Curriculum Portal

neurologyYou need to know

• Elizabethan government
• Elizabeth's character, aims and approach to monarchy.
• The challenges she faced as a female and unmarried ruler.
• The roles of the royal court, household and Privy Council.
• The influence of leading ministers, including William Cecil, Robert Dudley, Francis Walsingham and Robert Cecil.
• Elizabeth's management of ministers and her personal role in decision-making.
• The role of Parliament in legislation, taxation, religion and political debate.
• Parliamentary pressure concerning Elizabeth's marriage and the succession.
• Elizabeth's use of royal prerogative and management of freedom of speech.
• Patronage, faction and rivalry at court.
• Rivalries involving Leicester, the Cecils, Raleigh and Essex.
• The rise and fall of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex.
• The strengths and limitations of royal government by 1603.
• Foreign affairs and the succession
• Elizabeth's marriage negotiations and reasons for remaining unmarried.
• The political and diplomatic problems caused by the uncertain succession.
• The claim of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her arrival in England in 1568.
• Catholic plots involving Mary: Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington.
• The reasons for Mary's execution in 1587 and its consequences.
• Elizabeth's aims in relations with France, Scotland, Spain and the Netherlands.
• The causes of worsening relations with Spain, including religion, trade, privateering and intervention in the Netherlands.
• The causes, events and consequences of the Spanish Armada, 1588.
• Reasons for the Armada's failure and the importance of the English victory.
• Continuing war with Spain after 1588 and the strains it placed on England.
• Relations with Ireland and Spain's attempts to exploit Irish unrest.
• The extent to which Elizabethan foreign policy was successful.
• Society, regional problems and rebellion
• The social hierarchy and the experiences of nobles, gentry, merchants, yeomen, labourers and the poor.
• Population growth, urbanisation and changes in social structure.
• The expansion of the gentry and increasing social mobility.
• Regional differences and the challenges of governing the North, Wales and Ireland.
• The causes, course and consequences of the Revolt of the Northern Earls, 1569.
• The significance of Catholic resistance and the weakness of royal control in the North.
• Irish resistance, including the Desmond Rebellions and Tyrone's Rebellion.
• The causes and failure of Essex's Rebellion, 1601.
• The extent of social discontent and political instability during the reign.
• The effectiveness of Elizabeth's responses to rebellion and regional disorder.
• Economic development
• The effects of population growth, inflation and harvest failures.
• Changes in agriculture, enclosure, employment, wages and living standards.
• The contrast between prosperity among elites and hardship among the poor.
• Trade with Europe and the decline of the Antwerp cloth market.
• The development of new industries and overseas markets.
• The growth of chartered companies, including the Muscovy, Levant and East India companies.
• Exploration and privateering associated with Drake, Hawkins and Raleigh.
• Early attempts at colonisation, including Roanoke.
• The significance and limitations of overseas exploration and settlement.
• Economic depression, especially during the 1590s.
• Government responses to poverty, including the Poor Laws of 1598 and 1601.
• The extent of economic development and prosperity by 1603.
• Religion: change and continuity
• The religious divisions Elizabeth inherited in 1558.
• The aims and terms of the Elizabethan Religious Settlement, 1559.
• The Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity and the Royal Injunctions.
• Elizabeth's title of Supreme Governor and her approach to religious conformity.
• The role of bishops, visitations and the Church of England.
• Catholic responses, including conformity, recusancy and missionary activity.
• The impact of the papal excommunication of Elizabeth in 1570.
• The arrival of seminary priests and Jesuits and the government's response.
• Puritan demands for further reform, including the Vestiarian and Presbyterian controversies.
• The influence of Archbishop Whitgift and action against radical Puritans.
• The extent of religious change, continuity and conformity by 1603.
• The English Renaissance and 'Golden Age'
• The growth of humanism, education, literacy and printing.
• The expansion of grammar schools and university education.
• Developments in literature, poetry and drama.
• The work of writers such as Shakespeare, Marlowe, Spenser and Sidney.
• The growth of permanent theatres and popular entertainment.
• Developments in music, including the work of Tallis, Byrd and Dowland.
• Architecture, portraiture, country houses and royal imagery.
• Patronage by the Crown, court and aristocracy.
• The use of culture to promote national identity and Elizabeth's royal image.
• The limitations of the idea of an Elizabethan "Golden Age".
• The last years and England by 1603
• Political problems caused by the deaths of experienced ministers and growing court faction.
• Rivalry between the Cecil and Essex factions.
• The causes and consequences of Essex's failure in Ireland and rebellion in 1601.
• Financial pressures caused by war, debt and the sale of monopolies.
• Parliamentary criticism of monopolies and Elizabeth's Golden Speech, 1601.
• Harvest failures, inflation, poverty, disease and social distress during the 1590s.
• Continuing war with Spain and major problems in Ireland.
• Religious tensions involving Catholics and Puritans.
• The succession arrangements leading to James VI of Scotland's accession.
• England's political, economic, religious and social condition at Elizabeth's death.

• Analyse Elizabeth's character, aims and style of monarchy.
• Assess how effectively Elizabeth managed her court, ministers and Privy Council.
• Explain the role and limitations of Parliament under Elizabeth.
• Evaluate the importance of patronage and faction in Elizabethan government.
• Compare the influence of Cecil, Leicester, Walsingham, Robert Cecil and Essex.
• Explain why Elizabeth remained unmarried and assess the consequences.
• Analyse the problems caused by uncertainty over the succession.
• Assess the threat posed by Mary, Queen of Scots, and explain why she was executed.
• Explain the causes of worsening relations with Spain.
• Assess the reasons for the defeat of the Spanish Armada and its significance.
• Evaluate the successes, failures and costs of Elizabethan foreign policy.
• Explain the causes and consequences of rebellions in the North, Ireland and at court.
• Assess how effectively the government maintained control over the regions.
• Analyse patterns of continuity and change within Elizabethan society.
• Assess the causes and impact of population growth, inflation and poverty.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the Poor Laws.
• Explain the development and limitations of trade, exploration and colonisation.
• Judge how far England experienced economic prosperity under Elizabeth.
• Explain the aims, terms and enforcement of the Religious Settlement.
• Compare the nature and seriousness of Catholic and Puritan challenges.
• Assess the extent of religious change, continuity and conformity by 1603.
• Explain the causes and features of the English Renaissance.
• Evaluate whether Elizabeth's reign deserves to be called a "Golden Age".
• Assess how and why political, economic and social difficulties increased after 1588.
• Reach a supported judgement about the condition of England by 1603.
• Identify patterns of change and continuity across the Tudor period.
• Analyse primary sources using content, provenance, tone, purpose and historical context.
• Evaluate historical interpretations and support conclusions with precise evidence.