How to answer "How useful ..." questions.

This is an important skill at Intermediate level. Important also because without evaluating the usefulness or reliability of sources, there is no such thing as History.

Use the following checklist to help you remember ...

ORIGIN

PURPOSE

CONTENT

RECALL

Origin : This means that you have to look at

WHAT kind of source?

• Primary sources from the actual time can be useful and reliable because they were produced by a person who was actually there.
• Secondary sources can also be useful and reliable because they are produced by historians who are experts at finding out the truth about the past.

WHO wrote the source?

• Sources produced by someone who had good knowledge of the subject can be useful / reliable because they were produced by a person who knew what they were talking about.

Purpose : this means that you have to look at ...

WHY the source was produced?

• A source which was produced to find out the facts can be useful / reliable.
• A source which was produced to try to persuade people about something might not be telling the whole truth. It’s purpose is to persuade not to tell the truth.

Content : this means that you have to ...

• Say what the source tells you. DO NOT COPY large chunks of the source. Write what it tells you in your own words. You can quote small parts of the source. Put these quotes in quotation marks.

Recall : this means that you have to ...

• Use your own K&U. Has the source missed out anything? If it has, then you should say so and also say what has been missed out.

Conclusion : Finish with a short sentence. Say whether the source is useful / reliable OVERALL. Say what the STRENGTHS and WEAKNESSES of the source are.

Possible short essay questions ...

Essay questions in this topic tend to focus on 4 different areas of the topic.

1. Events around the time of the childhood of MQOS and the Rough Wooing. Examples are ...

Explain why MQOS was sent to France in 1548
Why did Henry VIII attack Scotland in the "Rough Wooing?"

2. Changes in religion and politics in the 1550s. Examples are ...

Explain the reasons for the growth of Protestantism in Scotland by 1560.
Explain why some Scots rebelled against Mary of Guise in 1559.
Why did a Reformation take place in Scotland in 1560?

3. Key events when Mary was Queen in Scotland. Examples are ...

Explain why the death of Darnley was important to the reign of MQOS.
Explain why relations up to 1566 between Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth were
difficult.
Explain why Mary fled from Scotland to England in 1568.

4. Events which took place during Mary's time as a prisoner in England. Examples are ...

Explain why Queen Elizabeth thought Mary was a danger to her.
Explain why Queen Elizabeth ordered the execution of MQOS.

Revision task

Here is a list of points. They could be used in the introductory paragraphs for the essay titles above. Match up the points with the essays.

1. Mary refused to marry Elizabeth’s choice of husband. Instead she married Darnley who also had a claim to the English throne.
2. The Pope had stated that any Catholic who murdered Elizabeth would not be guilty of a sin.
3. Mary became involved in plots against Elizabeth. In the Babington Plot she was accused of agreeing to the murder of Elizabeth.
4. England was threatened by Catholic countries such as Spain and France.
5. Mary was accused of being involved in the murder of her second husband.
6. The murder gave the Protestant Lords the excuse they needed to rebel against Mary.
7. Mary’s involvement with Bothwell seemed to prove that she could not be trusted.
8. Mary was Catholic and half French. There was concern that she might try to “put the clock back” in Scotland.
9. Mary’s father died shortly after her birth. There was a struggle for power between different groups of nobles.
10. Before she arrived in Scotland, Mary used the English Royal coat of arms as her personal badge.
11. Mary’s presence in Scotland was dangerous because it might encourage English Catholics to rebel against Elizabeth.
12. Mary escaped from imprisonment but her army was defeated and she ran to England hoping for help.
13. Mary was related to Elizabeth and had a claim to be the next Queen of England
14. Many of the top Scots nobles were unhappy at the French people who had influence at court.
15. Ordinary Scots began to dislike the French troops who came to support Mary of Guise.
16. English Catholics were unhappy that Elizabeth was Queen. They wanted to replace her with Mary.
17. Some Scottish nobles wanted to get their hands on the wealth of the church.
18. Henry was furious that the Scots had double crossed him.
19. Mary and Elizabeth were related but Mary’s supporters said that Elizabeth was a bastard
20. Some Scots were persuaded by preachers like John Knox. They also disliked Cardinal Beaton burning Protestant preachers like George Wishart.
21. Elizabeth I was Protestant. She strongly supported the Protestant cause in Scotland as a way of getting rid of the French threat.
22. The Catholic church had many faults which made it unpopular with many Scots.
23. The Protestant Lords captured Mary at Carberry and imprisoned her.
24. The French and the English were at war. They both wanted to control Scotland.
25. The Scots at first agreed to do a deal with the English.
26. There was a danger that Mary might be kidnapped and used a “puppet”.

