Elizabeth I & the People (OCR GCSE History B (Schools History Project)): Revision Note

Summary

Elizabeth relied on a network of local officials to help her run the country. These were known as the Lords Lieutenant and the Justices of the Peace.

Elizabeth also used various forms of propaganda to convince the English people that she was a strong, wise and fair ruler who got her power directly from God. To keep opposition to a minimum, Elizabeth's government carefully controlled what information was available to people. Anybody who tried to spread information that criticised her was brutally crushed.

Elizabeth and local government

• The Queen had enormous power, but one individual couldn't control the lives of millions of people spread over such a large area as England

  • To do this effectively, she needed the help of local government officials

Lords Lieutenant

• The queen chose members of the nobility to become Lord Lieutenants

• The Lord Lieutenants:

  • Usually also worked in the Privy Council

  • Were each responsible for a county

• They also had powers to help protect the monarchy

  • They trained and assembled the local militia in times of unrest

  • They ensured the people in their community followed Elizabeth's policies

  • They supervised the Justices of the Peace

Justices of the Peace

• These were local landowners chosen by Lord Lieutenants.

• It was an unpaid, voluntary position, but Justices of the Peace held a lot of status and power:

  • They collected poor relief

  • Every three months, they served as judges in serious criminal cases in the county court

  • They ensured the people in their community followed Elizabeth's policies

Elizabeth and propaganda

• Propaganda is the spreading of information to influence what people think and believe

  • Elizabeth used different types of propaganda effectively to project herself as a powerful ruler who kept her country safe and wealthy

Royal progresses and pageants

• Each summer, Elizabeth would travel around her kingdom to display her majesty and reinforce her authority

• This was known as a 'royal progress'

  • Elizabeth would stay at the home of a nobleman who would stage extravagant events to mark the occasion

  • Her progress took her as far north as York

  • Many people would have seen her as she travelled through towns and villages

The power of the printing press

• The first printing press arrived in England in 1476

• It was still a new technology when Elizabeth became queen

  • It was used to print copies of her speeches, which were spread around the kingdom

  • It was also used to print plays that praised the Queen or criticised the Pope or the King of Spain

    • These were then performed throughout the country by groups of travelling players

The power of portraits

• Very few people in England would have seen Elizabeth in person

  • Painted portraits were used to project the image of the Queen that she wanted

  • Many of these portraits included symbols that represented certain things in Tudor times

• Elizabeth's courtiers would have all worn miniature portraits of the Queen

• The most commonly seen portraits of Elizabeth were those that appeared on coins

  • Her appearance on coins meant Elizabeth became a daily feature of everyday lives for many Elizabethans

The power of prayer

• In 16th century England, the law stated that:

  • Everybody had to go to Church on Sunday

  • Every Church must use the same prayer book

• The prayer book contained a 'Prayer for the Queen's Majesty'

• Every worshipper at every service would say the prayer

  • It asks God to give Elizabeth health, wealth and strength

• At the same time, sermons from priests would praise Elizabeth and reinforce the belief that she was their God-given ruler

Censorship

• Censorship is when a government controls what information people are allowed to access

  • Elizabeth's government worked very hard to ensure that no views that conflicted with or contradicted her views were spread in England

  • Writers and printers of books that criticised Elizabeth were severely punished and their books were destroyed