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Trouble at home and abroad - Coggle Diagram
- Trouble at home and abroad
3.1 Religious matters
The Catholic threat
The 'Ridolfi plot', a scheme to overthrow Elizabeth, was discovered, and Elizabeth introduced a Treason Act, which increased punishments for Catholics that skipped church. During the 1570s and 80s Catholic missionary priests were trained in the Netherlands and sent to England to spread Catholicism and have Elizabeth overthrown.
More plots to overthrow Elizabeth appeared over the 1580s and 90s, involving Mary Queen of Scots, the Pope, and the King of Spain, which were followed by more repressive laws on Catholics in England.
By the 1570s these polices became harder to follow, due to increased tension caused by Mary Queen of Scots, who Catholics expected to succeed Elizabeth and was in England in 1568. In 1570, Elizabeth was excommunicated by the Pope through a letter called the 'Papal Bull', which told all Catholics in England that it was their religious duty to disobey Elizabeth.
The Puritan threat
Many Puritans were unhappy with religious policy, but they were much less of a threat than Catholics. They weren't happy with any religious hierarchy, such as Bishops and Elizabeth being the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
Some protested, printing pamphlets that criticised Elizabeth, but were punished. John Stubbs had his hand chopped of in 1579 for his writings. Others were imprisoned, and some tried to step up their own church, such as John Greenwood in 1592, but he was hanged.
A middle way?
She tried to follow a 'middle way' to appease the opposing groups of Protestants and Catholics. Between 1559 and 1563 she passed an Act of Supremacy, Act of Uniformity and 'Thirty-Nine Articles', which were compromises between the two groups.
Puritans would be happy that services were in English and the clergy could marry. Catholics were hoped to be appeased due there being ornaments of the communion table and Priests could wear vestments.
Elizabeth was Protestant. The previous reigns of her brother Edward VI and her sister Mary had shown her the dangers of radical religious policy.
3.2 Mary Queen of Scots
Background
She was Elizabeth's cousin. Her grandmother was Henry VIII's sister. Due to her father's marriage to the French Marie of Guise, Mary was raised in France, and married a young French King when she was 14. He soon died, and she went back to Scotland were she was Queen.
She married her cousin Lord Darnley. This angered Elizabeth, as it gave her a strong claim to the English throne. She had a son, James VI of Scotland and future James I of England, but her husband was a violent drunk and Mary had him killed.
After marring the Earl of Bothwell, there was a revolt of Scottish nobles, and she was forced to flee to England in 1568. Elizabeth kept her under house arrest in various castles until her execution in 1587.
Rebellion, Plots and Execution
In 1569 the Duke of Norfolk planned to marry Mary QoS and set her up as Elizabeth's heir. This was uncovered, and he was arrested, but this prompted a rebellion in the North called the Northern Rebellion. It was put down, but was a sign for the future.
In 1571 Elizabeth's spies uncovered the Ridolfi Plot, which was to kill Elizabeth and replace her with Mary QoS, and this involved the Spanish and the Pope. In 1583 the Throckmorton plot was uncovered, involving the Spanish, the Pope and the French.
In 1586 the Babington Plot was uncovered, involving the Spanish, but Elizabeth's spies intercepted a letter from Mary QoS, giving consent to the plot. Mary was tried, convicted of treason, and she was executed in 1587.
3.3 Conflict with Spain
Armada Causes
Tensions between England and Spain were rising from the 1560s to the 1580s, as shown through religious tensions, poor marriage negotiations, and many Spanish plots against England. The English were also supporting Dutch Protestant rebels against the Spanish.
Sir Francis Drake attacked the Spanish fleet in Cadiz in 1587. This, as well as Mary QoS's execution lead to the Spanish launching an armada in 1588 to try to invade and conquer England.
Armada Events
The English knew about the armada, and followed it along the Channel. The Spanish intended to meet the Duke of Parma's army at Calais, who would be the main invasion force. They never met, as English 'fireships' forced the Spanish to cut their anchors.
Before long, after a confrontation at Gravelines, the Spanish were dispersed and forced up the north east coast of England. The English won, and it was a huge propaganda victory - commemorated by the famous 'Armada portrait'. Tension with Spain carried on through the 1590s.