Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-5-elizabethan-settlement [Revision notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes.md) › [A Level](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level.md) › [History](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history.md) › [Edexcel](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel.md) › Elizabethan Settlement # Elizabethan Settlement History: Edexcel A Level England, 1509-1603, topic 2.1.5 ## Impact of Religious Change During Elizabeth I's Reign Elizabeth I tried to find a middle ground between Catholicism and radical Protestantism. Inevitably, not everyone would be happy with her settlement. ### A compromise ![A compromise](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-05/bf197398-896c-4655-98b8-33c13afdb263/elizabeth-phoeneiz.jpg) - Elizabeth was trying to find a compromise between Catholicism and radical Protestantism. - Through the Act of Supremacy, Elizabeth was the head of the Church. - But many aspects of religious worship contained the traditional rituals of the Catholic Church. ### Protestant opponents ![Protestant opponents](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-09/11d1a6e0-991e-411c-8442-a9ead7ed63aa/crucifix-christian-.jpg) - Many hardline Protestants were dissatisfied with the Elizabethan settlement and wanted her to pursue further reform. - Protestant reformers tried to pressure Elizabeth I. - Margaret Aston has analysed a painting called 'Edward VI and the Pope' which used Edward VI's reputation as a strong Protestant to pressure Elizabeth I to further her own reforms. ### Catholic opponents ![Catholic opponents](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-07/ef5eb95e-b356-49c2-ac21-96bdbce4cb09/Pope-rome-catholic-Church-.jpg) - Almost all the Catholic bishops that were installed by Mary refused to accept Elizabeth's settlement and were dismissed from their positions. - Some ministers refused to use the new Prayer Book and continued to use the Catholic Prayer Book. ### A successful settlement? ![A successful settlement?](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-10/f67ca612-d785-48a0-b41d-f10f2b705434/elizabeth-spanish-armada-.jpg) - But the opposition to Elizabeth's settlement was relatively minimal and non-violent. - Elizabeth's settlement was also accepted internationally. Arguably, this is because figures such as the Pope and King Philip II believed Elizabeth I could be eventually persuaded back to Catholicism. ## The Elizabethan Settlement To consolidate her power, Elizabeth I had to stabilise England internally. The main priority was to deal with religion. ### Causes of the Elizabethan Settlement ![Causes of the Elizabethan Settlement](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/6df3705b-221e-4a41-88c1-56172c4baf72/Settlement-.jpg) - The Elizabethan Settlement was a reaction to the religious schism (divisions) in England. - England's religion had fluctuated during the reigns of Tudor monarchs. ### The Act of Supremacy ![The Act of Supremacy](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/memory-location-images/Vatican,%20Vatican%20City-min.jpg) - The Act of Supremacy was passed in 1559. - This act reiterated Henry VIII's Act of Supremacy in 1534, by stating that the Church of England was independent of Rome. - Elizabeth I was made the Supreme Governor of the Church. ### The Act of Uniformity ![The Act of Uniformity](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/c81297c7-4cb2-4af1-949f-b9dbd449becf/shutterstock_89100241.jpg) - The Act of Uniformity was passed in 1559. - This act established the Church of England's religious doctrine. - Most importantly, the act legitimated the Book of Common Prayer. - The Act was very contentious, only passing through Parliament by three votes. ### The Book of Common Prayer ![The Book of Common Prayer](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/4a4a7e9a-70e2-4906-9a2d-73fae36145bb/shutterstock_246112852.jpg) - The Book of Common Prayer outlines the Church's liturgy. - It set out prayers and services. - Although the Book of Common Prayer was Protestant in doctrine, it contained elements of traditional worship. For example: - Clergymen could wear vestments (religious robes). - This book combined the language from Edward VI's moderate Prayer Book in 1549 and his more radical one in 1552. ### 39 Articles ![39 Articles](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/34a1deba-a0e6-4c53-a8df-3b2aa30c29af/39-.jpg) - The 39 Articles were published in 1563 (and would become part of the law in 1571). - This stated the Church of England's position in relation to the Catholic Church and radical Protestants. ### Evaluation of the Elizabethan Settlement ![Evaluation of the Elizabethan Settlement](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-07/90013146-af8e-41ad-8cc7-8f3c9cca87dd/Elizabeth-Queen-QueenElizabeth-UK-Britain-England.jpg) - Elizabeth was trying to find a compromise between Catholicism and radical Protestantism. - Through the Act of Supremacy, Elizabeth was the head of the Church. - But many aspects of religious worship contained the traditional rituals of the Catholic Church. - Elizabeth's religious settlement was divisive and many hardline Protestants were disappointed. ## Test yourself on Elizabethan Settlement - What was Elizabeth I trying to find between Catholicism and radical Protestantism? - What was opposition to the Elizabethan settlement at home? - What was the Book of Common Prayer? - What did the 39 Articles of 1563 state? [Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/c32e8aa5-abeb-44ce-b7ad-e2162a2d0658/section/2aff0072-888b-486f-bd6d-e078ae97f229/session) - Previous topic: [2.1.4 Religious Change Under Mary I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-4-religious-change-under-mary-i.md) - Next topic: [2.2.1 Popular Attitudes to Catholicism](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-2-1-popular-attitudes-to-catholicism.md) ## History: Edexcel A Level England, 1509-1603 contents ### 1 Monarch & Government - 1.1 Tudor Monarchs - [1.1.1 Henry VII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-1-henry-vii.md) - [1.1.2 Henry VIII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-2-henry-viii.md) - [1.1.3 Edward