The Elizabethan Era ran between 1558 and 1603 under the reign of Elizabeth I. She was the last ruler of the Tudor period, and was followed by James I and the beginning of the Stuarts period. It was described as the 'golden age' of English History. But why was this period so successful? What was different about the Elizabethan Era compared to others? How significant was its impact on British History?
Key Events of the Elizabethan Era
| Year | Event |
| 1599 | Queen Elizabeth I was crowned the queen of England on the 13th of January. |
| 1559 | Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis between England and France. |
| 1599 | The Globe Theatre was built, and hosted its first show; Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. |
| 1560 | Treaty of Edinburgh between England and Scotland. |
| 1568 | Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned. |
| 1577 | Francis Drake set sail around the entire world, and returned in 1580. |
| 1586 | The Babington Plot. |
| 1587 | Execution of Mary Queen of Scots occurs on the 8th of February. |
| 1588 | The Spanish Armada is defeated. |
| 1601 | The Elizabeth Poor Law is introduced. |
| 1603 | Queen Elizabeth I dies, and the Tudor dynasty is ended. |
Elizabethan Era Facts
- Queen Elizabeth was known as the 'Virgin Queen, and had no heir across her forty-four year reign.
- The Elizabethan Era was known as the 'Golden Age' due to the mass expansion of arts and culture. Entertainment, such as the performing arts, became incredibly popular over her reign, as well as poetry and painting.
- Fashion strongly reflected your class situation. Each class would have their own colours and style of clothes available to wear.
The Ermine Portrait of Elizabeth I of England by William Segar (c.1585), Wikimedia Commons.
- England had a strong military presence at the time, and was known as the 'rulers of the seas' after defeating the Spanish Armada.
- Francis Drake became the first person to circumnavigate the globe, and there were other famous explorers during this period, such as Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Humphrey Gilbert.
- Elizabeth established a system known as patronage to control her subjects. This worked immensely well throughout her reign.
Patronage:
God had chosen the Monarch, and they had the ability to grant / remove power from those below. Those below were therefore indebted to Elizabeth I, and gave their loyalty to her.
Life in the Elizabethan Era
The Elizabethan Era was very different depending on your social status. The nobility had a large amount of power and influence, and were able to rise the ranks by providing loyalty to the Queen. Titles were granted to those with a significant amount of Land, and the rich went into the Parliament. Those who succeeded and benefited throughout the Elizabethan Court came from the rich classes.
The Nobility only made up a tiny proportion of the population at the time. The lower classes were generally uneducated and poor and struggled even through the 'Golden Age' of England. Due to the belief that God granted you everything, there was no sympathy for the poor. God had decided that you deserved that position, and you had to accept that.
Around ninety-five percent of people lived in rural areas in the middle ages, but urbanisation did increase throughout this period. Due to the atrocity of the Plague, the overall population massively decreased, but there were further opportunities emerging. People were leaving their villages and heading for cities. There was an increase in trade, leading to merchants becoming common. The Elizabethan Era saw opportunities that had not been seen before, and people were able to begin to rise up.
Religion in Elizabethan Era
Elizabeth I took over and was able to introduce an Anglican church. Although previously declaring herself as a Catholic under Mary's reign, she was a Protestant and wanted to reintroduce the Church to the nation. She was balanced and allowed those outside the Church to exist as long as they were peaceful. She wanted the Church to be accepted and have as wide of a reach as possible. This allowed Elizabeth to refrain from a large amount of opposition.
There were religious acts brought in at the start of Elizabeth's reign that defined her religious outlook:
| Year: | Act: | Explanation: |
| 1558 | Act of Supremacy | Declared Elizabeth the Supreme Governor of the Church of England with the Oath of Supremacy. Anyone in public or church office was required to take the Oath or be charged with Treason. |
| 1558 | Act of Uniformity | Restored the 1552 English Prayer Book but allowed for two interpretations of Communion; Protestant and Catholic. |
| 1563 &1571 | The 39 Articles | Based on the 43 Articles (1553), and defined the Church in its entirety. Very loose and open to interpretation, which fitted with Elizabeth's church. |
Fate in the Elizabethan Era
There were strong feelings relating to fate and God's will during the Elizabethan Era. They had no free will or control over their life. They had to accept the life they had been given and be grateful no matter how low down their position in social class was. Religion was one of the cornerstones of the Early Modern Period and defined the relationships people had with all aspects of life.
Astrology in the Elizabethan Era
Similarly to their beliefs in fate, people in the Elizabethan Era had strong beliefs in Astrology and Star Signs. The stars were looked at in an attempt to predict a person's future and help them in the present. An example of this would be farmers looking to astrologers for advice on weather patterns such as droughts. There were a number of famous astrologers, but the most famous was Dr John Dee, a court astronomer and personal advisor to Elizabeth I.
Theatre in the Elizabethan Era
The entertainment industry boomed during the Elizabethan Era, with Theatre being at the forefront of performative arts. The first playhouse was built in 1576 by actor James Burbage, called 'The Theatre'. They were open air theatres, and relied on the 'fourth wall' of the audience for interaction.
Shakespeare`s Globe Theatre in London, England, is a 1997 replica of the original Globe from 1599, Wikimedia Commons.
There were only male actors, with younger men playing the female parts, and the sets were utterly blank of scenery. The actor's clothes were used to indicate the characters and their social status.
Theatre was extremely popular and only was stopped due to the Black Plague in the 1590s. It was reintroduced shortly after the plague ended.
Shakespeare in the Elizabethan Era
William Shakespeare is recognised as one of the most talented writers in all of English History. He began his career as a playwright somewhere between 1585 and 1592. He produced most of his most famous works between 1589 and 1613. He worked with and was part-owner of the theatre company The Lord Chamberlain's Men, and became a part owner of the Globe Theatre. He was highly successful, and his works are still considered today to be some of the greatest of all time.
Elizabethan England - Key takeaways
- Ran between 1558 and 1603; the reign of Elizabeth I.
- The 'Golden Age' of art, music and theatre.
- Religion was more open, and everyone was fairly accepted.
- Life was still tough for those low down, but there were new opportunities to progress.
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