Theme A: Economy and Society
Year Family Life
— marriage
and gender
roles
Religion —
institutional
church and
popular beliefs
2004
The role of women in
times of crisis
1558–1667.
Decision to establish
a single national
Church in 1559
2005
The role of the family
in providing social
and economic
security 1558–1667.
Challenges to the
established church,
1558–1625.
2006
Explain the factors
that were considered
by men and women
contemplating
marriage in early
modern England
(1558–1667).
Evaluate the
consequences of
marriage on men and
women from a range
of social levels.
Describe the ways in
which the practice of
popular beliefs in
early modern England
was absorbed and
changed by the
established church
between 1558
and 1667. Evaluate
the influence that
popular beliefs had on
the lives of people
during
this period.
Theme B : Government and Politics Theme C: Revolution, Republic and Restoration
Structure and
change in
society and
economy
The
characteristics
of Personal
Monarchy:
Governing of
England: central
Issues of
Government:
Civil War:
Parliament,
Elizabeth, James
and Charles
and local
government, court
patronage,
favourites and
factions, parliament
religion, finance,
archaic state,
peace & war,
relationship with
governing class,
multiple kingdoms.
causes of the civil
war, reasons for
Parliamentary
success in war,
impact and
consequences.
The impact of
endemic poverty on
parish responsibility
for the poor 15581667
AND
Decision to reject the
Great Contract in
1610
The impact of
inflation.
AND
Decision to introduce
the Poor Laws
The decision to
execute Mary, Queen
of Scots in 1587.
The influence of
factions and
favourites 1558–1640.
The Catholic
challenges 1559–1605
AND
Opposition to royal
authority 1625–1642
The decision to
impose a Prayer Book
on Scotland in 1637.
The decision to
introduce George
Villiers to Court in
1614.
Decision to impose
the Elizabethan
Church Settlement in
1559
The decision to rule
without Parliament in
1629.
AND
Crown attempts to
solve financial
problems 1558–1640.
The decision to
declare war in 1642.
AND
Problems caused by
multiple kingdoms in
the seventeenth
century.
Describe the
developments that
took place in the
agricultural economy
of early modern
England between
1558 and 1667.
Evaluate the influence
of agriculture on the
lives of people during
this period.
AND
Explain the factors
that led some wealthy
people from early
modern England
(1558–1667) to invest
in industry and trade.
Evaluate the
consequences of some
of the economic
initiatives that were
made.
Explain the factors
behind Elizabeth I’s
decision to neither
marry nor name a
successor. Evaluate
the consequences of
the decision for
Elizabeth and
England until 1603.
Describe the changes
that took place in
the relationship
between Parliament
and the different
monarchs in the
period 1590
to 1628. Evaluate the
extent to which
parliamentarians felt
they were in a crisis
by 1628.
Explain the factors
that led to James I’s
decision to pursue a
peaceful foreign
policy.
Evaluate the political
consequences of this
decision for James
himself and Charles I
in the period 1603–
1625.
AND
Describe the changes
in government,
finance, and religion
that took place during
Charles I’s personal
rule (1629–1640).
Evaluate the influence
of these changes on
the English governing
class.
Describe the changes
Parliament made
between 1642 and
1646 that helped it to
win the First Civil
War. Evaluate the
influence of the Civil
War on the lives of
people in England.
AND
Explain the factors
that led to the Rump
Parliament’s decision
to execute Charles I in
1649.
Evaluate the political,
social, and religious
consequences of the
execution.
Commonwealt
h&
Protectorate
Oliver Cromwell,
radicalism and
conservatism,
experiments in
government and
reasons for their
failure.
The
Restoration:
Charles II.
What was restored?
What was
unresolved?
The decision to
implement the
Instrument of
Government in 1653.
AND
The challenges facing
non-monarchical
government 1649–
1660.
The revolution in
parliamentary power
1640–1667.