The Short Essay - Intermediate 2

Students who sit the Intermediate 2 exam and NABs must write a short essay on a question from the topic.

The essay is marked out of 8 marks. Up to 3 marks can be given if the answer is in the correct format of INTRODUCTION paragraph followed by several DEVELOPMENT paragraphs, finishing with a CONCLUSION. The remaining 5 marks can be earned by using correct K&U to answer the question.

A Good introduction will ...

• Refer to the question. So use the words from the question in the first sentence.



• Give the reader a number of key points which will be dealt with later. So use "flag words and phrases" such as "A reason for this was ... Another factor was ... An important event was ..."



• Give the reader an idea of your final answer. So use adjective phrases such as ... "Very important reason..." "Significant event ..." , "Key factor ..." , "Of very great importance was ...", "The most important..."

The DEVELOPMENT section must be ...

• Written in paragraphs. Each paragraph must tell the reader about one point which was mentioned in the INTRODUCTION.



• Written in the PEEL format: Make your point. Explain your point. Give evidence or facts to back up your point. Link back to the question in the last sentence.

The CONCLUSION must be ...

• A single paragraph at the end of the essay.



• Understood by the reader to be a conclusion. So start with "In conclusion ..." or "To conclude" ... or "To return to the question..."



• A final answer to the question. So review the key points you have made in a few sentences and then give a final judgement ... "X,Y and Z were important reasons / events but the most important of all was W because ..."

Revision - it aint rocket science!

Revision is a pain but it is a lot easier and more effective if you ...

1. Have a plan.

Divide your topic up into little pieces. Revise each little piece in turn. Make a list and check them off after you have revised that piece of the topic. That way you can see that you are making progress.

2. Revise actively and vary what you do. Just reading through notes or even reading through this blog is not good enough. You have to find ways of making sure the information sticks. You have to work at it...

• Use mind maps or bullet point lists. Do one for each section of the topic.
• Use post-it notes or slips of paper to test yourself. Put a heading on one side. Put the info on the other side. Turn them over and try to remmeber the key points for that heading. Get a pal or a member of the family to test you.
• Get highlighter pens. Use different colours of pens for different topics.
• Break up your mind maps or bullet point lists and put each bit of information on a post it note or slip of paper. Shuffle them and then put them into the correct order under the correct heading.
• Use technology: text your pals with quick questions on a topic and get them to text you back their own questions. Think about using a Facebook or Bebo page for your revision notes. (Remember never to put personal details on the internet.)

3. Remember the types of questions you will be asked and how to answer them ...

1. Describe = say what happened. You need to write about the events that took place.

2. Why = say why the events happened. Try to use the words "reasons why" in your answer.

3. How useful / How valuable = Say whether or not you can trust the source to give you a correct account. Use the following checklist ...

• Who wrote it? Was he /she an eye witness? Is it a primary source from the time? Is it a secondary source written by an historian? Can you trust this person to tell you the truth or give a good account?

• Why did the person produce the account? Was it to give the facts or did the person have a point of view he / she wanted to put over?

• What does the person tell you? Is it detailed information? Has anything been missed out? What has been missed out?

More ideas about how to revise ...

Make your own revision notes (bullet points) or mind maps for the following questions ...

