Parliaments of 1589-1601 and Crisis in Government (Edexcel A-Level History): Revision Notes

Parliaments of 1589-1601 and Crisis in Government

Introduction: the historiographical debate

Historians disagree about whether Elizabeth's later parliaments represented a serious crisis in government or simply normal tensions between Crown and Parliament.

Neale's interpretation: path to civil war

His key arguments were:

• Parliament was being called more frequently and dealt with a wider range of business
• MPs were becoming more numerous, confident and organised
• They were increasingly willing to challenge the royal prerogative (the monarch's special powers)
• Debates over purveyance (the Crown's right to buy supplies at below-market prices), taxation and monopolies (exclusive trading rights) paved the way for more serious challenges to Stuart kings
• The 1590s represented a developing crisis that would worsen in the 17th century

Neale's view was influenced by the fact that civil war did eventually happen, leading him to look for its origins in earlier Tudor parliaments. He emphasised opposition to royal policy and the Commons' growing organisation.

Elton and Graves' interpretation: cooperation, not crisis

They argue:

• There was no inevitable "high road to civil war"
• The Civil War was not foreshadowed in Elizabethan parliaments
• The monarchy and Parliament mostly cooperated with each other
• Disagreements between them have been exaggerated
• While the 1590s saw a general crisis in society and government, Parliament itself was not particularly problematic

These historians stress that Elizabeth and her parliaments were generally on the same side, working together rather than against each other.

Evidence suggesting parliamentary crisis

Changes in Commons' behaviour

The parliaments of the 1590s did show some new and concerning developments:

• The Commons (House of Commons) became noticeably more rowdy and difficult to control
• MPs required more careful management by Elizabeth's councillors
• Not all councillors had the necessary skills for effective parliamentary management
• The behaviour and attitude of these parliaments was very different from earlier Tudor parliaments, which had been much more cooperative and "biddable" (easy to control)

Management difficulties

Even Elizabeth's most skilled advisers struggled to control the Commons:

Robert Cecil's problems (1601):

• Made the situation worse by trying to over-control parliamentary debates
• Lost control of the Commons on several occasions
• Even had to apologise for his rudeness to MPs
• His heavy-handed approach backfired

William Cecil's difficulties (1593):

• Usually a master of parliamentary management
• Even he managed to irritate the Commons in 1593
• This showed that the problem wasn't just poor management but genuinely increased tension

Elizabeth's contribution to tensions

The Queen's own actions sometimes made matters worse:

• Her insistence on the royal prerogative was no different from previous monarchs
• However, her failure to respond to the Commons' complaints in 1597 made the situation much worse by 1601
• She may not have fully understood that she was dealing with MPs who were as convinced of their own rights and privileges as she was of hers
• The Commons felt their concerns were being ignored

Growing confidence of MPs

The confidence of the Commons had grown significantly:

• It would have been impossible to imagine any earlier Tudor parliament being so determined and hard to manage
• MPs were much less willing to simply do what they were told
• They believed in their own rights and were prepared to defend them
• This reflected a genuine change in parliamentary culture

Social and economic context

The wider context made parliamentary tensions worse:

Social and economic crisis:

• From the mid-1590s, England experienced severe economic hardship
• Poor harvests led to food shortages and high prices
• This affected both ordinary people and MPs
• MPs feared the effects of increasing taxation on a country already stretched to its limits

Military pressures:

• The continuation of the war with Spain required ongoing funding
• Tyrone's revolt in Ireland (from 1594) created additional military demands
• These wars meant Elizabeth remained reliant on Parliament for grants of taxation
• The demands of war created extra tensions in local communities

Given these difficult circumstances, it's not surprising that Elizabeth's later parliaments were particularly tense, creating an impression of crisis.

