EDEXCEL GCSE HISTORY · PAPER 1 · CRIME & PUNISHMENT
Exam Practice - Religious Change and Crime
Religious Change and Crime · Chapter 2: Crime and punishment in early modern England, c1500-c1700 · Lesson 1 of 5 · 32 marks · 35 minutes
Name Date
Answer all questions. Use specific names, dates and examples in every answer.
Question 1 EXPLAIN ONE WAY [4 marks]
Explain one way in which the punishment of religious opponents under Mary I was different from the punishment of religious opponents under Elizabeth I.
Question 2 EXPLAIN WHY [12 marks]
Explain why religious changes led to new crimes in the period c1500-c1700. You may use the following in your answer: the Act of Supremacy (1534); recusancy. You must also use information of your own.
Question 3 HOW FAR DO YOU AGREE? [16 marks]
"Changes in religion were the main reason for new definitions of crime in the period c1500-c1700." How far do you agree? Explain your answer. You may use the following in your answer: recusancy; vagabondage. You must also use information of your own. (16 marks, plus 4 for spelling, punctuation, grammar and specialist terminology)
Answers
Check your answer only once you have written one.
Question 1 [4 marks]
Mary I treated Protestants as heretics - people guilty of a crime against God - and around 280 were burned at the stake, including Archbishop Cranmer in 1556. Elizabeth I treated her Catholic opponents mainly as traitors - a crime against the queen - and fined ordinary recusants, while around 200 Catholics, mostly priests, were executed for treason by hanging, drawing and quartering. So the difference was that Mary punished religious opponents for heresy, while Elizabeth punished them for treason.
▸ A valid difference identified 1-2 marks
▸ Supported with specific knowledge of both reigns 3-4 marks
Question 2 [12 marks]
One reason was that the monarch became Head of the Church. The Act of Supremacy of 1534 made Henry VIII Head of the Church of England, and the Treason Act of the same year made it treason to deny this. Religious disagreement was now also disagreement with the king, which is why Thomas More was executed for treason in 1535. A second reason was that each new monarch wanted everyone to follow their religion. Under Elizabeth, the Act of Uniformity of 1559 required everyone to attend Church of England services, so Catholics who refused became recusants and were fined - 12 pence a week at first and £20 a month from 1581. Something that had been normal worship under Mary became a crime under Elizabeth. A third reason, beyond the stimulus, was fear of Catholic rebellion. After the Pope excommunicated Elizabeth in 1570, Catholics could be seen as potential traitors, especially with plots such as the Babington Plot of 1586 and the threat of Catholic Spain. That is why being a Catholic priest in England came to be treated as treason. Religious change created new crimes because religion was now tied to loyalty to the monarch.
▸ Level 1 (1-3) A simple or general answer
▸ Level 2 (4-6) Some explanation of one or more reasons, with some knowledge
▸ Level 3 (7-9) A developed explanation linked to the question, with accurate knowledge
▸ Level 4 (10-12) An analytical explanation of several reasons, with knowledge that goes beyond the stimulus points
Question 3 [16 marks]
On the one hand, religious change created many new crimes. The Act of Supremacy of 1534 made denying the king's headship of the Church treason. Under Elizabeth, refusing to attend Church of England services became the crime of recusancy, and being a Catholic priest could be treated as treason. Heresy was redefined each time the official religion changed, so Mary burned around 280 Protestants while Elizabeth punished Catholics. Witchcraft laws in 1542, 1563 and 1604 were also shaped by religious belief in the Devil. On the other hand, other factors created new crimes too. Vagabondage became a serious crime because of economic and social change: population growth, rising prices, enclosure and the dissolution of the monasteries created large numbers of poor, wandering people, and laws such as the Vagabonds Act of 1572 punished them with whipping and ear boring. Fear of disorder, rather than religion, drove these laws. Overall, religion was the main cause of new crimes against authority, such as recusancy and religious treason, but it was not the only cause - social and economic change explains vagabondage. The best judgement is that religion was the most important factor because it created the largest number of new crimes and linked them directly to the monarch's power.
▸ Level 1 (1-4) A simple or generalised answer
▸ Level 2 (5-8) Some analysis, with a judgement that is asserted
▸ Level 3 (9-12) Analysis of both sides with accurate knowledge and a supported judgement
▸ Level 4 (13-16) Sustained analysis, knowledge beyond the stimulus, and a clear, justified judgement
▸ SPaG (4) Accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar, with specialist terms such as recusancy and supremacy