Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Historical Interpretations - Coggle Diagram
Historical Interpretations
The significance of threats to national security from Spain and Ireland
Background to the Anglo-Spanish conflict
England and Spain had been involved in a cold war
English were giving unofficial support to the Netherlands during its revolt against Spanish Catholic rule
Growth of Spanish dominance threatened the balance of power
Catholic plots and possible invasion threatened Protestant England and Elizabeth
Spanish intervention in the French Wars on Religion
Attempts by English privateers to challenge the Spanish monopoly on trade in the New World
The Armada of 1588
Plan:
Link up with Spanish troops in the Netherlands
Initiate a catholic rebellion in England
Invade England
Send 130 ships and 17,000 men
Events
The Armada took shelter from strormy weather on the French coast
It was ravaged at Gravelines
English fireships created panic and the Armada was forced to flee around the British Isles
Aftermath
Great English victory
Spain quickly recovers and send 2 more armadas against England
Europe in 1589
France
Ruler: King Henry III
Situation in 1589
Up to 10,000 Protestants were killed by catholics in a series of events known as the St Bartholemew's day massacre
Henry III was assassinated by a supporter of the Catholic league
Spain
Ruler: King Philip II of Spain
Situation in 1589
Defeated by Spanish Armada
Catholic
Plans to invade England
Supporting rebellion in Ireland
The Netherlands
Ruler: Kings Philip II of Spain
Situation in 1589
Elizabeth wanted to help the Dutch rebels
Religious conflict
Timeline of the war with Spain
1585: England sends military help to the Netherlands; war with Spain begins
1588: Spanish Armada fails
1589: Henry IV of France claims French throne, English troops sent to support him
1590: Spanish forces invade Brittany and Northern France
1590-94: Dutch and English successes against the Spanish
1591-95: English troops campaigning in France
1593: Henry IV converts to Catholicism and makes truce with Catholic league
1594: Dutch rebels succeeded in freeing Northern Dutch states from Spanish control
1595: France declares war on Spain
1596: Second Spanish Armada; Philip declares bankruptcy
1597: Third Spanish Armada
1598: Philip II dies
1601: Spanish troops land in Ireland and are defeated
The Anglo-Spanish Conflict 1589-1603
Philip's intervention in France in 1589
Henry IV becomes King of France in 1589
He is unwelcome by the French Catholic League because he is a Protestant
Philip thus decides to intervene directly in France
Philip's aim was to help the league defeat Henry IV, who was allied with the Dutch Protestant rebels
Philip hoped the defeat of Henry IV mmimght result in Dutch and English resistance collapsing
Philip may have been planning to put his daughter on the French throne
If this succeeded, Spain would control the European coastline from Spain to the Netherlands
Elizabeth's intervention in France 1589-91
Following Henry IV's accession, Philip sent 3500 troops to Brittany, led by Duke of Parma, ordered them to gather in the Netherlands on the boarder with Northern France
These troops launched major campaigns into Flanders between 1590-1596
Elizabeth was convinced by her councillors to send financial and military aid to Henry IV and the Dutch
£35,000 to Henry in 1589
£10,000 to Henry in 1590
4000 troops to France in 1589
3000 troops to Brittany in 1591
5200 troops in 1592-3
3000 troops sent under Earl of Essex to besiege Spanish-held Rouen
Sir Francis Vere was the commander in charge of English troops helping the Dutch rebels
Declining Threat of Spain domination from 1595
Henry IV had converted to Catholicism
Henry IV defeated the resistance led by the Catholic League and Spanish troops
Power balance in Europe had been restored - France declared war of Spain in 1595
Dutch briefly intervened to help French wars
Dutch had major successes against Spanish troops by 1594
War at Sea on the Iberian Peninsula and in the New World
Aims
To attack the remnants of the Spanish Armada
To sail to Lisbon and encourage a Portuguese revolt against Spanish rule
To sail to the Azores to attack Spanish treasure ships
19,000 soldiers involved
Failed and by the time the fleet returned empty handed, 11,000 men had died
Some missions were successful: 1596 Cadiz, Essex and the Dutch
Reasons why these attacks had varied success
The English government did not have the resources to fund them properly
Elizabeth's cautious approach meant that she was not willing to commit all of her forces to an all-out attack
As a woman, her commands and wishes were often ignored by her military captains, who would do whatever they wanted
How effective were Elizabeth's tactics?
