Government, religion and economy in the Elizabethan era
The key themes include:
- government
- religion
- economy and society
- law and order
- foreign affairs
Government
Queen Elizabeth I was sovereignA person who has supreme authority or power. of England, meaning she had the upmost authority and rule, and all agents of government were answerable to her. She surrounded herself with a loyal group of advisers (called the Privy CouncilA group of senior politicians who advise the monarch.) to guide her.
Elizabeth tightly controlled parliamentThe law-making body of a country. and set the agenda of what it was allowed to discuss and pass laws about. However, during her reign Parliament did become more influential and was in conflict with Elizabeth over issues such as religion, marriage and her monopoly licenceA royal licence which gave individuals the sole right to manufacture or sell a product. licences.
Religion
In the 16th century England was divided by religion. The country had been a Catholic country for nearly a thousand years until Henry VIII鈥檚 reign, then, over a 20 year period, the country鈥檚 religion had changed three times, causing tension and divisions.
When Elizabeth ascended to the throne she changed the official religion to Protestantism, but also outlined a religious settlement that allowed some Catholic traditions to be practised. Parliament helped by passing the Act of SupremacyA law passed in 1559 that recognised Elizabeth I as the supreme governor of the Church of England. and the Act of UniformityA law passed in 1559 that reinstated the English book of common prayer and said all services were required to follow the order of prayer..
Elizabeth鈥檚 tolerant 鈥榤iddle-way鈥 had broad support, but she did face threats and plots from Catholics and PuritanStrict Protestants who wanted to get rid of ritual in church services and lead a plain and simple life., with Mary Queen of Scots becoming a figure head for Catholic plots, such as the Babington Plot in 1586.
Economy and society
The Elizabethans believed that God had set out an order for everything, known as the Great Chain of Being. This also included the order of society and your place in it. The queen was at the top and controlled wealth and life chances, and inequalities further down the chain were accepted.
Poverty was mostly considered to be the individual鈥檚 fault in Elizabethan times. However, during Elizabeth鈥檚 reign the Poor Laws were introduced as measures to support the poor and unemployed, because of growing poverty and a fear of social unrest. They were the first form of welfare.
Elizabeth鈥檚 reign was seen as a 鈥榞olden age鈥 of culture, with theatre becoming popular across all of society. This is also when Shakespeare wrote many of his plays.