Elizabethan Era Notes - AQA History

Elizabeth's Rise to Power and Government

Elizabeth's path to the throne was anything but certain. Her mother Anne Boleyn was executed for adultery, and Elizabeth was declared illegitimate as a child. After her half-siblings Edward VI and Mary I died, she finally became queen - though many didn't expect this "clever, brave, cautious" girl to survive court politics.

Elizabeth set up a government structure with herself at the top, making all major decisions about war and peace. Her Privy Council handled daily operations and had serious power over law courts, whilst Parliament (Lords and Commons) influenced taxes and passed laws. Lord Lieutenants collected taxes and raised armies across the country.

Two men shaped Elizabeth's reign more than anyone else. William Cecil served as her most trusted advisor and Secretary of State, pushing her to take over Ireland and fight Catholic enemies. Francis Walsingham became her spymaster, running foreign affairs and playing a key role in executing Mary Queen of Scots.

Remember: Elizabeth kept tight control over her government - she appointed who she wanted and dismissed Parliament whenever it suited her.

Key Figures and the Marriage Question

The Duke of Norfolk, England's richest noble and Elizabeth's second cousin, constantly plotted against her because he sympathised with Catholics. Meanwhile, Robert Dudley (Earl of Leicester) remained her childhood friend and became Master of the Horse, responsible for her safety - though scandal surrounded his wife's mysterious death from "falling down the stairs."

Parliament's power grew during Elizabeth's reign as MPs became better educated and more confident. They pressured her on policies like religious reform, though she kept firm limits - nominating members herself, appointing the Speaker, and imprisoning awkward MPs like Wentworth who demanded free speech.

The marriage question dominated politics for decades. Supporters argued England needed a king for military leadership and producing heirs, whilst Elizabeth preferred keeping her independence. Her main suitors included Dudley (who she loved but other nobles would resent), Philip II of Spain (powerful but Catholic), and various French princes (useful for alliances but also Catholic).

Key Point: Elizabeth famously declared she was "married to England" - a brilliant way to avoid losing power to a husband whilst keeping foreign allies hopeful.

Succession Crisis and Essex's Rebellion

The succession issue became critical when Elizabeth nearly died of smallpox and passed childbearing age at 30. Two main claimants emerged: Mary Queen of Scots (descended from Henry VIII's sister with a strong claim and an heir) and the Suffolk line (Henry VIII's preferred choice, though Lady Jane Grey had already been executed after her nine-day reign).

Essex's Rebellion in 1601 showed how dangerous court favourites could become. The Earl of Essex, one of Elizabeth's favourites and a Privy Councillor, had military success against Spain and controlled the profitable sweet wine monopoly. However, after a blazing row where Elizabeth punched him and he nearly drew his sword, their relationship soured.

Essex's disastrous stint as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland sealed his fate. He made unauthorised truces, knighted followers against orders, and returned to catch Elizabeth without her wig. She stripped his monopoly and banished him from court, leading to his desperate 12-hour rebellion with 200 supporters that ended in his execution.

Did You Know: Essex gave up his fellow conspirators' names in exchange for a private execution rather than the public humiliation of being hanged, drawn and quartered.

Golden Age Culture and Social Structure

Elizabeth's reign brought a cultural golden age featuring symbolic art (like portraits showing her hand on a globe), scientific advances in navigation and astronomy, and exploration of new lands that expanded English trade. However, life remained harsh with blood sports, cruel punishments, and low life expectancy for ordinary people.

Theatre flourished during this period, attracting rich and poor alike to new venues like the Red Lion. Women couldn't act, so men played female roles. Ticket prices varied - a penny to stand in the yard, much more for the Lord's room. Elizabeth loved theatre and used plays as propaganda, though Puritans condemned it as sinful.

The Great Chain of Being dominated social structure: God, monarch, nobility, gentry, then peasants. The nobility held senior positions and were exempt from torture, whilst the gentry (well-educated landlords) grew wealthy from trade and built grand houses. Many became JPs or MPs as the Tudors trusted them more than the traditional nobility.

Poverty exploded due to Henry VIII closing monasteries, unemployment among former soldiers, inflation from bad harvests, and population growth. The wealthy established charities and almshouses, but many feared "idle poor" and vagabonds who might threaten social order.