Effective
Elizabeth's cautious approach meant that they did not lose the war completely because she never risked committing all her troops resources on only one expenditure
Captured individual's Spanish ships and £400,000 in treasure
Ineffective
Elizabeth encouraged privateers to attack and loot Spanish shipping, but this was not evenly successful. Individual ships were captured - £400,000 worth of treasure was captured between 1589-1591, but there was no coordination between the English privateers
The longer the war dragged on, the more damage it did to England's economy
Lack of discipline within the English navy
Only £80,000 in goods reached the English treasury
The Threat from Spain
Spain was a threat to national security
Tried to invade Dutch coastline in order to control European coastline
Troops landed in Ireland
English captains put commercial profit before military strategy
Spanish warships had been rebuilt by 1595
Active on French coastline 1589-95
Supported Irish rebellions
Supportive of Catholic plots
Intervention in the Nethherlands
Expensive
Allied with Ireland and landed there in 1601
Loss of life
No coordination of English privateers at sea
Spain was not a threat to national security
First invasion force had been defeated in 1588
Spanish fleets all failed (except 1601)
Spanish war effort was coming under strain
English privateers still active on troops
France declared war on Spain in 1595
Bankruptcy 1596
Increased patriotism in England
Irish rebellion 1601 failed
England has its victories
English privateers capture over 1000 Spanish and Portuguese ships
English intervention does manage maintain revolt in the Netherlands
Spain did not achieve European dominance
Ireland in the first decades of Elizabeth's reign
Elizabeth was not interested in Protestant crusade - only security
Some Irish Lords sides with Elizabeth
August 24th: st Bartholomew's day massacre
Desmond rebels had papal help
Elizabethans made space for planations by destroying forest in Ireland
Raleigh granted 40,000 acres of land
30,000 Irish lost lives to famine
Relations with Ireland in Elizabeth's reign
Why was Ireland a threat to England?
England only controlled Dublin and the Pole
Ireland elsewhere was controlled by Anglo-Irish nobility
West Coast was perfect for invasion
Catholic
Munster Rebellions 1569 and 1579
Earl of Desmond objected to English attempts at governing his lands
He felt Elizabeth had no power to control Irish lords after being excommunicated
He was killed
English established plantations after seizing his lands
Nine Years' War
Conflict between Irish nobles and English government
1592 conflict over County Donegal
1595 Hugh O'Neill joined rebels (Earl of Tyrone)
Hugh O'neill/Earl of Tyrone
Anglo-Irish nobility
Lands in Ulster
Brought up in England
1590s his relations with English government became tense
Under threat from growing number of English Protestant colonists in Ireland
Anti-English
He was dangerous
Timeline of the Irish Rebellion
1593: Unrest in Ulster
1595: trone led an army of 1000 cavalry, 4000 musketmen, and 1000 pikemen in a revolt against English rule and in defence of Catholicism
1598: He won a major victory over the English at the Battle of Yellow Ford where around 830 English troops were killed and 400 wounded
1599: Elizabeth was forced to send the largest army of her reign to deal with the Irish revolt
1600: Tyrone kept to the truce until it expired in 1600 but then he marched south to the fortress of Kinsale. Mountjoy pushed Tyrone’s forces back north into Ulster, killing Irish as he went
1601: Spanish troops arrived in ireland
1603: Tyrone finally submitted to Mountjoy on 30th March and received generous terms
Anglo-Irish relations 1595-1603
Start of Tyrone's revolt
High O'Neill wanted English to grant him the right to rule Ulster
Elizabeth rejected that request
He raised his large and well-organised rebel army
He used Spanish and English captains to train his men
The early years of Tyrone's revolt
1595: army consisted of 1000 cavalry, 4000 musket men, 1000 pikemen
Rebellion spread from Ulster to Sligo, Connaught, Munster, and Leinster
1598: won a major victory over the English at the Battle of Yellow Ford
O'Neill allied with the O'Donnells
900 English desert after the Battle of Yellow Ford
Sparked up other rebellions around Ireland
Elizabeth's response
1599: Elizabeth sends Earl of Essex with 16,000 infantry and 1300 cavalry to deal with the revolt
Essex was a terrible leader
Essex failed to engage Tyrone into a full scale battle
Essex meets Tyrone
Essex was ordered by Elizabeth to march back morth and attack Tyrone
Essex met Tyrone
But, Essex offered Tyrone a truce and fled Ireland to England
He had disobeyed her
Enter Lord Mountjoy
Tyrone kept to the terms of the truce until it expired in 1600
Tyrone then marched south to Kinsale on the Cork coast
Elizabeth replaced Essex with Lord Mountjoy with a 13,000 strong army
Mountjoy's tactics
1600: Mountjoy pushed Tyron's forces north back into Ulster, burning houses and killing the native Irish who supported the revolt. He also cut off Tyrone's supply lines.
