Analysis Of The Reign Of Mary I

1261 Words3 Pages

The Reign of Mary I In 1553, Mary I became the Queen of England. Mary married King Philip of Spain in order to secure Catholicism in England. Elizabeth unwillingly became the leader of Mary’s opposition, the British Protestants of the time. She attempted to force her younger sister, Elizabeth, into attending Catholic mass in order to set an example for her followers. Elizabeth was raised Protestant and didn’t want to convert, so she avoided mass by complaining of stomach aches. A man named Thomas Wyatt sent a letter informing Elizabeth that he was planning a rebellion in order to prevent the marriage between the two royals. When his coup failed, Mary accused Elizabeth of working with Wyatt to plan this attack. She sent Elizabeth to the tower …show more content…

When Mary I’s catholic bishops refused to swear an oath declaring Elizabeth the Queen of the new church, most refused. Elizabeth I was raised Protestant in a predominantly Catholic society, which helps explain why she felt so passionately about religious freedom. She often proclaimed that she believed Protestants and Catholics were of the same religion. During her reign, she only persecuted individuals or groups when they threatened the religious freedom of others. She was often forced to adopt a stricter set of laws on Catholicism due to her colleagues that shared her religious beliefs, but not her spiritual beliefs on freedom. This is why she then sent Mary’s bishops to the tower she was once kept prisoner in for her religious beliefs. Elizabeth I wanted to create a church that would appeal to both Catholic and Protestant people in order to bring her subjects together rather than tear them apart through religious persecution and intolerance. In her rule, Catholic people were the minority party as Protestants finally took …show more content…

She thoroughly prepared England for the colonization of the Americas. She also helped the arts in England by building several different buildings for the presentation of paintings and the theatre. One of the most well-known paintings of her was named Elizabeth I: The Armada Portrait. This piece of art was created in memory of the Great Sea Battle of 1588, a battle in which the English navy destroyed a Spanish fleet sent to overthrow the Virgin Queen. It depicts Elizabeth with perfect posture and her hand resting on a globe, which represents her power. Her black and white dress represents her high rank while her pearls represent

More about Analysis Of The Reign Of Mary I

Open Document