry’s marriage to Anne, a marriage that broke England away from the Catholic Church. They would therefore not regard her as their rightful Queen and favoured Mary Queen of Scots’ claim to the throne. Elizabeth could not undo these events and therefore this was why it was such a difficult problem to solve.
What was the social hierarchy of countryside ?
Nobility
Gentry
Yeoman farmers
Tenant farmers
Landless and Labouring poor
Homeless and vagrants
What was the social hierarchy of the towns ?
Merchants
Professionals
Business owners
Craftsmen
Unemployed
What percentage of the Elizabethan England population lived in the countryside ?
90%
What percentage of the Elizabethan England population lived in towns ?
10%
Who consists of the Nobility ?
Often Lords, Dukes and Earls
What were the Nobility ?
Major landowners
What did Gentry own ?
Owned smaller estates
What did the Yeoman farmers own ?
Owned small amounts of land
What did Tenant farmers do ?
Rented land from the Yeoman and Gentry
