Early Elizabethan England, 1558-88 | Edexcel GCSE History (1HI0)

Early Elizabethan England, 1558-88

123 questions
12 subtopics
Paper 2
Paper 2

Early Elizabethan England, 1558–88 is examined in Paper 2, Period study and British depth study.

It covers the situation on Elizabeth’s accession, the ‘settlement’ of religion, challenge to the religious settlement, the problem of Mary, Queen of Scots, plots and revolts at home, relations with Spain, 1569–88, outbreak of war with Spain, 1585–88, the Armada, 1588, education and leisure, 1558–88, the ‘problem’ of the poor, exploration and voyages of discovery and Attempted colonisation of Virginia.

Sample questions from Early Elizabethan England, 1558-88

Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.

The situation on Elizabeth’s accession

What work did Justices of the Peace do in the counties?

Show the answer
They were unpaid local gentry who kept order, tried lesser offences and made sure royal orders were carried out.
The ‘settlement’ of religion

How did the Church reinforce the Queen’s authority?

Show the answer
Sermons taught that obeying the monarch was God’s will, and compulsory attendance let officials see who was staying away.
The problem of Mary, Queen of Scots

Why would Elizabeth never name Mary, Queen of Scots as her successor?

Show the answer
Naming an heir would give discontented subjects a rival to gather around while she was still alive.
Plots and revolts at home

How did Walsingham’s intelligence network operate?

Show the answer
He paid informers across England and Europe, placed agents among Catholic exiles abroad, and employed code-breakers to read captured letters.
Outbreak of war with Spain, 1585–88

What did the Treaty of Nonsuch commit England to in 1585?

Show the answer
Sending and paying for an English army to fight the Spanish in the Netherlands.
The Armada, 1588

What was the greatest flaw in the Spanish plan?

Show the answer
There was no deep-water port where the fleet could safely collect Parma’s army, and no reliable way for the two forces to communicate.
The ‘problem’ of the poor

How did the closing of the monasteries still affect the poor under Elizabeth?

Show the answer
The shelter and charity the monasteries had given was never replaced, so the sick and destitute had nowhere to turn.
Exploration and voyages of discovery

Why was the voyage such a blow to Spain?

Show the answer
He plundered Pacific ports and shipping that had believed themselves out of reach, showing Spanish America could be raided at will.

The 12 subtopics

One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.

Subtopic	What it covers	Questions
The situation on Elizabeth’s accession	The ranks of rural society, the Privy Council, Parliament and Justices of the Peace, doubts about Elizabeth's legitimacy and sex, the marriage question, her strengths, Crown debt, religious division and the French threat.	11
The ‘settlement’ of religion	The Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity, the Royal Injunctions, the communion wording, recusancy, what the parish church provided, how the Church reinforced royal authority, visitations and the oath every minister swore.	10
Challenge to the religious settlement	What the Puritans wanted, the vestments and crucifix controversies, how serious the Puritan threat was, Catholic gentry who outwardly conformed and where Catholic loyalty was strongest, the papal bull of 1570 and its effect, the fear of Spain and France, and the Council of Trent.	10
The problem of Mary, Queen of Scots	Mary's descent from Margaret Tudor, why Catholics saw her as rightful queen, her French marriage, her flight into England in 1568, Elizabeth's three choices and the conference of 1568–69.	10
Plots and revolts at home	The rising of the northern earls in 1569–70 and its aftermath, the Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington plots, Walsingham's network, the evidence against Mary and her execution in 1587.	12
Relations with Spain, 1569–88	Religion and trade as sources of friction with Philip II, the Genoese loan, the Netherlands, privateers, Drake at San Juan de Ulúa, and how Philip and Elizabeth each regarded him.	10
Outbreak of war with Spain, 1585–88	The Dutch revolt and unofficial English help, the Treaty of Nonsuch, Robert Dudley in the Netherlands, Drake's raid on Cadiz in 1587 and the loss of the barrel staves.	10
The Armada, 1588	Philip's invasion plan, Medina Sidonia, the crescent formation, the fireships at Calais, the flight around Scotland, English ship design and gunnery, the flaw in the plan, the weather and rotten supplies.	10
Education and leisure, 1558–88	Learning at home, petty and grammar schools, why schooling spread, girls of different ranks, noble sports, bear-baiting and cock-fighting, village football, and the new playhouses and their opponents.	10
The ‘problem’ of the poor	Population growth, enclosure, the price rise, the lost charity of the monasteries, failed harvests, deserving and idle poor, fear of vagabonds, the Acts of 1572 and 1576 and softening attitudes.	10
Exploration and voyages of discovery	The galleon, the astrolabe, the log and line, better charts, why merchants wanted new markets, Drake's voyage round the world from 1577 to 1580, its treasure, Nova Albion and its significance.	10
Attempted colonisation of Virginia	Walter Raleigh's licence and standing at Court, what the backers hoped for, the privateering base, the naming of Virginia, the Roanoke settlers of 1585, food shortages, hostile relations and the relief ship.	10

Early Elizabethan England, 1558-88 is 123 of the 2,881 questions in the guide.Get the guide, £7

How the guide is worked

Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.

Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.

Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.