Social Tip: The growing gentry class represents early social mobility - people could improve their status through education, trade, and royal service rather than just birth.

Poor Laws and Exploration

Before Elizabeth, poor relief was brutal - beggars were whipped, had ears burnt, or were hanged for repeat offences. Progressive towns like York, Ipswich, and Norwich experimented with work schemes, hospitals, and training programmes funded by local taxes.

Elizabeth's government introduced systematic reforms including recoinage to reduce inflation, wage caps for skilled workers, and discouraging land enclosure. The 1601 Poor Laws created the first comprehensive welfare system, distinguishing between deserving poor (who received help) and idle poor (who faced punishment).

English exploration transformed from European trade to direct routes to India and the Far East. Sea trade avoided taxes, carried larger cargoes cheaper, and opened new opportunities. Elizabeth granted around 100 privateer licences yearly, allowing captains to legally raid enemy ships for profit.

This expansion built English naval power and overseas territories, challenging Spain's dominance in South America. Privateering raids on Spanish ships and ports brought wealth to England whilst weakening Catholic enemies - a perfect combination for Elizabeth's strategic goals.

Economic Impact: Maritime exploration didn't just bring wealth - it established England as a major naval power that would dominate global trade for centuries.

Famous Explorers

Francis Drake became England's most famous explorer through his incredible achievements. Starting as a privateer with his cousin Hawkins in the slave trade, he later circumnavigated the globe $1577-1580$ - the first Englishman to accomplish this feat. His voyage brought £400,000 profit, half of which went to Elizabeth, earning him a knighthood and royal favour.

Drake's circumnavigation began with five ships but ended with just one surviving vessel. He raided Spanish ports along South America's coast, claimed North American land for Elizabeth (calling it New Albion), then sailed around Africa's Cape of Good Hope back to Plymouth. This risky venture could have triggered war with Spain if they'd known Elizabeth funded it.

Walter Raleigh received a royal charter to find new lands, giving Elizabeth 20% of any gold and silver discovered. He named part of North America "Virginia" after the Virgin Queen and promoted colonisation as a solution to poverty and overpopulation. However, his secret marriage to Elizabeth's lady-in-waiting landed him in prison.

John Hawkins revolutionised England's naval capabilities by helping design faster, more manoeuvrable ships. As England's first major slave trader, he kidnapped hundreds of West Africans with Elizabeth's permission, shipping them to South America for profit. This marked England's entry into the Atlantic slave trade that would last for centuries.

Historical Context: These explorers combined adventure, profit, and patriotism - their voyages made them rich whilst strengthening England's position against Catholic Spain.

Religious Settlement and Catholic Threats

Elizabeth inherited a religious mess - her predecessors had changed England's faith multiple times, from Henry VIII's break with Rome through Edward VI's Protestantism to Mary I's Catholic persecution. Elizabeth crafted a "middle way" religious settlement that allowed priests to marry, used English services, and made her Governor of the Church of England whilst permitting private Catholic worship.

Catholic plots against Elizabeth escalated throughout her reign. The Ridolfi Plot, Throckmorton Plot, and Babington Plot all aimed to kill Elizabeth and replace her with Mary Queen of Scots. These conspiracies led to increasingly harsh laws - Catholics couldn't travel more than five miles from home without permission, and large Catholic gatherings became illegal.

The Papal Bull of 1570 excommunicated Elizabeth and declared that killing her would guarantee heaven, making every Catholic a potential assassin in Protestant eyes. Jesuit missionaries arrived to convert people back to Catholicism, whilst the government responded with Treason Acts making it illegal to question Elizabeth's right to rule.

Elizabeth's government used both carrot and stick - Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity established legal frameworks, whilst fines, imprisonment, and execution awaited those who refused to conform. The religious settlement worked because most people wanted stability after decades of change.

Key Strategy: Elizabeth's religious "middle way" was political genius - it satisfied moderate Protestants whilst not completely alienating Catholics, preventing religious civil war.