Tyrone was only saved by the late arrival of Spanish forces that had been promised in 1597
The Battle of Kinsale
3400 Spanish troops
Freed Tyrone who was able to march south to join his allies
Tyrone arrived in Kinsale in December 1601 with an army of 6500
Mountjoy attacked before Tyrone's troops were ready and Tyrone had to fee back to Ulster
January 1602: Spanish troops surrendered
A series of tactical blunders by the Irish on the run up
Tyrone submits
Tyrone submitted to Mountjoy in March 1603
He was pardoned and recognized as the chief lord of Ulster
Mountjoy may have done this so he could return to England where Elizabeth had dies just 6 days prior, and so he would wish to impress James I
Changed the English view of ireland - A Catholic Ireland would always be a threat
The Threat from Ireland
Ireland was a threat to national security
English control of Ireland was limited
Ireland was a perfect launch pad for inversion
Catholic
Resentment in Ireland was growing in 1590s
Earl of Tyrone's army was large, well-organised, and well-funded
1598 Tyrone won a major victory at the Battle of Yellow Ford
Essex proved an unreliable commander
Rebellion took 8 years to put down
Timing of the rebellion was disastrous - England had been at war with Spain for 10 years
Expensive - Mountjoys's campaign cost £828,000 from 1600-1602
Ireland was not a threat to national security
Rebellion failed
Spanish threat had lessened by 1595
English fleet could blockade Irish ports
England was able to dispatch sizeable numbers of troops
Mountjoy was much more effective a commander than Essex
Tyrone retreated to Ulster
Tyrone's resources were close to exhaustion in 1602
Tyrone received very generous terms
Was there a 'crisis' as a result of the threats from Spain and Ireland?
For
Financial and military crisis development
£144,786 on campaigns in France 1589-91
£100,000 on maintaining troops in the Netherlands
£100,000 on warships guarding the coast
£5000 garisonng Ireland per month
Loss of lives - 11,000 Englishmen killed in France in just 3 years
Tensions in government
War with Spain lasted 18 years
Losing control of Ireland could provide staging post for Spanish invasion
Elizabeth struggled to control her commanders
English army suffered many defeats
Potential threat spread
Against
Increased English patriotism
Individual triumphs such as Essex at Cadiz
No invasion threats were successful apart from Spanish arriving in 1601, though even then they were defeated
Armada 1588 defeated
English privateers
England was able to dispatch sizeable numbers of troops to Ireland
The extent of faction at court and the succession issue
Faction in the 1590s
Faction from 1589
Why did faction increase from 1589?
Many trusted councillors had died
Older generation were replaced with ambitious courtiers who had less loyalty to Elizabeth
Elizabeth was ageing
Issue of succession
Securing the succession for 'their' candidate became a source of rivalry
Divisions over war with Spain
Elizabeth's reluctance to commit resulted in more pressure for those who wanted her favour
Robert Cecil
Aims and policies
Agreed with Elizabeth's military strategy: cautious and defensive
Robert cecil was hoping to be appointed the queen's secretary
Talented administrator
Crafty politician
Admitted to the Privy Council
Earl of Essex
Aims and policies
Advocated for an offensive war against Spain
Reliant on the queen for enough patronage to support himself and his followers
Arrogant, impulsive, and easily angered
Challenged Elizabeth's own popularity and power
Elizabeth kept him under control
Did not t have the resources to build up a following in the localities and his power was based at court
How did Elizabeth attempt to control the different factions?
Essex was reliant on the queen
She gave them monopoly
Appointed men of different opinions
Cautious and indecisiveness
Essex was under close control
How did each faction try to increaser their support?
The Cecils used their influence to gain support both in Council and in key positions in the Council of the North, enhancing their military support base
Essex portrayed himself as a man of action
Essex had military support
Essex allowed noble support
The extent of faction at Court
Faction and Positions at Court
For crisis
While Essex was away, Cecil used the opportunity to take tighter control
This showed the power that people who had swift access to the Queen had in affairs
Created groups of 'have' and 'have nots' when Elizabeth only allowed patronage to come under the Cecil faction.