• The Rough Wooing - what was it and why did the English fail?
• The Catholic Church in Scotland - why were some Scots unhappy with it?
• The Revolution of 1560 - what were the main events and why did the Protestants win?
• MQOS - what did she do about religion in Scotland?
• The marriage to Darnley - why did Mary choose him?
• The murder of Riccio - what happened and why?
• Mary lost power in 1567. What happened and why?
• Mary in England. (Why she went there? How was she treated and Why? Why was she executed?)

Some ideas about how to revise ...

1. Get an idea of the "Big Picture"

MQOS is a long topic and it contains a lot of events. You need to make sure of the "big picture" : what happened and in what order. Here is an activity to help you do that.

Click on this link. It will take you to the YOUTUBE movie about the life of MQOS. Use the movie to write about the main events in the life of MQOS. Use a separate slip of paper for each event. When you have watched the movie, jumble up the slips of paper. Then try to sort them into the same order as the movie. Keep on doing this until you get the order correct.

Great Youtube movie to help you revise!

Click here

Postscript: Why does Mary matter?

1. She lived at a time when very important events changed Scotland: Scotland changed from a Catholic country to a country dominated by Protestant ideas. Mary could have changed this but she did not.
2. Mary’s son became King of both Scotland and England after Elizabeth died. British History was changed forever.
3. Mary’s son James developed very strong ideas about the right of a King to rule. This was probably due to his ideas about his mother and her fate. He passed these ideas down to his son Charles I. Mary’s grandson Charles helped to cause a civil war in Scotland and England. This Civil War brought massive changes to Britain.
4. Mary’s story is a very dramatic one. People are very divided in their views about Mary. You probably have your own ideas by now!

16. How was Mary affected?

Francis Walsingham was a dedicated Protestant and Mary's mortal enemy. He employed top code breakers to de-cipher her letters

1. Her health suffered. This might have happened anyway but lack of exercise, cold damp castles and mental stress did not help.


2. She got involved in plots with English Catholic groups. There was only ever hard evidence about the last plot – the Babington plot.


3. Letters were smuggled to Mary in beer barrels. These letters were intercepted and de-coded by Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth's spy chief.


4. In one of the letters, Mary agreed to become Queen of England after Elizabeth was murdered.
   After a trial, Mary was found guilty of treason.


5. She was executed after a long period of "dithering" by Elizabeth.

15. How was Mary treated in England?

Elizabeth was in a difficult position …

Mary was a Queen and entitled to be treated like a Queen.
Mary was a Catholic and a possible successor to Elizabeth.
In the 1580s, the Pope declared that it was no sin for a Catholic to murder or be involved in a plot to murder Elizabeth.

So Elizabeth …

Started a tribunal / enquiry into the murder of Darnley. (A queen could not be tried by a court.) The Tribunal did not prove Mary innocent. Neither did it find her guilty. But the “Casket Letters” said to be written from Bothwell to Mary did a lot of damage to Mary’s reputation.
Kept her under guard in a series of castles. She was moved from the North. (Too close to Scotland and too many English Catholics) to the midlands of England.

14. Why did Mary leave Scotland?

Loch Leven castle. This is where Mary was imprisoned after the battle of Langside

1. Her brother James returned from exile in England




2. The nobles turned against Mary after the murder of Darnley and her marriage to Bothwell.




3. A rebellion began and Mary was captured at Carberry. Bothwell was allowed to escape.
   




4. Mary was imprisoned in a house in the middle of Loch Leven in Fife.




5. She escaped by persuading one of her guards, a young boy, to help her.




6. She gathered an army along with Bothwell.




7. At Langside near Glasgow, her army was defeated and she escaped.




8. Mary headed south to England, hoping that Elizabeth would help her against the rebels.
   
   

13. Why was Riccio murdered? What were the consequences?

1. He had offended some of the nobles and he himself was a commoner (Talk about "playing with fire"!)
2. Darnley and his supporters thought he was preventing Darnley from becoming King.
3. There were rumours of an affair with Mary.
4. Mary knew that Darnley was involved. (His dagger was left in Riccio's body)

Consequences

1. Mary escaped from the nobles. Bothwell helped her. (Was this the start of their relationship?)
2. The murderers escaped to England when Mary came after them with an army.
3. Darnley's days were numbered. The murderers knew he had "double crossed" them by running away with Mary
4. Several months later, Darnley was recovering from illness at a house just outside Edinburgh city walls. The house blew up but Darnley's body and that of a servant was found in the garden. Rumours spread that Mary and Bothwell had plotted to murder Darnley.
   

