Revolts and Rebellions in the 16th Century

Revolts and Rebellions in the 16th Century

• Revolts were common in the 16th century, with rebellions against monarchs frequently occurring.
• King Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward, and Mary all faced large rebellions.
• Rebellion against the crown was considered treason.
• Punishment for failed rebellions typically involved execution methods like hanging, drawing, and quartering.
• Most people were loyal to the monarch due to their perceived power and status.
• Gathering support for a rebellion was difficult due to potential discovery.
• Rebel armies needed to be large and well-organized to have a chance of succeeding.
• Rebel armies often faced issues like lack of supplies and maintaining morale after prolonged periods in the field.
• Nobles needed the support of the population to ensure wider support for any rebellion.

Revolt of the Northern Earls (1569)

• The Northern Earls' revolt was the first major rebellion against Queen Elizabeth I in her decade of rule.
• The revolt was sparked by Mary, Queen of Scots' imprisonment in England, around the same time as the rebellion started.
• Elizabeth had reduced their influence and personal wealth through actions like taking land and resources owned by northern Catholic nobles.
• Elizabeth's rule was seen as favouring Protestants in government and religious policy.
• Fear of foreign invasion (Spain) and placing Mary Stuart as Queen of England motivated the revolt.
• The plan was to execute Elizabeth and appoint Mary Queen.
• The key leaders of the revolt were the Earl of Westmoreland and the Earl of Northumberland.
• The revolt needed widespread support and conflict in multiple areas, which proved to be difficult to achieve.
• The rebellion gained initial success in their control of the region but failed to secure further support.
• The army was eventually defeated due to a shortage of resources, insufficient support from the population, and the monarchy's swift response in deploying additional forces to curb the rebellion.

Causes of the Revolt of the Northern Earls

• Discontent with Elizabeth's policies towards the northern Catholic nobles, particularly the loss of positions and ownership of resources previously held by them.
• Fear of Elizabeth and the thought that the Protestant monarchy would be a threat to Catholics and the nation's safety.
• The belief that Mary, Queen of Scots was a better choice to rule than Elizabeth I for England,
• Lack of political power and influence for Northern nobles in the main government bodies compared to Southern nobles.
• The strong presence of Protestant advisors and ministers in Elizabeth's court and religious policies which they perceived to be biased against the Northern Catholics.

What Happened in the Revolt of the Northern Earls

• The revolt began around mid-November 1569.
• The Earls' forces had approximately 5,400 men in total.
• The plan was to gain control of the Northern areas and then march south to gain further support and the desired control over England
• Queen Elizabeth responded swiftly by sending additional soldiers north to quell the rebellion, which consisted of 14,000 troops.
• The Northern Earls lost ground because Elizabeth's swift reaction and the eventual abandonment of the rebel forces, who fled back to Scotland and were arrested.

Why the Revolt Failed

• Lack of support from Catholics, particularly from other regions
• Disunity and disagreements amongst the leaders concerning how to proceed during and ahead of the war.
• Failure to secure support from Spain and other Catholic countries.
• Regional nature of the revolt, not broad based support across England.
• Elizabeth's government's effective response and measures in the North.
• Unexpected changes, i.e. the failure of the rebels to secure arrival of Spanish troops and the inability to take over major towns like York.
• Harsh winter weather and poor roads impacted the speed and progress of the rebel army.

Excommunication of Queen Elizabeth I (1570)

• Pope Pius V excommunicated Elizabeth I for heresy, essentially condemning those loyal to her to damnation.
• The excommunication threatened any possible assistance from Catholic nations and further motivated Catholics in England to possibly attempt rebellion against Elizabeth I.
• The excommunication had a significant effect on the way that Catholic Europe viewed Elizabeth I and reinforced the danger perceived from supporting the Protestant/Anglican Queen.
• Catholic powers abroad reacted with differing degrees of interest in support to a possible rebellion against Elizabeth.