Lesson 1

1 Plots and revolts at home Quiz: Pearson Edexcel History, Unit 8

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson 1, Plots and revolts at home: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel GCSE History (1HI0), Unit 8: Early Elizabethan England, 1558–88, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. When did the Revolt of the Northern Earls take place?

    • 1558 to 1559
    • 1587 to 1588
    • 1569 to 1570
    • 1585 to 1586

  2. Which two northern earls led the rebellion against Elizabeth in 1569?

    • Norfolk and Arundel
    • Northumberland and Westmorland
    • Derby and Shrewsbury
    • Surrey and Essex

  3. What was the main aim of the Ridolfi Plot in 1571?

    • Scottish union
    • Tax reduction
    • Puritan reform
    • Replace Elizabeth

  4. Which English noble was executed in 1572 for his role in the Ridolfi Plot?

    • Duke of Norfolk
    • Lord Burghley
    • Earl of Sussex
    • Earl of Leicester

  5. Which foreign powers were intended to support the Throckmorton Plot in 1583?

    • Rome and Venice
    • France and Spain
    • Scotland and Ireland
    • Dutch and Danes

  6. Which spymaster was central to exposing Catholic plots?

    • Francis Walsingham
    • Thomas Cromwell
    • Robert Dudley
    • William Cecil

  7. What was the main aim of the 1586 Babington plot against Elizabeth?

    • Burn London
    • Kidnap Parliament
    • Assassinate Elizabeth
    • Exile Puritans

  8. What was the direct consequence of the 1586 Babington plot for Mary?

    • Her pardon
    • Her imprisonment
    • Her execution
    • Her exile

  9. Whose anger was most significantly provoked by the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots?

    • William Cecil
    • Philip II
    • The Pope
    • Henry IV

  10. What was a primary objective of the Northern Earls' revolt in 1569?

    • Abolish Parliament
    • Invade Scotland
    • Restore Catholicism
    • Tax the nobility

  11. Who posed the greatest domestic threat to Queen Elizabeth I's throne?

    • Radical Puritans
    • Scottish merchants
    • Wealthy merchants
    • English Catholics

  12. Which foreign power consistently backed Catholic plots against Elizabeth?

    • Spain
    • The Ottoman Empire
    • Holy Roman Empire
    • Portugal

  13. What primary method did Elizabeth's government use to uncover domestic plots?

    • Public censuses
    • Standing armies
    • Spies
    • Torture chambers

  14. Who masterminded the network of spies that uncovered Elizabethan Catholic plots?

    • Robert Dudley
    • Walter Raleigh
    • William Cecil
    • Francis Walsingham

  15. Why did Catholic rebels often rely on foreign assistance?

    • Insufficient numbers
    • Poor weaponry
    • Weak leadership
    • Lack of gold

  16. What was the ultimate fate of the leaders of the Northern Earls' revolt?

    • Imprisonment
    • Exile to France
    • Pardoned
    • Execution

  17. In which location was Mary, Queen of Scots executed in February 1587?

    • Windsor Castle
    • Tower of London
    • Kenilworth Castle
    • Fotheringhay Castle

  18. Which country provided financial and military backing for the 1583 Throckmorton plot?

    • Denmark
    • The Netherlands
    • Ireland
    • France

  19. What did Elizabeth's government fear most from domestic Catholic conspiracies?

    • Plague outbreaks
    • Economic collapse
    • Foreign invasion
    • Peasant uprisings

  20. What characterised the pattern of Elizabethan Catholic plots against the crown?

    • Naval dominance
    • Foreign backing
    • Parliamentary backing
    • Mass peasant support

All Pearson Edexcel History quizzes