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WalesHistory

The Elizabethan Age, 1558 to 1603

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What was daily life like in Elizabethan England and Wales, and why did theatre and exploration flourish?

Daily life in Elizabethan society: the social hierarchy, rich and poor, the problem of poverty and the Poor Laws, the golden age of theatre (Shakespeare, the Globe and opposition to it), and the age of exploration (Drake's circumnavigation, Raleigh and early colonisation), including the Welsh context.
A focused answer on Elizabethan daily life, covering the social hierarchy, poverty and the Poor Laws, the golden age of theatre and opposition to it, and the age of exploration, including the Welsh context.
14 min answer →

How did Elizabeth I govern, and how did her rule affect Wales?

Elizabeth's court, government and image: the role of the court and the Privy Council (William Cecil), parliament and patronage, the problems she faced as a new and female monarch, and the government of Wales through the Council in the Marches and the rise of the Welsh gentry.
A focused answer on how Elizabeth I governed in 1558 to 1603, covering the court, the Privy Council and William Cecil, parliament and patronage, the problems of a female monarch, and the government of Wales through the Council in the Marches.
14 min answer →

Why was Mary Queen of Scots a threat, and how serious were the Catholic plots?

The threat posed by Mary Queen of Scots and the Catholic plots against Elizabeth (the Revolt of the Northern Earls, the Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington plots), Walsingham's spy network, and the reasons for and consequences of Mary's execution in 1587.
A focused answer on the threat from Mary Queen of Scots and the Catholic plots against Elizabeth, covering the Northern Earls, the Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington plots, Walsingham's spy network, and Mary's execution in 1587.
14 min answer →

What was the Religious Settlement of 1559, and how was it challenged?

The Elizabethan Religious Settlement of 1559 (the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity, the middle way) and the challenges to it from Catholics (recusants, missionary priests) and Puritans, including the impact and reception of the Settlement in Wales.
A focused answer on the Elizabethan Religious Settlement of 1559, covering the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity and the middle way, the Catholic and Puritan challenges, and the reception of the Settlement in Wales.
14 min answer →

Why did the Spanish Armada fail in 1588, and what were its consequences?

The causes of the conflict with Spain, the campaign of the Spanish Armada of 1588 (Philip II's aims, the English fireships at Calais, the Battle of Gravelines and the storms), the reasons for the English victory, and its consequences for Elizabeth and England.
A focused answer on the Spanish Armada of 1588, covering the causes of the conflict with Spain, Philip II's aims and the campaign, the fireships and the Battle of Gravelines, the reasons for the English victory and its consequences.
14 min answer →