“Factional Reasons Were the Main Cause of the Essex Rebellion.” How Far Do You Agree?

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The Essex rebellion took place in 1600, and was led by the Earl of Essex, Robert Devereux. Essex was previously a favourite of the queen, however, over time his relationship with the Queen weakened due to his failures and his disobedience to Elizabeth I’s orders. Factional reasons could be seen to be the main cause of the Essex rebellion because the Cecil faction enjoyed more political power and patronage than the faction led by Essex and this frustrated Essex’s faction because the Cecil faction were seen as new money. Another factor which could have caused the Essex rebellion is the financial problems that Essex was facing at the time because he relied on the Queen’s support in order to stay solvent and she refused to give this to him. Essex’s humiliation also played a great part in causing the rebellion as he faced dismissals from court, house arrest and a slap from Queen Elizabeth I. By 1600 Essex was broke and no longer a favourite of the Queen, he had been humiliated greatly through military losses and loss of status and was constantly being outmanoeuvred by the Cecil faction who, in the Essex faction’s eyes was stealing their place in court. Factional reasons were the main cause of the Essex rebellion because there was a constant rivalry between the Essex faction and the Cecil faction. The Cecil faction only joined court in 1547(?) under Edward Seymour as Duke of Somerset whereas the Essex faction had been there for many more generations and this angered them greatly this is because the Cecil faction were seen to be new money, meaning that they had not come from a long line of wealth, unlike the Essex faction. The factional reasons would have caused the Earl of Essex to rebel because he could see his position being taken over by Robert Cecil who led the unworthy faction. This existing tension between the factions was further magnified when Cecil began to
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