Curriculum Portal

neurologyYou need to know

• What students should know
• Mary I and royal authority
• Mary's character, aims, education and Catholic beliefs.
• Her claim to the throne and defeat of Lady Jane Grey in July 1553.
• The importance of popular support and dynastic legitimacy to Mary's accession.
• Challenges facing a female monarch in a male-dominated political society.
• Mary's understanding of monarchy and her personal involvement in government.
• The structure and effectiveness of the Privy Council.
• The roles of key ministers, including Stephen Gardiner, William Paget and Cardinal Reginald Pole.
• Divisions among Mary's councillors and the extent to which she controlled policy.
• The strengths and limitations of royal authority during her reign.
• The extent to which Mary's government was effective by 1558.
• Marriage and the succession
• Mary's aims in marrying: securing a Catholic succession and strengthening the dynasty.
• The reasons for her choice of Philip of Spain.
• Opposition to a foreign and Catholic marriage.
• The terms of the Marriage Treaty of 1554 and its attempts to protect English interests.
• Philip's position and political influence in England.
• Mary's two false pregnancies and their personal and political consequences.
• The failure to produce an heir and the continued uncertainty over the succession.
• Mary's relationship with Elizabeth and reluctance to acknowledge her as heir.
• The extent to which the succession was secure at Mary's death.
• Rebellion and political opposition
• The causes of Wyatt's Rebellion, 1554, including opposition to the Spanish marriage.
• The roles of Thomas Wyatt, the Duke of Suffolk and other conspirators.
• The course and failure of the rebellion.
• Mary's speech at the Guildhall and efforts to rally support in London.
• The executions of Lady Jane Grey and Guildford Dudley.
• Elizabeth's imprisonment and the lack of evidence linking her to the rebellion.
• The significance of the rebellion for royal authority and the Spanish marriage.
• Reasons why Mary faced no further major rebellion.
• Foreign relations
• Mary's relationship with Spain and the Habsburg Empire.
• The extent of Philip's influence over English foreign policy.
• The decision to enter war against France in 1557.
• English military successes, including the Battle of St Quentin.
• The French capture of Calais in January 1558.
• The political, strategic and symbolic significance of losing Calais.
• Relations with Scotland and France, including the threat posed by Mary, Queen of Scots.
• The financial and economic consequences of war.
• The extent to which Mary's foreign policy served English or Spanish interests.
• Religion and the restoration of Catholicism
• Mary's aim to restore Catholic doctrine, worship and papal authority.
• The cautious reversal of Edwardian religious changes in 1553.
• The repeal of Edwardian legislation and restoration of the Mass.
• The return to papal authority and Pole's reconciliation of England with Rome in 1554.
• The Second Act of Repeal and the settlement of former monastic lands.
• The revival of heresy laws and the persecution of Protestants.
• The scale and geographical concentration of the Marian burnings.
• The executions of leading Protestants, including Cranmer, Ridley and Latimer.
• The roles of Mary, Pole, Gardiner and local authorities in religious policy.
• Catholic reforms to clerical standards, preaching, education and parish life.
• Popular reactions to Catholic restoration and persecution.
• The extent to which England had become Catholic again by 1558.
• Society and the economy
• Population growth, inflation, poverty, unemployment and vagrancy.
• The impact of harvest failures, food shortages, disease and influenza.
• Regional and social differences in experiences of hardship.
• The continuing effects of debasement and declining real wages.
• Changes to taxation and the financial costs of war.
• Government plans to reform the currency.
• Reorganisation of customs duties through the Book of Rates, 1558.
• Attempts to improve revenue collection, administration and naval finance.
• Poor-relief measures and government responses to social distress.
• The extent to which economic problems resulted from long-term pressures rather than Mary's policies.
• Intellectual developments and humanist thought
• The continued influence of Renaissance humanism and classical education.
• Mary's education and links with Catholic humanist traditions.
• Cardinal Pole's approach to Catholic reform and clerical education.
• The development of seminaries, preaching and religious publications.
• The use of printing by both Catholic authorities and Protestant opponents.
• Protestant writings produced in exile, including arguments against female monarchy.
• The influence of European Catholic and Protestant ideas.
• The relationship between humanism, education and religious reform.

• Analyse Mary's character, aims and approach to monarchy.
• Explain how Mary secured the throne in 1553.
• Assess how effectively Mary exercised royal authority as England's first crowned queen regnant.
• Evaluate the roles and influence of Gardiner, Paget, Pole and Philip.
• Assess the strengths and weaknesses of Mary's government and Privy Council.
• Explain Mary's reasons for marrying Philip of Spain.
• Evaluate the political and diplomatic impact of the Spanish marriage.
• Assess the causes, seriousness and consequences of Wyatt's Rebellion.
• Explain why Mary faced no further major rebellions after 1554.
• Analyse the causes and consequences of the succession problem.
• Judge how serious the failure to produce an heir was for Mary's regime.
• Explain the aims and development of Mary's foreign policy.
• Assess whether foreign policy primarily served England's or Spain's interests.
• Evaluate the causes and significance of the loss of Calais.
• Explain how and why Mary restored Catholicism.
• Assess the effectiveness and popularity of the Catholic restoration.
• Evaluate the aims, impact and consequences of the Marian burnings.
• Judge the extent to which England was Catholic by 1558.
• Analyse the social impact of religious change and persecution.
• Explain the causes and consequences of economic and social problems.
• Distinguish between long-term economic pressures and the effects of Mary's policies.
• Evaluate the government's financial, administrative and economic reforms.
• Assess the importance of humanism and intellectual developments.
• Identify patterns of change and continuity from Edward VI's reign.
• Reach a supported judgement about the condition of England at Mary's death.
• Analyse primary sources using content, provenance, tone, purpose and historical context.
• Evaluate historical interpretations and support conclusions with precise evidence.