Edexcel GCSE History Early Elizabethan England 1558 to 88: a complete overview of the British depth study
A complete overview of the Edexcel GCSE History British depth study Early Elizabethan England 1558 to 88. Covers Elizabeth's government and the religious settlement, the Catholic threat and Mary Queen of Scots, the war with Spain and the Armada, and Elizabethan society, the poor, exploration and culture.
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What this option demands
Early Elizabethan England is the Edexcel Paper 2 British depth study, covering the first thirty years of Elizabeth I's reign (1558 to 88) across three key topics. It rewards precise knowledge of names, dates and events, plus balanced analysis in the 16-mark essay. This overview ties the six dot-point pages together.
Queen, government and religion
Elizabeth became queen in 1558 facing real dangers: a young, unmarried, female and Protestant ruler of a country divided by religion, in debt and threatened by Catholic France and Spain. She governed through her court, the Privy Council (led by Cecil), Parliament and local JPs. Her answer to religion was the Religious Settlement of 1559 (the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity and Royal Injunctions), a middle way challenged by Puritans and Catholics.
The Catholic threat and the war with Spain
From 1569 the Catholic threat grew around Mary Queen of Scots, the Catholic claimant who fled to England in 1568. The Revolt of the Northern Earls (1569), the Papal excommunication (1570) and the Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington plots all aimed to replace Elizabeth with Mary, who was executed in 1587. Relations with Spain collapsed over religion, trade, the Netherlands and privateers like Drake, leading to the Spanish Armada of 1588, defeated by English skill, Spanish mistakes and storms.
Elizabethan society, exploration and culture
Society was a strict hierarchy, and poverty rose because of population growth, inflation, enclosure, the loss of monastery charity and bad harvests, prompting the early Poor Laws. The age of exploration saw Drake circumnavigate the globe (1577 to 80) and Raleigh attempt to colonise Virginia. Daily life and culture (education, leisure and the new theatre) flourished for some, raising the debate over whether the reign was a golden age.
Check your knowledge
- What did the Act of Supremacy and Act of Uniformity each do? (2 marks)
- Name the three main Catholic plots against Elizabeth. (2 marks)
- Why did Philip II launch the Armada? (1 mark)
- Give three reasons the Armada was defeated. (2 marks)
- Why did poverty rise in Elizabethan England? (2 marks)
- Who was the first Englishman to sail around the world, and when? (1 mark)
- Name two purpose-built Elizabethan theatres. (1 mark)
Sources & how we know this
- Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History (1HI0) specification — Pearson Edexcel (2016)