Arguments against the crisis interpretation

Limited frequency of parliaments

It's easy to exaggerate the amount of tension because:

• There were only four parliamentary sessions between 1589 and 1603 (fourteen years)
• Each session lasted only between two and four months
• This means Parliament was not meeting for the vast majority of this period
• Parliament was not yet an essential part of Tudor government
• Government was actually carried out by Elizabeth and her Privy Council, who made the real decisions, not Parliament

Elizabeth's success in securing taxation

Despite the tensions, Elizabeth achieved her main objective every time:

• Every time Parliament met, Elizabeth received the taxation she had requested
• Although in 1593 there was an attempt to link money to addressing grievances (complaints), this didn't succeed
• On other occasions, Parliament agreed to Elizabeth's demands without major problems
• Parliament never refused her a grant of taxation
• This suggests the relationship was fundamentally working

Effective management strategies

While mistakes were made, they were not fatal:

Elizabeth's skills:

• She was a master of skilful speeches
• Her words regularly won MPs over
• She knew when to compromise and when to stand firm

Robert Cecil's contributions:

• Despite his problems in 1601, he still contributed effectively to management
• Like his father William Cecil, he placed his own clients (loyal supporters) into constituencies
• He secured 30 client MPs in 1597 and 31 in 1601
• These Cecil clients, along with clients of other nobles, could be relied upon to vote the way Elizabeth wanted
• This ensured the Crown always had a reliable base of support

Parliament's traditional role as safety valve

What looked like challenges to the prerogative was actually normal:

• Raising concerns about government policies and occasionally appearing to challenge the prerogative was a traditional part of monarch-parliament relations
• Parliament's role included acting as a "safety valve" for local grievances
• By airing grievances, the Commons was alerting the Queen to potential sources of tension before they could get worse
• This didn't mean the Commons was hostile to royal power or wanted to challenge it fundamentally
• As long as Elizabeth listened and was seen to respond, there would be no political crisis

Elizabeth's political awareness

The Queen showed considerable skill in managing potential crises:

• In 1597 and 1601, she came close to misjudging the Commons' mood
• However, she had enough political awareness to stop serious complaints from becoming anything worse
• Her famous "Golden Speech" in 1601 defused the monopolies crisis
• This showed that while tensions existed, they could be managed effectively

Specific parliamentary sessions 1589-1601

Overview of the four sessions

Between 1589 and 1603, Parliament met only four times, each presenting different challenges:

1589:

• Focused on granting taxation for the war with Spain
• Relatively straightforward session
• No major confrontations recorded

1593:

• MPs attempted to link the supply of money to the redress of grievances
• This was a concerning development as it suggested Parliament might use its power over taxation as leverage
• William Cecil irritated the Commons during management
• Nevertheless, Elizabeth still received her taxation

1597:

• Significant complaints about government policies
• Elizabeth failed to adequately respond to these complaints
• This failure to address concerns stored up trouble for the future
• The economic crisis was worsening, increasing pressure on MPs

1601: The monopolies crisis:

• The most serious parliamentary session of the period
• Major complaints about monopolies - the Queen's practice of granting exclusive rights to manufacture or sell certain goods
• These monopolies had become increasingly unpopular as they raised prices and restricted trade
• Robert Cecil's heavy-handed management made things worse
• The situation became serious enough that Elizabeth had to intervene personally
• She promised to reform monopolies in her famous "Golden Speech"
• This speech praised Parliament and promised action, defusing the crisis
• However, the fact that it got this far showed real problems

Key issues across the sessions

Taxation:

• Always a sensitive issue, especially given the economic hardship of the 1590s
• MPs worried about the burden on their constituencies
• The continuing wars made repeated requests necessary

Purveyance:

• The Crown's traditional right to requisition supplies at below-market prices
• Increasingly resented as unfair to suppliers
• A regular source of complaint

Monopolies:

• Became the most explosive issue by 1601
• Seen as unfair, damaging to trade, and an abuse of the royal prerogative
• Elizabeth had to promise reform to calm Parliament