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In Course: GCSE History (Edexcel): Early Elizabethan England, 1558–88

GCSE History: Queen, government and religion, 1558–69

This deck covers the situation on Elizabeth's accession in 1558, including societal structure, government, and the personal challenges she faced regarding legitimacy, gender, and marriage. It details the 1559 Religious Settlement, the role of the new Church of England, and the initial Puritan and Catholic challenges to this settlement. It concludes by introducing Mary, Queen of Scots, and her relationship with Elizabeth up to 1569.

A dramatic wide-angle photograph inside a grand, oak-paneled Elizabethan chamber. In the foreground, an ornate, leather-bound Book of Common Prayer lies open on a heavy carved wooden desk, next to a quill and inkwell. In the soft background, a regal, silhouetted figure stands by a leaded window, gazing out with a sense of deep contemplation, lit by a single shaft of dramatic sunlight.

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Deck Contents

32 Cards
Lesson#1
Welcome to this deck on Queen, government, and religion in early Elizabethan England. We'll explore the challenges a young Elizabeth faced when she took the throne in 1558, how she tried to solve the explosive issue of religion, and the arrival of her dangerous rival, Mary, Queen of Scots. This is essential knowledge for your GCSE History exam, helping you build the foundation for top-grade answers.
Lesson#2
When Elizabeth became queen, English society was a strict hierarchy. At the top was the monarch, followed by the nobility and the gentry. Below them were yeomen, who owned their own land, and tenant farmers who rented it. At the bottom were the landless poor. This structure was seen as rigid and ordered by God, meaning that everyone knew their place.
Quiz#3
In Elizabethan society, what was the name for the class of wealthy landowners ranked just below the nobility?

the gentry

Lesson#4
Elizabeth's government had several key parts. At the centre was the Privy Council, a group of her most trusted advisors who met several times a week to run the country. Parliament, made up of the House of Lords and House of Commons, could pass laws and approve taxes, but Elizabeth decided when it would meet. In the counties, the Queen's authority was enforced by unpaid officials called Justices of the Peace.
Quiz#5
What was the name of the committee of Elizabeth I's most important and trusted advisors?

the Privy Council

Quiz#6
In Elizabethan England, what was the title for the unpaid local gentry who enforced laws in the counties?

Justices of the Peace

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