Revision NotesExam QuestionsFlashcardsPast Papers
GCSEHistoryEdexcelExam QuestionsEarly Elizabethan England, 1558-1588The Decline in England & Spain's Relationship, 1570-1584

Syllabus Edition

First teaching 2016

Last exams 2025

The Decline in England & Spain's Relationship, 1570-1584 (Edexcel GCSE History): Exam Questions

Exam code: 1HI0

20 mins20 questions
Easy
Medium
Hard
11 mark

What event marked the beginning of worsening relations between England and Spain under Elizabeth I?

  • Elizabeth’s reintroduction of Protestantism.

  • The marriage of Mary I and Philip II.

  • The defeat of the Spanish Armada.

  • The signing of the Treaty of Nonsuch.

Choose your answer

21 mark

What was the main reason that Philip II of Spain supported rebellions in England?

  • To establish trade dominance.

  • To convert England back to Catholicism.

  • To reduce Spanish territory.

  • To gain control over the English Navy.

Choose your answer

31 mark

Which of the following best describes a privateer during Elizabethan England?

  • A government-sponsored pirate.

  • A Spanish soldier.

  • A Catholic missionary.

  • A Dutch merchant

Choose your answer

41 mark

Which English privateer was most notorious for attacking Spanish ships?

  • Sir William Cecil.

  • Sir Francis Walsingham.

  • Sir Francis Drake.

  • John Hawkins.

Choose your answer

51 mark

What was the primary aim of Elizabeth I's foreign policy?

  • To expand the British Empire.

  • To maintain peace and avoid war.

  • To defeat Spain in battle.

  • To convert European countries to Protestantism.

Choose your answer

61 mark

What was one of the key resources that Spain controlled in the Americas, boosting its wealth?

  • Silk.

  • Spices.

  • Timber.

  • Gold.

Choose your answer

71 mark

Which year marked the beginning of Elizabeth’s non-aggressive strategy towards Spain in the Netherlands?

  • 1562

  • 1566

  • 1568

  • 1572

Choose your answer

81 mark

Which major family controlled large amounts of land in Europe, including Spain, during Elizabeth's reign?

  • Habsburg.

  • Bourbon.

  • Tudor.

  • Medici.

Choose your answer

91 mark

Which English export was most affected by Spain's control of the Netherlands?

  • Wool.

  • Tobacco.

  • Silk.

  • Cloth.

Choose your answer

101 mark

What domestic issues influenced Elizabeth I’s foreign policy?

  • The threat of Spain.

  • The religious issues within the Netherlands.

  • The religious issues within England.

  • Protecting England’s wealth.

Choose your answer

11 mark

What was a significant consequence of the Anglo-Spanish rivalry in the Netherlands?

  • England gained control over Spanish territories.

  • The disruption of English trade.

  • The defeat of the English Navy.

  • An alliance between England and Spain against the Netherlands.

Choose your answer

21 mark

Why did Elizabeth knight Sir Francis Drake on the Golden Hind?

  • For his services in defeating the Spanish Armada.

  • For discovering the Americas.

  • For his success in privateering against the Spanish.

  • For his role in the Protestant Reformation.

Choose your answer

31 mark

What was different between Spain and England in Early Elizabethan England?

  • Spain had a powerful empire whereas England did not have an empire.

  • Spain had large debts whereas England was very wealthy.

  • Spain did not have an empire whereas England had a powerful empire in the Americas.

  • Spain had low income from trading whereas England had good trade links to India.

Choose your answer

41 mark

What is the main difference between the roles of a pirate and a privateer?

  • A pirate was an explorer whereas a privateer was a merchant.

  • A pirate kept all the treasure that they stole whereas a privateer had to give this to the government.

  • A pirate leased armed ships for their work whereas a privateer owned their own ships.

  • A pirate killed the sailors of rival pirates whereas a privateer stole the cargo or ships of rival countries.

Choose your answer

51 mark

What was a consequence of Drake’s voyages from 1572 to 1580?

  • In 1573, Elizabeth publicly celebrated Drake’s return to worsen Anglo-Spanish relations.

  • In 1572, Drake became the first person to circumnavigate the world.

  • In 1580, Drake returned to England with £400,000 of stolen Spanish treasure.

  • In 1577, Drake attacked Spanish colonies against Elizabeth’s instructions.

Choose your answer

11 mark

What significant change occurred in 1570 that damaged Anglo-Spanish relations?

  • The Pope published the Papal Bull which encouraged all Catholics to overthrow Elizabeth. Spain supported these attempts.

  • Elizabeth released the Religious Settlement which offended Spain as a Catholic power.

  • From 1570, Spain severely punished the Dutch Protestants in the Netherlands. Elizabeth wanted to take action against Spain to protect the Dutch Protestants.

  • Mary, Queen of Scots arrived in England. Her arrest damaged Anglo-Spanish relations as Philip II of Spain believed that she was the rightful Queen of England.

Choose your answer

21 mark

What factor threatened Spain’s power in Early Elizabethan times?

  • England having a female monarch.

  • The growth of Protestantism.

  • The loss of the Pope’s support.

  • War with the Netherlands.

Choose your answer

31 mark

What action was a key feature of Elizabeth I’s non-aggressive foreign policy towards Spain?

  • Help the Dutch rebels indirectly by sending money and mercenaries.

  • Discourage privateers from attacking Spanish ships and colonies.

  • Improve England’s relationship with Spain.

  • Allow English Catholics to worship openly and freely.

Choose your answer

41 mark

How did Elizabethan exploration impact Anglo-Spanish relations?

  • Trade increased England’s economic wealth as English merchants traded with different parts of the world.

  • England wanted more opportunities to trade its main export - cloth. This impacted the Spanish cloth market, worsening Anglo-Spanish relations.

  • More trade links and colonies would provide England with more political power. This would challenge Spain’s dominance and, as a result, damage their relationship.

  • Elizabethan explorers made new discoveries in the Americas. Trading these resources with Spain improved Anglo-English relations.

Choose your answer

51 mark

How significant was Sir Francis Drake’s actions for Anglo-Spanish relations?

  • Drake was significant. He stole £400,000 of Spanish treasure. England could afford to protect itself if Spain planned to invade England.

  • Drake was significant. Spain saw his claim on New Mexico as a threat to their empire. Spain did not want England to claim any more land or trade links in the Americas.

  • Drake was significant. Drake became the first person to successfully circumnavigate the world. Spain felt challenged as this proved that England was a better seafaring country and had a better navy.

  • Drake was significant. Knighting Drake, who Philip viewed as nothing but a pirate, signified how bad Anglo-Spanish relations had become.

Choose your answer