Against crisis
Resentment lack coordination and remained as a grumbling, apart from the essex rebellion
Faction and the War with Spain
Essex wanted England to replace Spain as the dominant power in Europe
Cecils wanted to protect England and minimise the costs of war
Faction rivalry became much more dangerous
For crisis
Different military goals
Essex had a disagreement with the queen over the profit division from the campaign he had done in Spain and blamed this on Cecil which increased tensions
Faction and Conflict over Ireland
For crisis
Essex was convinced that Cecil was using his influence to deny him supplied and reinforcements
In Essex's absence, Cecil was able to influence a series of key appointments in court
Essex's Revolt 1601
For crisis
Unsettled and volatile atmosphere at court
Argument in the privy council
Essex put his hand on his sword as if to draw at Elizabeth and she slapped him
Charged against Essex were largely created by Cecil
Consequences of the rising
Essex now completely discredited
Government used the plot to discredit English catholics
James' knowledge of the plot was kept secret in order to succeed the throne still
How had Essex's relationship with the Queen deteriorated between 1589-99?
Went to draw his sword at her in 1598
Disobeyed her orders and left Ireland in 1599 then bursting into her bed chambers
Elizabeth put him under house arrest until June 1600
Elizabeth refused to renew his monopoly on sweet wines
1601 Essex and his supporters revolted
Action taken by Elizabeth to deal with Essex
Refused to renew his monopoly on sweet wines
She insisted he face a full meeting of the council to explain reasons for his actions
Cecil ensured during Essex's absence all key postes went to him, his family, and his friends
How was Essex's revolt linked to the Succession crisis?
Cecil sides with James
Essex wanted the Crown for himself
Both men ensured they were in high positions in contact with the monarch
Events and outcomes of Essex's Revolt 1601
Took hostage of 4 councillors
With 140 followers, he marched towards London where he hoped to gather support
Failing this, he fled to Essex house, which had been besieged by the Queen's men
Essex surrendered
He was later trialed and executed
The Succession Issue
Potential candidates
James VI of Scotland
Barriers to his inheritance
1544 Act of Succession had demoted the claim of Stuart heirs of his elder sister
James' mother had been executed for treason
Scottish foreigner
Most obvious candidate and had support due to his Protestantism
Arabella Stuart
Edward Seymour
Infanta Isabella
Faction and the Succession
James was supported by both Essex and Cecil faction
However, the rival factions tried to manoeuvre themselves into a position of trust with James while undermining their rivals
What did the Essex faction do?
1599-1600: Essex and Mountjoy both in secret correspondence with James
Bothy suggested James raise troops in Scotland and demand Elizabeth name his as heir
December 1600: Essex wrote to James accusing the Cecils of supporting Infanta rather than James
James sent ambassadors to London to speak with Essex but they found Essex had been executed and so James started negotiations with Cecil instead
What did the Cecil faction do?
1600-1603 Cecil was in secret correspondence with James
Cecil wanted James to rely on him alone
Cecil did not want other dangerous factions to emerge
Cecil gave the impression that Raleigh and Cobham could not be trusted and that he was the power at court
Did faction lead to political instability and a crisis?
For
Unsettled and volatile atmosphere
Exploded in 1601 with Essex's revolt
Elizabeth's refusal to make decisions regarding key appointments led to more faction-fighting, not less
Elizabeth allowed patronage to come under only the Cecil faction
Essex had popular support
Both factions were in secret correspondence with james - undermining Elizabeth's authority?
