ELIZABETH I, 1558-1603 (1558-1563)
ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS DEVELOPMENTS IN EARLY REIGN: EARLY FOREIGN POLICY:
• • Philip II sent Duke of Alba and 10,000 troops to
Elizabethan settlement took shape = 1558-59
• Royal Proclamation that there should be no preaching other than to restore order in the Spanish Netherlands = 1556
• Peace of Cateau-Cambresis signed, ended war
the “gospels and the epistles and the Ten Commandments in the
vulgar tongue” = December 1558 between Spain and France, ended English military
• Catholic bishops appointed by Mary I voted against religious change action in France = Easter 1559
• Philip II offered to marry Elizabeth I = 1559
bills in Parliament (return of 1552 Prayer book, prospect of Church
• Scottish Presbyterian nobles led rebellion against
being headed by a woman)= January 1559
• Government sponsored debate between Protestant and Catholic Mary of Guise, forced her to flee from Edinburgh =
clergy = 1559, 2 bishops imprisoned 1559
• • Treaty of Berwick, Elizabeth I sent army to Scotland =
Supremacy Bill, ‘Supreme Governor’ = April 1559, passed by 21 to 18
votes in HoL 1560
• • Clear there was genuine romance between Elizabeth I
Act of Supremacy, required oath of loyalty to new supreme governor =
1559 and Robert Dudley = 1560
• • Elizabeth I taken ill with smallpox = October 1562
Act of Uniformity, set out rules about Church appearance = May 1559
• • Gradually became obvious Elizabeth I’s policy was not
Punishment for recusancy following Act of Uniformity = ¼ of the
weekly wage (not always enforced – doesn’t want to “make windows to marry from = 1563
• Duke of Alencon arrived in England, Elizabeth I
into men’s souls”
• First Catholic priest killed under Act of Uniformity = 1577 dabbled in courtship charmed him = 1579
• French state collapsed into civil war between
• Royal Injunctions issued, 57 instructions – preachers must be licensed,
every church needed English Bible displayed = July 1559 Huguenots and Catholics = 1562
• • Treaty of Hampton Court, English promised loans and
Book of Common Prayer issued as part of Act of Uniformity,
compromise = 1559 military aid to Huguenots = 1562
• • Peace of Troyes signed between English and French
39 Articles = 1563, made law in 1571
• 400 clergy lost/resigned their livings as they wouldn’t accept religious government = 1564
• Deliberations of the council of Trent = 1545-1563
settlement
• • Philip II banned the import of English cloth to the
Survey of the Justices of the Peace conducted = 1564, only half could
be relied on to support settlement Netherlands = 1563, normalised 1564
• 1% of the population made up by the gentry GOVERNMENT:
• 51 peers in 1547, 55 peers in 1603
• Elizabeth I limited the number of new creations of Lords, relied on old • Elizabeth I proclaimed Supreme Governor of the Church of
families – Lord Burghley served her for 40 years Ireland = 1560
• Statute of Artificers = 1563 • Council of the North reconstituted following Northern
Rebellion under Earl of Huntingdon = 1572
• Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe = 1577-80
FOREIGN AFFAIRS: (1563-1603) • Knighthood of Francis Drake = 1 April 1581
• Throckmorton Plot = 1583
• Mary Queen of Scots arrived in England = 1568 • Treaty of Joinville between Philip II and Spanish League = 1584
• English seize bullion being sent by Philip II through Channel to • William, Prince of Orange assassinated = 1584
Duke of Alba’s army = December 1568 • Act ordering expulsion of Catholic priests passed in reaction to
• Elizabeth I authorised raids on Spanish ships by privateers = 1569 Throckmorton plot = 1585
• Verdict of the York Conference announced = 10 January 1569 • Treaty of Nonsuch, Elizabeth I sent army to support Dutch rebels =
• Northern Rebellion, conspiracy to marry MQoS to Duke of 1585
Norfolk = 1569 • Philip II had begun preparing ships to invade England = 1585
• Earl of Leicester confessed Northern Rebellion to Elizabeth I = • Anglo-Spanish war = 1585-1604
September 1569 • Babington Plot = 1586
• Elizabeth I sent forces to subdue MQoS’s supporters after • Trial of MQoS for involvement in Babington plot opened October
Moray’s murder = 1570 1586, executed 8 February 1587
• Papal Bull of Excommunication = 1570 • Philip II would have been ready to send the armada by = 1577
• Elizabeth I paid Duke of Anjou £100,000 to revive campaign in • Drake’s raid on Cadiz as part of the Singeing of the King’s Beard
assisting Dutch protestants = 1570 destroyed 36 ships= April 1587
• Seminary priests began arriving in England = Mid 1570s • First Armada = 1588 (left Lisbon May 1588 with 7,000 sailors,
• Treaty of Blois, non-aggressive pact between Elizabeth I and 18,000 soldiers, expecting 17,000 troops from Duke of Parma). 60
Philip II = 1572, renewed 1574 ships returned, 15,000 Spanish killed/missing
• Jesuits arrived in England = early 1580s • Drake launched fireships to break crescent formation of armada,
• Ridolfi Plot = 1571 cut anchor and run = August 1588
• St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre = 1572 • Battle of Gravelines = August 1588 (1000 Spanish killed, 800+
• Convention of Bristol signed, Elizabeth would cease support for wounded)
raids on Spanish ships = 1574 • Attack on bullion ship by Sir Richard Grenville, killed = 1591
• Drake captured the Cacafuego, seized treasures worth £140,000 • Second Armada = 1596
(£210 million today) = 1579 • Third Armada = 1597
• Drake sailed up west coast of California and established Nova • Treaty of Vervins, peace between Spain and France = 1598
Albion = 1579 • Fourth Armada = 1599
• Philip II acquired Portugal and absorbed its navy = 1580 • Treaty of London, peace between Spain and England = August 1604
