← History syllabus

EnglandHistory

Early Elizabethan England 1558 to 88

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

Why did England go to war with Spain, and why was the Armada defeated?

The deterioration of Anglo-Spanish relations to 1588: commercial and political rivalry, English involvement in the Netherlands from 1585, the role of privateers such as Drake, the reasons for the Spanish Armada, and the reasons for its defeat.
A focused answer to the war with Spain in Edexcel's Early Elizabethan England depth study, covering the causes of the breakdown in Anglo-Spanish relations, English involvement in the Netherlands, privateers such as Drake, the reasons for the Spanish Armada of 1588, and the reasons for its defeat.
14 min answer →

What was daily life and culture like in Elizabethan England, and was it a golden age?

Daily life and culture in Elizabethan England: education in the home, schools and universities, leisure activities and pastimes, the growth of the theatre, and the idea of an Elizabethan golden age.
A focused answer to Elizabethan daily life and culture in Edexcel's Early Elizabethan England depth study, covering education in the home, schools and universities, leisure and pastimes, the growth of the theatre, the great houses, and the debate over whether the reign was a golden age.
12 min answer →

What was Elizabethan society like, and how did England deal with the problem of the poor?

Elizabethan society and the problem of the poor: the social hierarchy, the causes of rising poverty and vagabondage, changing attitudes to the poor (the deserving and undeserving), and the Poor Laws.
A focused answer to Elizabethan society and poverty in Edexcel's Early Elizabethan England depth study, covering the social hierarchy, the causes of rising poverty and vagabondage, changing attitudes to the deserving and undeserving poor, and the development of the Poor Laws.
13 min answer →

Why did the Elizabethans explore, and what did voyages such as Drake's achieve?

Elizabethan exploration and the age of discovery: the reasons for exploration, the factors that made it possible, Drake's circumnavigation of the globe, and the first attempts to colonise Virginia under Raleigh.
A focused answer to Elizabethan exploration in Edexcel's Early Elizabethan England depth study, covering the reasons for and factors behind exploration, Drake's circumnavigation of the globe, and the attempts to colonise Virginia under Raleigh, with their significance.
13 min answer →

How did Elizabeth establish her government and settle religion after 1558?

Elizabeth's situation on her accession in 1558, the structure of Elizabethan government (court, Privy Council, Parliament and local government), the problems she inherited, and the Religious Settlement of 1559 with the challenges to it.
A focused answer to Key Topic 1 of Edexcel's Early Elizabethan England depth study, covering Elizabeth's situation in 1558, the structure of her government (court, Privy Council and Parliament), the problems she inherited, and the Religious Settlement of 1559 with the Puritan and Catholic challenges to it.
14 min answer →

How serious was the Catholic threat to Elizabeth, and what was the problem of Mary Queen of Scots?

The Catholic threat to Elizabeth from 1569 to 1588: the problem of Mary Queen of Scots, the Revolt of the Northern Earls, the Papal excommunication of 1570, the Catholic plots (Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington), and the execution of Mary in 1587.
A focused answer to the Catholic threat in Edexcel's Early Elizabethan England depth study, covering the problem of Mary Queen of Scots, the Revolt of the Northern Earls (1569), the Papal excommunication (1570), the Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington plots, and the execution of Mary in 1587.
14 min answer →