Essex's revolt 1601 was in the capital, close to the queen
Against
Cecils lacked coordination
Neither faction were ever strong enough to challenge the queen in a meaningful way
Elizabeth could withdraw her favour at any time
Nobility were dependent on the queen
Essex was too reliant on his small armed following in London
Elizabeth could act quickly
James' succession was established peacefully
The importance of growing conflicts with parliament and the session of 1601
Parliament in the age of Elizabeth
1558 Parliament is important to government - there are 10 Parliaments in the reign (13 sessions)
Legislates on a range of matters - though mainly still taxation
Parliament needed by Elizabeth to approve new church and for taxation
Gace government measures authority
Parliament grew in power perhaps because Elizabeth was a young and inexperienced woman
Meets infrequently during the reign
The Roles of the Crown and Parliament 1589-1603
Crown's role and powers over Parliament
Elizabeth had the sole right to summon and dismiss parliament at her will
She could also veto laws
Could try to dictate the MPs on matters of taxation
Prerogative powers
Parliament's role and powers
Grant taxation
Offer advice
Law making
Representation
Main concerns of the Crown in relation to Parliament in this period
Speaking on behalf of the queen in 1571, Nicholas bacon argues that parliament had the right to make laws for the good of the Commonwealth but should not interfere in matters of state
Main concerns of parliament in this period
Abuses of royal prerogative and thus challenged excessive royal demands
Elizabeth's marriage and succession
Religion
Queen and her officials' misuse of purveyance and monopolies
Purveyance was worth £37,000 annually, so Elizabeth was reluctant to surrender her rights, though when faced with complaints in 1589, she was prepared to compromise
Growing Conflict with Parliament
Sources of conflict
Parliament's role
Disagreements over extent of royal prerogative
Taxation
Some MPs argues raising tax was burdening the poor
Religion
Some MPs wanted England more Protestant
Monopolies
Made life more expensive for normal people
The Parliaments of 1589-1601
1589
Complaints made by the Commons
Prerogative
Abuses of purveyance by royal officials
Elizabeth's response
She promised to make reforms to the purveyance system
Her actions diffused the situation and prevented any further complaints about purveyance
1593
Complaints made by the Commons
Royal succession
Taxation
Elizabeth's response
Wanton was sent to the tower and 4 other MPs were put under house arrest during the parliamentary session
Eventually, the councillors in the Lords managed to calm down the MPs and they granted the subsidy that the Lords had requested
1597
Complaints made by the Commons
Criticism of Elizabeth's government
Abuse of monopolies
Elizabeth's response
Elizabeth promised all monopoly licences would be examined (this she did not keep to)
1601
Complaints made by the Commons
Attack on the monopolies
Elizabeth's response
25th November 1601 she promised some monopolies would be cancelled and some would e investigated
28th November 1601 she cancelled 12 monopiles
Gave her 'Golden Speech' to a delegation of 140 MPs - a triumph in political manipulation
In what ways did monopolies cause conflict in the session of 1601?
Caused divide and unrest at the lack of change
Crowds demonstrated their grievances during the session
Robert Winefield called a parliament to stop monopolies
What methods did Elizabeth use to deal with the conflict in the session of 1601?
She promised some monopolies would be cancelled and then cancelled 12 monopolies and suspended/investigated others
She then met with a delegation of 140 Mps where she gave her golden speech
To what extent did the parliaments of 1589-1601 contribute to a crisis in government?
Parliament led to a crisis
Parliament was called more frequently and contained well-educated and confident MPs
Parliament was more prepared to challenge the Queen's prerogative
Puritan MPs
Commons were more rowdy and needed more careful management by Elizabeth's councillors
The social, economic, and political context at the time had a profound effect on MPs who feared excessive taxation on a country that was already stretched to its limits
Elizabeth was reliant on parliament for grants of taxation
Parliament did not lead to a crisis
Cooperation
Disagreements were exaggerated
Parliament was not an integral part of |Tudor government. Elizabeth and her Council made the key decisions
Elizabeth got the taxation she requested
Mistakes were not fatal and were easily solved
Elizabeth's councillors has their own men in parliament
Speeches
Parliament was a 'safety valve' for local grievances
As long as Elizabeth listened and was seen to respond, there would be no political crisis
The importance of harvest failures in the 1590s and the growth of social distress
The causes and extent of harvest failures in the 1590s and the growth of social distress
Harvest failure
Years of poor harvest
1594
1595
1596
1597
Imports of food supplies
Had access to grain imports from the Baltic that were not affected by the European dearth - so it could have been worse
Effects of successive bad harvests
Problems associated with bad harvests were multiplied over several years with no opportunity for the economy to recover
Belief the harvest failures was God's punishment
Impact of dearth across Europe
France, Netherlands, and Germany badly affected
Fewer supplies of cheap imports from abroad
Consequences in different regions
Famine
Severe food shortage riots
Especially in urban areas
Warfarre
Cost of war
£161,000 on defecting the Armada
£424,000 on the war in France