12. Was the marriage to Darnley a bad decision?

Henry Lord Darnley. Was he REALLY such a bad choice of husband?

YES: The marriage made some of the nobles angry.
Queen Elizabeth I was upset by the marriage.
Lord James Stewart led a rebellion against Mary. (The Chaseabout Raid)
The rebellion was ended and the nobles fled to England where they could still cause trouble for Mary.

NO: Darnley had a claim to the throne of England
The marriage would strengthen Mary’s claim to the English throne if she had a child.
Mary’s child by Darnley eventually succeeded Elizabeth and became James VI of Scotland and England.

11. What decisions did Mary make?

1. She left the reformation in place. She did not try to return Scotland to the old religion.
2. She gave money to support the new church.
3. She allowed the Protestant lords to be on her Privy Council. (The committee which helped her to rule Scotland by giving her advice.)
4. She put down a revolt by the Catholic Huntly family.
5. She insisted on being allowed to practice her own religion in private.
6. She did not interfere when Catholics who broke the new religious laws were punished.
7. She married Henry Lord Darnley.

10. What problems did Mary have when she returned to Scotland?

James Stewart was Mary's half brother. He had remained in Scotland when she was sent to France.

1. She was a Catholic Queen in a country which was now ruled by Protestants.


2. Her half brother James was one of the leaders of these Lords. He was powerful but could never become King.


3. She had to be careful not to upset the English / Queen Elizabeth I.


4. Some Catholic nobles wanted her to overturn the reformation and go back to the old religion.


5. She had to find a husband. He had to be strong enough to help her rule but he also had to be acceptable to Elizabeth I and also the Protestant Lords.

9. What changes did the new Protestant church bring in?

The changes of 1560 had a huge impact in Scotland. For the next 300 years, the protestant church of Scotland was an important part of daily life. Sinners were punished in church on Sunday by being humiliated in public. However, the church also did good. It helped people in need and provided education for children.

1. The bible could now be printed in Scots and read by anyone who could read.


2. The Catholic mass was banned. (But many noble families remained Catholics in private as did many poor families especially outside the major towns.)


3. A General Assembly made rules for the whole church.


4. A Kirk Session helped the minister to run a local church.


5. People who broke the laws of the church were tried by the Kirk Session and punished. Scotland was to be a "Godly Community" .


6. The church wanted to set up schools but did not have the cash. The nobles would not allow the new church to have the wealth and lands of the old Catholic church.

8. What happened during the revolution / reformation?

1. Notices appeared on the doors of Friaries. They warned the Friars to get out or else. (These were known as the “Beggars’ Summons”)
2. John Knox preached sermon in Perth which caused an anti Catholic riot.
3. The French King sent more soldiers to help Mary of Guise.
4. Elizabeth sent an army into Scotland. It defeated the French.
5. The Treaty of Edinburgh ended the fighting. French and English forces would leave Scotland.
6. A Parliament in Edinburgh agreed that Scotland would no longer be a Catholic country. It was illegal to say the Catholic Mass in public.

7. Why did a reformation / revolution take place in 1560?

Queen Elizabeth I of England. She was a Protestant but she liked "bling"! She did not like the idea of the French controlling Scotland.

1. Elizabeth I became queen of England in 1558. She was a Protestant.


2. Scotland was coming under the control of France. Elizabeth would never allow this.


3. Protestant nobles were worried about French / Catholic influence. They joined together to form the Lords of the Congregation.


4. The marriage of Mary and Francis took place in Paris. There were rumours about a secret part of the marriage agreement which would allow France to rule Scotland. These rumours were correct in fact.

6. Why did anti French feeling grow in Scotland?

Protestant reformer John Knox was one of the leaders of the anti French group in Scotland. He had been involved with the group which murdered Cardinal Beaton and had served a sentence as a prisoner, chained to an oar on the French galleys.