VI](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-3-edward-vi.md) - [1.1.4 Mary I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-4-mary-i.md) - [1.1.5 Elizabeth I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-5-elizabeth-i.md) - [1.1.6 Succession Disputes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-1-6-succession-disputes.md) - 1.2 Changing Role of Parliament - [1.2.1 Parliament & Henry VII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-2-1-parliament-and-henry-vii.md) - [1.2.2 Parliament & Henry VIII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-2-2-parliament-and-henry-viii.md) - [1.2.3 Parliament After the Reformation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-2-3-parliament-after-the-reformation.md) - 1.3 Principal Servants to the Crown - [1.3.1 Principal Servants to the Crown](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/1-3-1-principal-servants-to-the-crown.md) ### 2 Religious Changes - 2.1 Tudor Monarchs & Religious Change - [2.1.1 The Henrician Reformation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-1-the-henrician-reformation.md) - [2.1.2 Impact of Religious Change Under Henry VIII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-2-impact-of-religious-change-under-henry-viii.md) - [2.1.3 Religious Change Under Edward VI](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-3-religious-change-under-edward-vi.md) - [2.1.4 Religious Change Under Mary I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-4-religious-change-under-mary-i.md) - [2.1.5 Elizabethan Settlement](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-1-5-elizabethan-settlement.md) - 2.2 Catholicism & Survival - [2.2.1 Popular Attitudes to Catholicism](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-2-1-popular-attitudes-to-catholicism.md) - [2.2.2 Catholicism Under Henry VIII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-2-2-catholicism-under-henry-viii.md) - [2.2.3 Catholicism Under Elizabeth I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-2-3-catholicism-under-elizabeth-i.md) - [2.2.4 Catholic Nobility](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-2-4-catholic-nobility.md) - 2.3 Protestantism & Puritanism - [2.3.1 Protestant Influences](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-3-1-protestant-influences.md) - [2.3.2 Protestantism Under Edward VI](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-3-2-protestantism-under-edward-vi.md) - [2.3.3 Protestantism Under Elizabeth I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/2-3-3-protestantism-under-elizabeth-i.md) ### 3 State Control & Popular Resistance - 3.1 Tudor Control of the Country - [3.1.1 Councils](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-1-1-councils.md) - [3.1.2 Role of Nobility](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-1-2-role-of-nobility.md) - [3.1.3 Justices of the Peace](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-1-3-justices-of-the-peace.md) - [3.1.4 Lord Lieutenant](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-1-4-lord-lieutenant.md) - 3.2 The State & the Poor - [3.2.1 Reasons for Growth of Poverty](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-2-1-reasons-for-growth-of-poverty.md) - [3.2.2 Punishments for Paupers](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-2-2-punishments-for-paupers.md) - [3.2.3 Role of Charities](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-2-3-role-of-charities.md) - 3.3 Resistance to Tudor Rule - [3.3.1 Resistance to Tax & Subsidies](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-3-1-resistance-to-tax-and-subsidies.md) - [3.3.2 Uprisings Against Henry VIII](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-3-2-uprisings-against-henry-viii.md) - [3.3.3 Uprisings Against Edward VI](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-3-3-uprisings-against-edward-vi.md) - [3.3.4 Uprisings Against Elizabeth I](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-3-4-uprisings-against-elizabeth-i.md) - [3.3.5 Decline of Popular Resistance](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/3-3-5-decline-of-popular-resistance.md) ### 4 Economic, Social & Cultural Change - 4.1 Patterns of Domestic & Foreign Trade - [4.1.1 Wool & Cloth](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-1-1-wool-and-cloth.md) - [4.1.2 Exploration & Trade](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-1-2-exploration-and-trade.md) - 4.2 Changing Structure of Society - [4.2.1 Population](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-2-1-population.md) - [4.2.2 Dissolution of Monasteries](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-2-2-dissolution-of-monasteries.md) - [4.2.3 Enclosure](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-2-3-enclosure.md) - 4.3 Cultural Change - [4.3.1 Education & Literature](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-3-1-education-and-literature.md) - [4.3.2 Impact of Religious Change](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-3-2-impact-of-religious-change.md) - [4.3.3 Patronage](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-3-3-patronage.md) - [4.3.4 The Arts](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-3-4-the-arts.md) - [4.3.5 Cult of Gloriana](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/4-3-5-cult-of-gloriana.md) ### 5 Historical Interpretations - 5.1 Significance of Threats to National Security - [5.1.1 Spain](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-1-1-spain.md) - [5.1.2 The Spanish Armada](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-1-2-the-spanish-armada.md) - [5.1.3 Ireland](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-1-3-ireland.md) - 5.2 Court Politics - [5.2.1 Court Factions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-2-1-court-factions.md) - [5.2.2 Essex's Rebellion](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-2-2-essexs-rebellion.md) - 5.3 Elizabeth & Parliament - [5.3.1 Conflict with Parliament](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-3-1-conflict-with-parliament.md) - 5.4 Social Distress in the 1590s - [5.4.1 Social Distress in the 1590s](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/a-level/history/edexcel/5-4-1-social-distress-in-the-1590s.md)