How did Elizabeth I try to settle the religious divisions she inherited in 1559?
The religious situation Elizabeth inherited in 1558, the terms of the 1559 Religious Settlement (the Act of Supremacy and the Act of Uniformity), the via media or 'middle way', and how far the settlement satisfied Catholics and Puritans.
A focused answer to the 1559 Religious Settlement in the Eduqas British study in depth, covering the divided inheritance of 1558, the Act of Supremacy and Act of Uniformity, Elizabeth's via media or middle way, and how far the settlement satisfied Catholics and Puritans.
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What this dot point is asking
This is the heart of Eduqas's Component 1 British study in depth, The Elizabethan Age 1558 to 1603. You need to explain the religious divisions Elizabeth inherited in 1558, the exact terms of the 1559 Religious Settlement (the Act of Supremacy and the Act of Uniformity), why historians call it a via media or middle way, and how far it actually satisfied Catholics and Puritans. Because the depth study uses source and interpretation questions, learn the detail well enough to weigh evidence about whether the settlement worked.
The divided inheritance of 1558
The Act of Supremacy, 1559
The Act of Uniformity, 1559
The via media: the "middle way"
How far did it satisfy Catholics and Puritans?
Try this
Q1. What title did the Act of Supremacy give Elizabeth, and why was it chosen instead of "Supreme Head"? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. Supreme Governor of the Church of England; the softer title was easier for Catholics, who objected to a woman being "Head" of the Church, to accept.
Q2. Explain why the Religious Settlement is described as a "middle way". [Short explanation]
- Cue. It was Protestant in doctrine (royal supremacy, English service, married clergy) but kept Catholic-style features (vestments, bishops, ornaments) and used deliberately ambiguous communion wording, so it steered between the two extremes and let most people conform.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC Eduqas exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Eduqas C100 20184 marksDescribe two features of the 1559 Religious Settlement.Show worked answer →
The depth-study opener (4 marks, two features, 2 marks each). Reward two distinct, developed features. Do not write an essay.
Feature one. The Act of Supremacy (1559) made Elizabeth Supreme Governor of the Church of England (not Supreme Head, a softer title acceptable to many Catholics), restoring the monarch's control over the Church.
Feature two. The Act of Uniformity (1559) imposed a single Book of Common Prayer and ordered everyone to attend church on Sundays or pay a fine of one shilling (recusancy), making worship across England uniform.
Top marks. Two separate features, each with a precise supporting detail. Identification alone earns 1 mark per feature; the second mark needs development.
Eduqas C100 20218 marksExplain why Elizabeth's Religious Settlement of 1559 can be described as a 'middle way'.Show worked answer →
The depth-study "explain why" question (8 marks, AO1 and AO2). Reward a developed analysis of two or three reasons, each with precise support, not a description.
Reason one. The wording of the Prayer Book was deliberately ambiguous: the communion words could be read as either Catholic (the real presence of Christ) or Protestant (a memorial), so people of both faiths could take part with a clear conscience.
Reason two. The title Supreme Governor, rather than Supreme Head, softened Catholic objections to a woman leading the Church, while still making the monarch the head of an independent Protestant Church.
Reason three. The settlement kept some Catholic-style elements (vestments, bishops, ornaments in church) that pleased traditionalists but angered Puritans who wanted a plainer Church, showing Elizabeth steering between the extremes.
Top band. Connect each reason explicitly to the idea of a compromise, and finish with the most important point.
Related dot points
- Elizabeth's character and aims as queen, the structure of her court and government (the Privy Council, ministers such as William Cecil and Robert Dudley, Parliament and the role of patronage), and the problems she faced as a new and female monarch in 1558.
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Sources & how we know this
- WJEC Eduqas GCSE History (C100) specification — WJEC Eduqas (2016)