£575,000 on naval warfare
£1,420,000 on war with the Low Countries
Parliamentary subsidies
The multiple subsidies came at the time when inflationary pressures were eating into the value of wages
Benevolences
The Crown collected forced loans from office holders in 1594 and 1599
Disruption to overseas trade
Caused significant stress in areas such as Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex where the cloth trade played a major role in the local economy
Produced widespread hardship, especially among those who worked in the cloth industry
Impact of returning soldiers
Unable to find work
Turned to crime or rebellion
Positive economic impact of war: privateers boosted impact of war
Conscription of soldiers
By 1603 over 100,000 were conscripted for military service overseas
Price rises, pay and charity
Average price of wheat was 50 shillings
Agricultural prices was higher than ever before from 1594-98
Impact on the poor
In London, the value of charitable donations fell by around 9% from 1570-97
Government attempts to ease the problem
Poor relief
Value of real wages
By 1600, real wages were between 30-50% lower than they had been in 1500
Extent of poverty
Disease
Plague
Worst in 1593-94
Poverty in London
It is estimated that the number of people living in poverty rose 5% to 9% in the late 1590s
Poverty in Ipswich
A survey in 1597 revealed that 13% of the population were classed as impotent or able-bodied poor
Cumbria and Newcastle
Starvation
Food shortages
Death rate rose
Death rates
1596 and 1597 death rate rose 21% above national average
1597-98 that had risen to 26% above national average
Reasons the problems were severe in towns
High proportion of the population were living on/below the poverty line
Government response to harvest failure in the 1590s and the growth of social distress
Book of Orders
As early as 1586-87
Documents sent to all JPs telling them what actions they should take in the event of plague or famine
Plague
Quarantine houses
These houses were to be guarded by watchmen to ensure sick remain in isolation
Famine
Make searches for grain
Set up the compulsory sale of food to those in need
Tillage Act 1597
Debates over enclosure
Effect that enclosure for sheep farming had on arable farming, and warfare on food supplies
Attempted to reverse the effects of enclosure by forcing pasture land that had been enclosed since 1588 to be restored to arable farming
Vagrancy Act 1597
Ordered vagrants to be arrested, whipped, and returned to their parishes where they were to be forced to work if they were able-bodied or sent to the almshouse if they were impotent poor
persistent vagrants were to be sent to the houses of correction or even to work on the English gallery ships
The final punishment was to be executed for felony
Poor Laws of 1597 and 1601
Economic relief was minimal
Reflected the view that God has created a world in which there was a natural hierarchy
The Poor Laws did not attempt to create social or economic equality
Contained measures to punish and discipline the poor
Reflected the Protestant belief that poverty was the result of sin
The Poor Laws provided economic relief for the poor
Reflecting Protestant belief that the rich had a responsibility to provide for the poor
The Poor Laws passed by the Parliaments of 1598 and 1601 was passed primarily in response to the dearth of 1596-98
Parliaments of 1597 and 1601
Real attempts were made to deal with the problems caused by the successive bad harvests of 1594-97
in 1597-98, 11/17 bills that were introduced were attempts to deal with poverty
Consequences
Social discontent
Grain riots were feared by the Privy Council
Oxfordshire rising of 1596
Threatened violence against the rich and their property if grain prices were not lowered
Oxfordshire rising came to nothing
plots and riots filled the Privy Council with dread
Potential to turn into widespread rebellion
Rising criminality
Types of criminal behaviour increasing in the 1590s
Prostitution
Property crime, such as theft and burglary
Begging, vagrancy, and theft
Gangs
Why?
Rising grain prices
Work was scarce in London as well as the country
Military mutiny
Why did mutinies occur?
Soldiers pay was routinely held back
Tradesmen responsible for supplying the army were often forced to wait months for pay
Which areas did such mutinies occur and why?
London: period of poor harvest and dearth
Chester: important base for troops
Brighton: tradesmen
God's judgement
Consequences that were seen to be result of God's judgment on england
Bad harvests
Rising crime and riots
Spanish forces
Plague
Sedition and Succession
Penalties for sedition
£200 fine
Ears cut off
Execution
How was sedition linked to succession?
Speculation about change of government after the Queen's death
People accused the queen of being a 'bastard' and 'whore'
Why was John Spencer, Mayor of London, target of discontent?
1595 reports that he was working with 'aliens' to deprive Londoners of food
Evidence for and against a crisis
For
Time of war and high taxation - unsettled political environment
Rural uplands, and the north and south-west suffered disproportionately
Small towns tended to suffer most
Riots and discontent
Death rates increased
Against
Levels of hardships were not felt as severely in all parts of the country
Many had become more well-educated and began to participate in local government rather than riot against it
Deaths pof 1590s were nowhere near the same as those of the1500s when the population declined by 6%
Total population continued to grow
Riots of 1595-96 lacked leadership and were easily suppressed
London escaped the worst food shortages due to access to grain imports from the Baltic
Larger towns were more easily able to stockpile food