Challenges to Elizabeth I's Succession in England (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Author
Zoe WadeExpertise
History
What Issues did Elizabeth Face in England in 1558? - Summary
When Elizabeth became queen in 1558, the two key challenges to the population were money and religion. Both issues stemmed from the reign of Elizabeth's half-sister, Mary I. As a devout Catholic, Mary changed England's religion from Protestantism to Catholicism. England's official religion had changed numerous times since Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII. By 1558, the people of England had experienced three changes of religion in 24 years. This not only had domestic consequences. The fight between Protestantism and Catholicism occurred across Europe. Any decision Elizabeth made about religion would have consequences for England's foreign relations. Mary's reign also caused England's financial difficulties. Mary married Philip II of Spain. He used English money and resources to fight a costly war with France. Philip belonged to a royal dynasty known as the Habsburgs. He wanted Spain to become the biggest Catholic power in Europe. Spain owned some regions of France. The war intended to give Spain much more control of the country, as well as parts of Italy. It left England's economy in ruins. For England to regain its power, Elizabeth had to decide:
|
Financial Problems
In the 16th century, the monarch had responsibility for paying all the costs involved in running the country
The concept map below shows the multiple ways that the monarch could gain money:
How could a monarch raise money in the 16th century?
A concept map showing the multiple methods that 16th-century monarchs used to raise finances
England in 1558 was poor
Mary I and Philip II of Spain began a war with France over certain regions of France and Italy
Mary sold Crown land to pay for the war
The war did not achieve its aims. It had wider consequences for England's claim on Calais
England's economic issues caused rising prices in the 1550s. Owning a lot of land impacted the monarch's ability to use Crown land to raise funds
The monarch struggled to use rent from the Crown lands to increase England's finances
The Exchequer could become too powerful and mismanage England's money
Both Edward VI and Mary I introduced reforms to prevent this from happening
By 1558, England had £300,000 of debt
In comparison, England's annual income was roughly £287,000
Elizabeth needed to improve England's finances by:
Paying off England's debts to ensure the royal treasury had positive funds
Avoiding a costly war with a foreign power
Tackling the issue of rising prices
Exam Tip
Students struggle to understand why the monarch did not demand parliament to give them money. In this period, monarchs fought more wars than in modern times to increase their country's territory and influence. Monarchs wanted to fund these wars without the use of parliament. Monarchs worried about giving parliament too much power. Their belief in the Divine Rights meant that no person should be able to limit a monarch's power. In addition, parliament had grown in power since the 13th century. By Elizabeth's reign, parliament was developing into a powerful and organised institution. Ensuring their country's finances were plentiful and in their control was a key priority for monarchs in this period.
Religious Tensions Within England
From the beginning of the English Reformation under Henry VIII, England had suffered multiple changes of religion
The diagram below shows these changes in religion:
Religious changes, 1530 - 1555
A graph showing how religion changed from 1530 to 1555
Past Tudor monarchs had experienced rebellions due to religion
When Henry dissolved the monasteries in 1536, there was a major rebellion in the north of England
Edward VI's strongly Protestant beliefs caused issues. A new English prayer book caused revolts in Cornwall and Devon
Mary I's restoration of Catholicism triggered a rebellion by Sir Thomas Wyatt. In retaliation, Mary burnt 300 Protestants to death
The religious situation in England was critical
There were religious divisions across England
There was a threat of civil war, supported by foreign countries
Elizabeth needed to develop a solution to the religious tensions that would satisfy the majority of England's population
Worked Example
Describe two features of the challenges to Elizabeth's rule within England
4 marks
Answers:
One feature of the challenges to Elizabeth's rule within England was England's finances (1). Mary I and Philip II of Spain's costly war with France had damaged England's finances. By 1558, England was £300,000 in debt (1).
Another feature of the challenges to Elizabeth's rule within England was religion (1). From 1534 to 1558, England's official religion had changed from Catholic to varying degrees of Protestantism three times. There was a religious division within England that could result in a civil war (1).
You've read 0 of your 0 free revision notes
Get unlimited access
to absolutely everything:
- Downloadable PDFs
- Unlimited Revision Notes
- Topic Questions
- Past Papers
- Model Answers
- Videos (Maths and Science)
Did this page help you?