Comparing The Puritans: The Threats To Elizabeth I

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Over her reign, Elizabeth faced many different threats towards both her life and her authority as Queen of England. Among these, prominent threats included the Catholics, the Puritans, and Mary Queen of Scots. Each faction posed dangers towards Elizabeth's authority, life and the stability of her reign. In this essay, I will compare and contrast the three different threats towards Elizabeth 1st and conclude which was the largest threat towards her rule. The Catholics were an immense threat to Elizabeth’s rule through their involvement in a range of plots and conspiracies and their support from European powers such as Spain, France and the Papal. The Catholics posed a threat to both Elizabeth’s life and also her overall authority, with both external and domestic threats. …show more content…

A key example of Catholic threat towards Elizabeth’s rule was the Ridolfi Plot of 1571, which was orchestrated by Roberto Ridolfi and was supported by Spanish and Papal powers. The plot sought to assassinate Elizabeth and replace her with the Catholic, Mary Queen of Scots. Ridolfi planned for the Duke of Alba to invade from the Netherlands with an army of 10,000 men, forge a rebellion within the Northern English nobility to further fuel support of the plot and increase their arms and ultimately murder Elizabeth resulting in the placing of Mary on the English throne. This plot is a key example of Catholic threat as it is clear Elizabeth felt threatened following the plot, as we can identify this clearly in her actions that came after the foiling of the plot. In 1581, following the increased presence and risk that Catholicism posed to Elizabeth and her rule, her parliament released two anti-catholic laws which included

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