Protestant Challenges and Mary Queen of Scots

Puritans caused Elizabeth different problems - these strict Protestants wanted to eliminate all Catholic elements from the Church of England. They hated the vestments priests wore, held unauthorised "prophesying" meetings to criticise Elizabeth's religious policies, and even established separate Puritan churches. Elizabeth responded harshly, dismissing 300 ministers, cutting off William Stubbs' hand for writing critical pamphlets, and banning unlicensed preaching.

Mary Queen of Scots posed the greatest threat to Elizabeth's reign. Arriving in England in 1568, Mary spent 19 years under house arrest whilst multiple plots swirled around her claim to the English throne. The Babington Plot finally sealed her fate when Walsingham's spies intercepted coded messages showing Mary's agreement to assassinate Elizabeth.

Parliament demanded Mary's trial and execution, but Elizabeth hesitated. Arguments for execution included Mary's involvement in multiple plots, her correspondence with foreign rulers seeking help, and the danger she represented to Protestant England. Arguments against included the precedent of executing an anointed monarch, their family relationship, and the risk of angering Catholics worldwide.

Mary's execution on 8th February 1587 removed Elizabeth's greatest domestic threat but guaranteed war with Spain. Philip II now had the perfect excuse to launch his planned invasion, framing it as a holy war to restore Catholic rule to England.

Turning Point: Mary's execution was Elizabeth's most controversial decision - it secured her throne but made the Spanish Armada inevitable.

Road to the Spanish Armada

Philip II of Spain had multiple reasons for wanting to control England. As a devout Catholic, he saw it as his religious duty to restore Catholic rule. His marriage to Mary I had given him hopes of English influence, and Elizabeth's rejection of his marriage proposal was a personal insult to Europe's most powerful monarch.

The Netherlands crisis escalated tensions dramatically. Spain owned the Netherlands, but Protestant uprisings and anti-Catholic riots challenged Spanish control. Elizabeth sent money to rebels, harboured Dutch ships, and eventually sent 7,000 English troops - a clear act of war. The Netherlands was too important a trading partner for Elizabeth to abandon.

Religious conflicts intensified after the Pope ordered Catholics to challenge Elizabeth's legitimacy. Spanish ambassadors had been involved in plots with Mary Queen of Scots, and Mary's execution seemed like a direct attack on Catholic Europe. Philip now had both religious duty and personal vendetta driving his invasion plans.

English privateering provided the final provocation. Drake and Hawkins had raided and destroyed numerous Spanish ships with Elizabeth's encouragement. These attacks on Spain's treasure fleets from South America cost Philip enormous wealth whilst enriching England - an intolerable situation for the world's greatest Catholic power.

Perfect Storm: By 1588, religious conflict, political rivalry, economic warfare, and personal insults had made war between England and Spain inevitable.

Spanish Armada's Defeat

The Spanish Armada of 151 ships was meant to collect Spanish soldiers from the Netherlands and invade England. However, Philip's plan had fatal flaws - the commander had no sailing experience, the fleet was prepared for land attack rather than naval warfare, and they only carried supplies for four weeks.

English advantages proved decisive in the conflict. Hawkins had helped develop lighter, faster, more manoeuvrable ship designs with long-range guns that could attack from safe distances. Spanish ships, designed for Mediterranean warfare, couldn't cope with northern seas and their close-combat tactics became useless.

The Battle of Gravelines on 8th August 1588 broke Spanish power forever. Drake sent eight fire ships covered in tar and oil into the Spanish fleet, causing panic and scattering their crescent formation. English cannons could reload and fire repeatedly whilst Spanish guns could only fire once - some Spanish cannonballs didn't even fit their own cannons!

Weather completed the destruction that English tactics had begun. Storms blew Spanish ships off course, they ran out of food and water, disease spread, and they lacked maps for unfamiliar waters. Only 65 ships returned to Spain out of the original 151, with 20,000 Spanish dead.

The victory transformed Elizabeth's reputation - she claimed God supported Protestant England, Catholics began supporting her, and England emerged as a major naval power. Though Philip launched two more armadas, both turned back due to bad weather, ending Spanish dreams of conquering England.

Historical Impact: The Armada's defeat marked the beginning of English naval supremacy and the decline of Spanish power - a turning point that shaped the next 400 years of world history.