Elizabethan government facts for kids
England during the time of Elizabeth I (called the Elizabethan Era) had a very organized government. This government included national groups like the Queen, her special advisors (the Privy Council), and the Parliament. It also had regional groups, local county and town governments, and a system of courts.
Contents
How the Government Worked
National Groups
The Privy Council
The Privy Council was a small group of advisors chosen by Queen Elizabeth. They were like the main team that helped her run the country. Elizabeth and her advisors worked together to make sure no one person had too much power or influence over her. When the Council gave advice, Elizabeth always made sure it looked like the final decision was hers alone, not just from one advisor.
This Council handled many daily tasks for the government. They dealt with important matters like religion, the military, the Queen's safety, money, and the well-being of the people. They also made announcements in the Queen's name and made sure laws were followed.
The Council could make decisions, but Queen Elizabeth always had the final say. She could say "no" to anything she didn't like without anyone questioning her. The Queen chose all the members. However, she needed some powerful noblemen on the Council. This was to make sure their interests were heard and to prevent any rebellions. Elizabeth believed that having too many members would cause more problems. So, she reduced the number of members from about 50 to 19, and then to just 11 by 1597. The Council members had assistants who did much of the actual work. At first, they met three times a week, but by the end of Elizabeth's reign, they met almost every day.
One very important member of the Privy Council was William Cecil, who was Elizabeth’s Secretary of State. Cecil was close to Elizabeth even before she became Queen. Their relationship was built on trust and respect. Cecil helped Elizabeth with some of her first big government tasks. These included making peace with France and Scotland, and setting up the Church of England again. He also played a key role in getting French forces out of Scotland.
Robert Dudley, another important figure, joined the Privy Council in 1562. Many people thought he was Elizabeth’s favorite at the time. This special favor meant he quickly became one of the Council's senior members.
Parliament
Parliament was a group of representatives who helped make laws and decisions. It was split into two main parts:
- The House of Lords, also called the Upper House. This group included important noblemen and high-ranking church leaders like bishops.
- The House of Commons, or the Lower House. This group was made up of common people.
Unlike today's Parliament, it had less power. There was no Prime Minister or political parties back then.
Parliament's main job was to deal with money matters, like taxes. The Queen usually paid for daily government costs with her own money. But for big expenses, like wars, Parliament would approve special taxes. However, taxes often weren't enough for military costs. So, more land was sold, and sometimes other ways were found to get money.
Parliament also passed laws. Queen Elizabeth's reign saw 438 new laws. Some laws applied to everyone, while others were just for certain people. A law could only be changed by another Parliament. For a law to pass, both parts of Parliament had to approve it three times, and then the Queen had to agree. However, the Queen could also make her own rules, called Royal Proclamations, without Parliament's help. Parliament also gave advice, but Elizabeth usually wasn't very interested in their suggestions.
Only the House of Commons had Elections. Who became a member often depended on who was supported by powerful local people. Only men who earned a certain amount of money each year were allowed to vote.
The Queen decided when Parliament would meet. Elizabeth called Parliament only 13 times during her reign. Most of these times were to ask for money.
Local Governments
Local governments were very important in Tudor England. Regional governments helped manage parts of England that the Privy Council couldn't easily oversee. The Council of the North, based in York, looked after Northern England. The Council of the Marches, based in Ludlow, oversaw Wales and some nearby counties.
The Queen also appointed royal representatives in every county. These included Justices of the Peace, Sheriffs, and Lords Lieutenant. Their job was to make sure the Queen's orders and laws were followed. Each city and town also had its own government, usually led by a mayor.
Large estates called manors were run by nobility and gentry. Owning land meant power back then. Landowners received payments from the people who lived and worked on their land. This gave them great wealth and influence. Their tenants were also loyal to them and would follow them to war if asked. These lords also had duties to the Queen, like governing their land well. Local problems were often brought to the lord of the manor. The lord's opinions usually had a big effect on his tenants, who often had little education.
The Court System
The courts were the legal system of Elizabethan England. The most important courts were the Great Sessions Courts (or Assizes) and the Quarter Sessions Courts. The Assizes met twice a year in each county, and the Quarter Sessions met four times a year. These two courts handled most serious crimes. The Assizes were known for giving out strong punishments.
Less serious crimes were handled by smaller courts, like Petty Sessions Courts, Manor Courts, and town courts. Cases about money or disagreements between people (civil cases) were handled by different courts depending on how wealthy the person was. Wealthy people might go to the Star Chamber, a very high-level court mostly made up of Privy Councilors. Other courts included the Court of Chancery for some criminal cases, the Exchequer of Pleas for financial disputes, and the Court of Requests for poor people. Church Courts dealt with religious and moral issues.
People who committed very serious crimes, like high treason, could face the death sentence. This was often handled by the Queen herself. For less serious crimes, people might be sent to prison or put in the stocks. Other forms of punishment were also common during this time.
Domestic Policy
The Elizabethan government's domestic policy focused mainly on issues within England. One big issue solved early on was the Treaty of Edinburgh. A key domestic policy was being strongly against the Catholic faith. This was seen in how French (and thus Catholic) influence was removed from Scotland. William Cecil and Robert Dudley were very important in shaping the Queen’s domestic policy. Much of the Queen's time was spent dealing with problems that came up and working with the remaining advisors from her sister Mary's reign.
Foreign Policy
Some people say that the Elizabethan government's foreign policy was affected by different groups arguing. This seems true after the Spanish Armada, when groups led by the Earl of Essex and the Cecils (William and Robert) argued about how the war against Spain should continue. Essex wanted glory and favored an expensive land-based military plan. The Cecil group preferred a cheaper, more moderate naval plan. Because these groups disagreed so much, no clear policy was followed. Each side often tried to make the other look bad, leading to a confusing foreign policy.
Before the Armada, it's harder to say if there were clear groups arguing. Some historians believe that William Cecil (later Lord Burghley) was often in disagreement with Robert Dudley. These disagreements were about things like the Queen's marriage and, most importantly, whether to get involved in the Netherlands. Other historians argue that there wasn't true "faction" (groups directly opposing each other) in the Council at this time. They say disagreements were more about individual opinions on how to proceed. Most advisors agreed that Elizabeth should protect and support the Protestant cause. Some, like Leicester and Walsingham, thought getting involved in the Netherlands was the best way. Cecil was more cautious.
Impact of the Elizabethan Government
The Elizabethan Era saw some of the first ideas of a "Britain First" policy. This meant focusing on keeping other European powers from influencing British decisions and politics. William Cecil was one of the first to support this idea. This policy would greatly affect how the Crown and Government dealt with countries in mainland Europe later on. This period also marked the beginning of England's efforts to build colonies around the world.
A major goal of the Elizabethan government, guided by Elizabeth herself, was to make the Anglican Church stronger. They succeeded greatly in this. Elizabeth used the Church to help strengthen her own power and to show how she was different from her Catholic sister. Before Elizabeth, many English people still practiced their faith in ways similar to Catholic traditions. But her reign helped create a strong identity for the Church of England.
See also