The decision to
restore an Anglican
Church in 1660s
Describe the changes
that different radical
religious and political
groups campaigned
for during the Civil
War and Interregnum,
1642–1660. Evaluate
the influence that
these groups had on
those who held
military and political
power.
Explain the factors
that led to
Parliament’s decision
to legislate the
Clarendon Code.
Evaluate the
consequences of this
decision for nonconformists and
dissenters.
The decision to
restore the monarchy
in 1660.
2007
Describe the main
features of family life
between 1558 and
1667. Evaluate the
influence of parents
on the lives of their
children in Early
Modern English
society.
Explain the factors
behind Elizabeth’s
decision to establish a
church settlement in
1559.
Evaluate the
consequences for the
nature of the English
Church between 1559
and 1625.
AND
Describe the main
features of popular
beliefs that were held
by people in England
between 1558 and
1667.
Evaluate the influence
of popular beliefs on
the lives of people in
early modern
England.
Explain the factors
that caused the
Elizabethan
government and some
local authorities to
decide to deal with
the problem of the
poor. Evaluate the
consequences of the
legislation enacted
and initiatives
undertaken on the
lives of the poor in
early modern
England.
Describe the ways in
which the royal court
operated under each
monarch during the
period 1558 to 1625.
Evaluate the influence
of the royal court on
the relationship
between each
monarch and his or
her subjects.
Explain the factors
surrounding Charles
I’s decision to appoint
William Laud to the
position of
Archbishop of
Canterbury in 1633.
Evaluate the religious
and political
consequences of the
appointment of Laud
between 1633 and
1641.
Explain the factors
that were behind
Elizabeth I’s decision
to engage in war
against Spain in the
mid-1580s.
Evaluate the
consequences of the
decision for England
and Ireland by 1603.
AND
Describe the different
ways in which the
crown attempted to
finance government
in the period 1603–
1629.
Evaluate the extent to
which these attempts
influenced each
monarch’s
relationship with the
governing class.
2008
Describe the
traditional roles of
women in early
modern English
society between 1558
and 1667. Evaluate
the extent to which
periods of crisis
influenced the lives of
women and brought
changes to their roles.
Explain the factors
behind Elizabeth’s
decision to establish a
single national broadbased Church of
England in 1558.
Evaluate the
consequences of her
decision on the lives
of Protestant churchgoers.
Describe the urban
economy and the
importance of London
in Early Modern
England 1558 to
1667. Evaluate the
impact of government
intervention on the
economy and the lives
of people in
England’s urban
centres.
Explain the factors
behind the English
government’s
decision to penalise
Roman Catholics
from 1571 to 1606.
Evaluate the
consequences for
English Catholics
during that period.
Describe the
composition, roles,
and traditional
privileges of
Parliament in early
modern English
government.
Evaluate the impact
of the Crown’s
management of
Parliaments between
1558 and 1625 on the
traditional
relationship between
the monarch and
Parliament.
AND
Explain the factors
that led to James I’s
decision to elevate
George Villiers to the
position of sole royal
favourite and chief
minister.
Evaluate the political
consequences of this
decision for James I
and Charles I between
1618 and 1628.
Describe the
difficulties Elizabeth
faced in raising the
finance needed for
government.
Evaluate the
management of
finance by Elizabeth’s
government and the
impact such
management had on
her subjects between
1558 and 1603.
AND
Explain the factors
that led to Charles I’s
decision to rule
without Parliament in
1629. Evaluate the
political and
economic
consequences of his
decision for the
English governing
class between 1629
and 1640.
Explain the factors
that caused the Long
Parliament to decide
to challenge the royal
prerogative in the
period 1640–1642.
Evaluate the
consequences of this
decision for Charles
I’s position as
monarch between
1640 and 1649.
AND
Describe the changing
situation Charles I
faced in ruling
Scotland and Ireland
during the period
1625 to 1642.
Evaluate the influence
that events in
Scotland and Ireland
had on the
relationship between
Charles and his
English subjects
during this time.
