Life in Elizabethan England Flashcards
(44 cards)
Why was there an increase in poverty in Elizabethan England
Rise in population- more demand for goods so prices rose.
Cloth trade collapse- in the 1550s there as a decline in demand for cloth this led to unemployment.
War- taxes rose to pay for the cost of wars
Bad harvests
What was the poor rate or poor relief system
A local tax levied by a parish to finance the relief or support of the poor. People had to pay or they were jailed
What did Elizabeth do to try and lower poverty rates
Banned Begging- anyone caught begging would be whipped and sent back to their place of birth.
almshouses were established to look after the impotent poor. they were run by charities and were houses for homeless people to stay
who was elizabeths secretary of state
William Cecil - Elizabeth appointed Cecil as the Secretary of State in 1558. He was her most important minister and guided her wisely for 40 years. In 1571, he received the title Lord Burghley.
who was Robert Dudley
Robert Dudley - Earl of Leicester and a trusted adviser until he died in 1588. He and Elizabeth were very close and there were rumours that he and Elizabeth were lovers.
who was Sir Francis Walsingham
Sir Francis Walsingham - was in charge of Elizabeth’s secret service and advised on foreign affairs. In 1586, he uncovered the plot that led to Mary, Queen of Scots’ execution.
what its the act of supremacy
This made Elizabeth the Supreme Governor of the Church, taking power away from the Catholic Pope in Rome. Her father, Henry VIII, had done the same in his reign, but called himself the Head of the Church, so Elizabeth’s title as Governor implied she would not be so dictatorial and would be more tolerant. This appeased Catholics and Puritans who were uncomfortable with the monarch as head of religion as well as head of state.
what is the act of uniformity
This made Protestantism England’s official faith and also set out rules of religious practice and worship in a revised prayer book. This retained some Catholic traditions which Elizabeth hoped would make a good compromise and keep her people happy.
Those who refused to attend Church of England services (recusants) were forced to pay a fine of a shilling a week for not attending church on Sundays or holy days.
what was Elizabeth like
Cautious she only had a few trusted advisors she could be indecisive. intelligent she was very well educated powerful and effective leader shew had a difficult upbringing new what it felt like to be in fear of life
powerful
when did elizibteth become queen
November 1558
what did elizberth do instantly when she came to the throne
she ended the war with France as she wanted peace this was achieved in 1559
this was a theme of her whole reign she always tried to avoid foreign wars .
what was the protestant reformation
started in the 16th century and the reformers challenged all catholic beliefs they believed in the authority of the bible rather than the pope
what religious changes had taken place since the 1530s
- Henry viii broke away from the Catholic Church
- Edward 6th tried to make England more protestant
- marry 1st restored Catholicism and persecuted protestants.
what religious challenges did Elizabeth rht face in the 1560s
- Some of the nobility were still practising catholics they were influential
2.This treat became more serious when Mary queen of Scots came to England in 1568 - catholic rulers of France or Spain could have tried to replace Elizabeth however they were to caught up with there own problems
- there was a group of puritans that wanted to make the church more Protestant at first Elizabeth tolerated this but in 1565 but any puritans who didn’t where robes were jobless or in prison.
who us Mary queen of scots
Mary, Queen of Scots was Elizabeth’s cousin (not to be confused with Mary I, who was Elizabeth’s sister).
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.
why was poverty rising in Elizabethan England
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 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.
why did the government decide to take action against being poor
fears that the ‘social order’ might be threatened if the growing number of poor people ganged together and
vagabonds
and beggars might turn to crime
fears that the poor might spread disease
landowners giving more to the poor
what was the 1601 poor law
1601 saw the formalisation of earlier acts and laws of poor relief. Poor Laws were key pieces of legislation:
The four key pieces of legislation of the Poor Law 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
Did Elizabeth successfully look after her people during her reign
The first 30 years of Elizabeth’s reign saw stability and prosperity, but a rising population led to growing poverty and 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. They played an important role in supporting the poor and signalled the first move into welfare from the state, but they did not end poverty and in fact more relief money still came from private charity.
how did education grow in elizabeths reign
The ability to read and write became a highly desirable asset.
Wealthier boys were better educated than ever before.
New universities and schools were opened. Some grammar schools with the name ‘Queen Elizabeth’ in the title still exist today. They taught exclusively in Latin to prepare the sons of the wealthy for university.
There were two universities, Oxford and Cambridge, although the Inns of Court in London where lawyers were trained was regarded as a third university.
how did theatre grow during elizibrths reign
Shakespeare wrote most of his plays during Elizabeth’s reign, in what was considered a ‘golden age’ of culture.
Purpose-built theatres were popular and offered tiered seating with prices suitable for people from all ranks of society. Many nobles protected groups of actors and became their
patrons.
what were some pastimes of Elizabethan society
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 growing by the end of Elizabeth’s reign. Ordinary people also took part in wrestling, running races and football.
what happened in the Spanish armada
The Armada leaves Lisbon on 28 May 1588. It’s delayed by storms and repairs, and finally sets sail for England on 21 July.
The Armada is sighted by the English from Lizard Point in Cornwall. Warning beacons are lit along the English coastline.
The Armada continues through the English Channel now chased by English ships, but suffers little damage.
The Armada anchors near Calais where more troops are meant to join, led by the Duke of Parma, but the English send burning fire ships into the fleet. The Spanish ships panic and are scattered out of formation.
The Spanish ships are blown towards dangerous sandbanks and the English attack again in the Battle of Gravelines. This time they battle at close range and significant damage is inflicted to the Spanish fleet.
The Armada is forced north around the east coast of Britain and the English fleet turn back after food and ammunition supplies run low.
The Armada sets sail for home but are forced around Scotland and Ireland. Many ships are wrecked in storms and thousands of sailors drown.
The surviving Spanish ships arrive back in Spain, but almost half of their fleet is lost.
Victory for England.
how did England defeat the Spanish armada
Leaders The Duke of Medina Sidonia led the Spanish fleet, but he was inexperienced in naval battle and so made some fatal errors in his planning and tactics.
Planning The strength of the Spanish fleet came from its crescent formation plan – but when the English broke this up with their fireships, the Spanish became vulnerable and exposed to attack.
No reinforcements The Spanish plan relied on stopping to pick up the Duke of Parma’s army to boost their numbers, but the fleet was unable to anchor and so never picked them up.
Tactics Spanish tactics were to get close enough to English ships to board them, whereas the English tactic was to attack from a safe distance.
Ships Spanish ships were slower and less equipped for the bad weather than the English ships.
Weapons The English ships had cannon they could fire at a safe distance and could be reloaded quickly. The design of the Spanish cannon meant that they could only fire over short distances and were slow to re-load.
Support The Spanish overestimated the level of support there would be in England for Spanish control and a return to Roman Catholicism.
Weather The lack of a secure port where the Spanish could take shelter meant that the Spanish ships were buffeted by the wind. The thinking was that God intervened and the windy weather was a sign that God was on Elizabeth’s side.
