What was religion like under Elizabeth I?

[Using the whiteboard] Let's first look briefly at the Tudor Kings and Queens before Elizabeth (to understand what religious problems Elizabeth was facing when she became Queen). Lets start with her father Henry VIII- he "broke with Rome" and established the Church of England (the protestant church). Then came Elizabeth's brother, Edward VI who pushed for more Protestant changes, and then her sister Mary I, who restored Catholicism. All of this happened in about 30 years- so we can see that by the time Elizabeth came to power, she had a country that had changed official religions a lot, and was at danger of facing a war of religion. Elizabeth therefore followed what historians called the "middle way" at the start of her reign- although she was herself a protestant. But the Pope excommunicated her (excluded her from the church and essentially told Catholics that they didn't have to obey her) in 1970 and there were later plots to assassinate her and put her Catholic cousin Mary Queen of Scotts on the throne. Therefore, as her reign went on, she became more anti-Catholic.