Queen, Government, and Religion 1558-1569

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  • Created by: ash8642
  • Created on: 06-06-18 10:19

English Society and Government, 1558

Elizabeth was from the House of Tudors

Adviced my the Privy Council

Parliament was made up of nobility and gentry

Parliament's consent needed to pass laws/raise taxes

Elizabeth only summonded Parliament 13 times during her reign

Local government posts were unpaid --> many volunteered to increase influence/power

Towns and cities were rapidly growing

Economy dominated by agriculture

Povery was becoming a major problem

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Challenges of a Female Monarch

Elizabeth was third-in-line to the throne --> wasn't expected for her to become Queen

Accused of conspiring against Mary --> placed under house-arrest (1554)

Intelligent, confident, well-educated

Declared illegitimate

Divorce forbidden by Catholics

Henry declared Elizabeth illegitimate --> changed his mind

Unnature to be in charge

Believed a man should be in power

Marry and produce an heir

Risk of civil war with no heir

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Challenges at Home/Abroad

Weak economy

£300,000 in debt

War ended with France in 1559

After French conquered Calais

French threat in Scotland

Rule unpopular with Scottish

Catholic rule --> increased risk of invasion

Scottish Protestants rebelled (1550s)

English helped defeat French rule

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Religious Divisions, 1558

Henry VIII made himself head of CofE --> wanted a divorce

Didn't try to reform English Church

Edward Vi tried to reform to Protestantism

Mary I restored Catholicism

Protestants harshly persecuted

280 executed

Hundreds as Marian Exiles

Elizabeth wanted religious stability

She was Protestant

Wanted to stop constant religious reforms

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Religious Settlement, 1559

Act of Supremacy

Elizabeth = Supreme Governor

Swear Oath of Supremacy

Act of Uniformity/Royal Injuctions

Going to church was compulsory

Book of Common Prayer

Bible in English

Wording of Communion Service vague

Churches allowed some decorations

Priests to wear certain Catholic vestments

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Challenges to the Religious Settlement

Puritans

Wanted Elizabeth to make further reforms

Vestment Controversy

Nobility

Large proportion Catholic --> influential outside South-East

Recusants

Abroad

France/Spain may try to reverse Settlement

Papacy

Pope had power to excommunicate --> encourage rebellion

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Mary, Queen of Scots

Strong claim to English throne --> granddaughter of Margaret Tudor

Catholic

1565 Mary married Lord Darnley

1567 Darnley was murdered --> believed Mary and Bothwell were behind it

Mary married Bothwell

Scottish rebelled, imprisoned, and forced Mary to abdicate

1568 Mary escapes and flees to England

Elizabeth imprisons Mary --> investigation into Darnley

No verdict reached --> Mary continues to be imprisoned

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