- AQA A LEVEL HISTORY, component 1C, THE TUDORS
- chapter 17 to 23 (Elizabeth's reign) summary notes in Q&A format, perfect for self revision, flashcards, quizzes etc!
- what i used as an A* history student to revise for Alevels
Chapter 17
What was Elizabeth's character like when she first ascended the throne?
- well educated and had a shrewd grasp of political processes.
- no desire to involve herself in details of government
- took an interest in decision-making processes
- determined to preserve the prerogative powers of the Crown
- shrewd judge of character
- learned much from her personal and political experiences (relationship with Thomas Seymour
and potential implication in Wyatt's Rebellion)
What were Elizabeth's key short-term aims when she came to the throne?
- consolidate her position
- settle religious issues
- pursue a peaceful settlement with the French
In what ways was Elizabeth's accession of the throne easy?
- Mary's councillors made no attempt to interfere with the lawful succession as defined by Henry
VIII
- Mary had recognised Elizabeth as her successor
- Phillip of Spain had signified his recognition of Elizabeth's right of succession when he sent his
envoy to see her a month before Mary's death
In what ways was Elizabeth's succession difficult?
- Events which occured during Mary's reign such as poor harvests, the flu epidemic and the loss
of Calais from war with France
- The political and religious situations were delicate, especially as it was evident there would be
changes to the re-established catholic faith
- the question of the queen's marriage was subject of endless speculation
What were the key features of Elizabeth's consolidation of power which she made
happen?
- Cecil was appointed principal secretary and several more household appointments were
made, though not announced to keep Marys councillors guessing her intentions so they keep
trying to retain royal favour
- Elizabeth showed herself familiar with customs of a new monarch, she showed herself to her
new subjects from the tower which was a tradition
- Proceeded quickly to her coronation within 2 months
What were the key features of Elizabeth's consolidation of power which happened by
chance?
- Mary's key councillors assured their loyalty to Elizabeth, with the lord chancellor announcing
Elizabeth's succession. This demonstrated that the political elite collectively assented to her
succession
,- The Spanish ambassador visited Elizabeth several days before Mary's death, and after her
accession tried to broker a marriage alliance. Although nothing came of it, it demonstrated
Phillip's willingness to not disrupt her succession, securing some measure of international
confirmation
What were the 2 key aspects to the form of religion a county would experience? How
were they at the time of Elizabeth's accession to the throne?
- the legal status of the church. It had not been altered by the death of Mary, remaining part of
the Catholic Church of Rome until the law could be changed
- the liturgical books to be used in church services
What kind of religious settlement did Elizabeth create in 1559?
- in practice, it was a "middle way" between catholicism and protestantism
- established through 2 acts of parliament, the act of supremacy and the act of uniformity
- issued a new set of royal injunctions
- publication of a new book of common prayer
What were the terms of the Act of Supremacy 1559?
- rejected papal supremacy
- restored reformation legislation of Henry VIII's reign
- repealed heresy law revived under Mary's reign
- revived powers of royal visitation of the church, allowing appointed commissioners to correct
and amend heresies
- described the queen as supreme governor
- an oath of supremacy was to be taken
What were the effects of the Act of Supremacy 1559?
restored the legal position of the Crown in relation to the Church which gave legislative authority
for the Crown to act in matters relating to the church
What were the terms of the Act of Uniformity 1559?
- specified the use of a single Book of Common Prayer, which was a modified version of the
second and strongly Protestant book Cranmer introduced in 1552
- variations in the Eucharist belief were possible
- omitted the 'Black Rubric' in the 1552 prayer book to explain away the practice of kneeling at
the administration of the eucharist
- specified ornaments of the church and ministers should be that in place before the 1549 Act of
Uniformity
Why was the term specifying ornaments under the Act of Uniformity 1559 an issue?
- many returning Protestant exiles assumed the dating was an error and did not expect the
clause to be enforced, particularly in relation to the dress of clergymen
- Calvinist clergy objected strongly to the 'ornaments' as they viewed them as 'Popish'
, What were the terms of the Royal Injunctions 1559?
- the first injunction made it clear the Protestant character, emphasising the suppression of
superstition and that the Eucharist should be administered at a simple Communion table rather
than at the altar
- drafted in a way to attack traditional catholic practices, calling for removal of candles and
pilgrimages
- parish churches were required to purchase an English Bible
- dissaproved of clerical marriage, prospective wives had to produce a signed certificate (reflects
the queen's personal beliefs as this was more of a traditional view)
What was the dominant interpretation of Elizabeth's settlement by Neale?
He argued that the queen faced pressure from radical clergymen as well as their allies in the
House of Commons. The queen had to back down and accept a much more Protestant prayer
book and settlement than she really wanted
What were the main arguments challenging Neale's interpretation of Elizabeth's
settlement?
- It has been argued that Elizabeth and her ministers intended that the settlement should be
firmly Protestant and there was never any serious intention to restore the first Edwardian prayer
book, but that appearances had to be maintained to keep support of conservatives in the House
of lords
- It has been argued that Elizabeth and her ministers wanted a complete religious settlement
from the start. The political opposition they faced came from conservative peers from the House
of lords and catholic Bishops, who grudgingly accepted the restoration of the royal supremacy
but opposed to the uniformity bill, which was only passed by 3 votes
What was the treaty of Câteau-Cambrésis 1559?
A peace treaty with France whereby England and France reached an agreement over the issue
of Calais:
-would be retained by France for 8 years then restored to England if England kept peace
-If France failed to return Calais, they would pay 125,000 GBP to England
Why did England and France have peace at the treaty of Câteau-Cambrésis 1559?
- For England, the war with France had gone very badly with the loss of Calais and the
weakened crown finances. One of Elizabeth's main aims when she came to rule was to have
peace with France
- The financial state of France was poor as well so Henry II of France did not want to continue
the fight
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