1. The pro English faction of the nobility hated being ruled over by Mary of Guise.


2. All the nobles resented the growing power of Mary of Guise and her French supporters. They did not like the taxes needed to pay for them either.


3. French soldiers sometimes caused trouble. They came to be seen as invaders rather than allies.


4. The church did not do enough to reform itself. Cardinal Beaton burned Protestant preachers and this just created more sympathy for Protestant ideas. Protestant ideas therefore became stronger. This made the pro English faction stronger.

5. Why did the Rough Wooing take place?

The Battle of Pinkie Cleugh was the last ever battle fought between English and Scottish armies. Henry VIII's army inflicted severe losses on the Scots.

1. At first, the pro English faction came out on top (helped by cash from Henry VIII) …


2. The Treaty of Greenwich was made with England : Mary would marry Henry VIII’s son Edward.


3. The pro French faction made a come back (helped by French cash) …


4. The Earl of Arran who was regent, switched sides. He then stood down in favour of Mary of Guise and Cardinal Beaton.


5. The Scots then made the Treaty of Haddington with the French. Mary would marry the son of the French king and would go to France for protection.


6. Henry VIII punished the Scots by sending English armies to lay waste the Borders and Edinburgh.. The Battle of Pinkie was the worst defeat. Several thousand Scots were killed.
   This went on for several years until Henry VIII died. Henry's attacks on Scotland wee known as the "Rough Wooing"

4. Why did a crisis take place in 1542?

Mary's father and mother, James V and Mary of Guise. Mary was James' second French wife. He was committed to the alliance with France. This was the basic cause of the crisis in 1542.

1. Scotland had been defeated by England at Flodden in 1513. This increased the power of the anti English faction in the nobility.


2. James V had married two French princesses (the first died soon after arriving in Scotland) and renewed the alliance with France. This meant that Scotland was again “piggy in the middle” when England and France fell out.


3. France and England fought and James V’s army was defeated at Solway Moss.


4. James V died soon after the birth of his daughter Mary in 1542.


5. The pro French faction fought with the pro English faction for control.

3. Why was the church criticised?

George Wishart was a schoolmaster from Montrose. He was burned for heresy (preaching religious views which the church disapproved of) in 1546.

1. The church was rich. Making money seemed to be more important than saving souls.


2. Well paid jobs in the church were sometimes sold for cash. (This was called SIMONY)


3. Nobles often got control of churches or monasteries and skimmed off the money. (This was called COMMENDATION)


4. Some church officials took on several jobs and collected the cash from each but could not do all the work correctly. (This was called PLURALISM.)


5. Church officials sometimes ignored the rules of the church and had sexual relationships. They used church money to support their mistresses and illegitimate children.


6. Kings and nobles often forced the church to give jobs to their own illegitimate children. (This was called NEPOTISM.)

The church did make some efforts to REFORM itself but had little success.

2. In what ways was Scotland changing?

Archibald Douglas was the Earl of Angus. He was one of the leaders of the nobles who supported an alliance with England

1. Relations with England were slowly getting better. James IV had married Henry VIII’s sister.
   This created a pro English faction in the nobility. They wanted stronger ties with England.
   



2. New ideas were coming in from Europe – especially the new religious ideas which criticised the way the church was run.

1. Why was Scotland a difficult country to rule?

James IV was the grandfather of Mary Queen of Scots. He was involved in a rebellion against his father, James III. The nobles who rebelled had James III murdered. Not even Kings were safe in Scotland.

1. Scotland was poor. This was at the root of a lot of problems.


2. The King was not much wealthier than some of his nobles. They were difficult to control.


3. The nobles often fought amongst each other for wealth and power. Noble families formed groups against each other.


4. There had been 300 years of warfare with England. Raiding and violence was common along the border.


5. Scotland often got mixed up in wars between England and France.

What this Blog is for.

This Blog has been set up to help you to revise your Mary Queen of Scots Intermediate History Course.