Year 8 History revision
Adolygy Hanes Blwyddyn Wyth
You should study the following key topics:
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Elizabeth I
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Charles I and the Civil War
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Witchcraft
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Slavery
Where can I get information from?
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Your exercise book – these are all topics we have covered in class
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This booklet – there is one section on each of the key questions
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The internet - BBC Bitesize is great for revision
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/zk26n39
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I became Queen of England in 1558 and became one of the most
powerful rulers in Europe. So that people knew what she looked like, portraits
were produced. However, Elizabeth was a wise Queen and she cleverly
controlled pictures that the public saw to create an image of herself that would
impress everyone. The Queen had official portraits sent to artists to be copied.
Important visitors to England who met with Elizabeth probably saw a very
different image of the Queen as she got older and wore heavy make-up.
Elizabeth faced several threats during her reign as Queen. Mary, Queen of Scots
was executed after being put in prison and plotting to overthrow Elizabeth. Philip
II of Spain planned the Spanish Armada invasion. Spanish ships sailed in a
crescent shape towards England but were spotted by the English. Beacons were
used as an early-warning system of invasion. The English commander Francis
Drake used fire ships to make the Spanish ships separate in different directions.
The bad weather also helped England as the Spanish ships were wrecked on
rocks as they tried to return home to Spain.
Charles I and the Civil War
The English Civil War started in 1642. The split between Charles and Parliament was such that neither side was willing
to back down over their argument over whether the King had the right to make decisions alone. The country split into
those who supported the king and those who supported Parliament. The King was eventually defeated by Parliament
and put into prison. Charles was tried at Westminster Hall in January 1649, and found guilty of treason. Charles was
executed on January 30th, 1649. After the Civil War, Oliver Cromwell ruled the country until he died in 1658.
Witchcraft
People thought a lot about heaven and hell during Tudor and
Stuart times. They believed that the devil was always on the
lookout to find sinners to take into hell and he used witches to
help him. King James I even wrote a book about trying to
catch witches. In it, he suggested the ‘swimming’ test where
women were tied up and ducked into water – if they floated
they were a witch and would be hanged. Matthew Hopkins
was one of the main ‘witch-finders’ – he looked for a witches
mark, a familiar [animal] and the ability to hurt a person by
looking at them. Between 1563 and 1685, about 2000 people
were hanged as witches in England, Wales and Scotland.
Slavery
From around 1500, the slave trade became a large
profitable business. This was because of the trade triangle.
Goods were taken from Britain to West Africa where they
were exchanged for slaves. These slaves were taken to
America where they would be sold and forced to work on the
large cotton and sugar plantations. The raw materials that
they picked would then be transported back to Britain. The
‘middle passage’ was the worst part of the journey for many
slaves – they were ill on the boats and very afraid. At the
slave auction they would be checked before they were sold.
Slaves often had their names changed and were separated
from their families. A slave would be expected to work for
most of his or her life. However, hard work, poor diet, tough punishments and no proper medical attention meant that
the life expectancy for a slave was 26 years old. Some slaves joined together and started rebellions, such as Toussaint
L’Ouverture who set fire to the sugar can fields and murdered their white masters. Campaigns in Britain also helped to
end slavery. William Wilberforce, an MP, spoke in Parliament and Granville Sharp helped many former slaves in court
cases against their former owners. The slave trade was finally abolished in 1807.
Pob lwc!