Describe the situation
in Britain between
1640 and 1642 that
led to the outbreak of
civil war between
Charles I and
Parliament.
Evaluate the influence
of the civil war on
people’s lives in
England during the
1640s.
AND
Explain the factors
that led Parliament to
decide to set up the
New Model Army in
1645. Evaluate the
influence of the New
Model Army on
political changes in
England until 1653.
Explain the factors
behind the decision of
Oliver Cromwell to
refuse the offer of the
crown in 1657.
Evaluate the
consequences of his
decision on the
attempts to obtain a
political settlement
acceptable to the
governing class
between 1657 and
1660.
Describe the changes
brought about by the
Restoration
Settlement that
allowed
Charles II to return to
the throne in 1660.
Evaluate the
influence of Charles
II’s return on English
society between 1660
and 1667.
Describe the attempts
to establish and
secure the republican
commonwealth in
England between
1649 and 1655.
Evaluate the impact
these attempts had on
the people of
England, Scotland,
and Ireland.
Explain the factors
that led to General
Monck’s decision to
support the return of
Charles II to the
English throne after
the death of Oliver
Cromwell.
Evaluate the political,
social, and religious
consequences of
Charles II’s return to
the throne between
1660 and 1667.
2009
Describe the practice
of courtship and
marriage for people in
different social
groups in England
between 1558 and
1667. Evaluate the
ways in which
marriage and the birth
of children affected
the lives of people in
these social groups.
Explain the factors
that contributed to the
decision of governing
authorities in early
modern England to
follow a policy of
restricting or
transforming popular
beliefs. Evaluate the
consequences of this
policy on the practice
of popular beliefs
between 1558 and
1667.
Explain the factors
that led both James I
and Parliament to
consider and
eventually reject the
Great Contract of
1610 as a means of
financing
government. Evaluate
the consequences of
the decision for the
financing of Stuart
government till 1629.
AND
Describe significant
features of the
English rural
economy and any
changes that occurred
between 1558 and
1667. Evaluate the
impact that the rural
economy had on the
lives of ordinary
people during this
time.
Explain the factors
from 1568 that
eventually led to
Elizabeth I’s decision
to sign the death
warrant of Mary
Queen of Scots in
1587. Evaluate the
political and religious
consequences of
Mary’s execution for
Elizabeth and
England between
1587 and 1603.
Describe the nature of
the royal prerogative
under Elizabeth I, and
her management of
the privy council and
the royal court
between 1558 and
1603. Evaluate the
extent to which
Elizabeth manipulated
her ministers and
favourites.
Describe the changes
that different
monarchs made to
England’s foreign
policy between 1585
and 1630. Evaluate
the ways in which
each of these changes
influenced the
relationship between
the monarch and the
governing class.
AND
Explain the factors
that led to Charles I’s
decision to allow
William Laud and
Thomas Wentworth
to enforce royal
authority. Evaluate
the consequences of
this decision for the
multiple kingdoms of
Charles I between
1630 and 1642.
Explain the factors
that led to Charles I’s
decision to arrest five
members of
Parliament in
1642.Evaluate the
immediate and longterm consequences of
this decision for
Charles I’s
relationship with
Parliament between
1642 and 1649.
AND
Describe the military
situation both Charles
I and Parliament
faced at the beginning
of the civil war in
1642. Evaluate the
extent to which
Charles I’s leadership
and changes to the
military situation he
faced were
responsible for the
eventual royalist
defeat by 1648.
Explain the factors
that led to Oliver
Cromwell’s decision
to become Lord
Protector in
1653.Evaluate the
extent to which
Cromwell’s political
and religious aims for
the Protectorate were
achieved between
1653 and 1658.
Describe the changes
that occurred to the
religious situation in
Britain during the
Restoration between
1660 and 1667.
Evaluate the impact
of the Restoration on
the lives of religious
non-conformists and
Roman Catholics in
Britain.