ELIZABETH I

aka

“The virgin queen” and “Gloriana”

She was considered a bastard most of

her life but she excelled at her studies

and was said to be very clever and

intelligent

Probably believed, due to her fathers

infamy, that women where disposable

once married to a man

When her father died, her brother

Edward became king for a short time

until his death 6 years later from illness

EARLY YEARS

BLOODY MARY TUDORBecame queen in 1553

Devoutly catholic and saw her

protestant sister Elisabeth as a

threat

Imprisoned her sister briefly

for plotting against her

Burned around 300 “heretics”

in her four year reign

Died of stomach cancer in 1558

ACCESSION

Elizabeth became

queen regent at age 25,

and relied heavily on

trusted advisors, such as

William Cecil

Was popular with the

people, especially

protestants

RELIGION

Headed the English Protestant church and was

more tolerant of other religious believes than her

sister Mary

Thought Catholicism would die out eventually on

its own

Made church attendance and reading of the bible

mandatory

THE ARTS

She was herself a poet and

writer

Theater, painting, and

architecture thrived under

her reign

She attended Shakespeare

first showing of a

midsummer nights dream

SUITORS

Was expected and pressured to marry by common

and noble alike

Although she had many suitors, she never married.

Her husband would have been made king, and she

would have no longer been ruler of her country

Some speculated she was infertile, sick, or

psychologically averse to a sexual relationship

She never had an heir and was the last Tudor to

rule England

LOVE

Elizabeth and her

childhood friend, Robert

Dudley were said to be

very close and probably in

love

When Roberts wife Amy

died suspiciously,

scandalous gossip made

the match unfavorable in

the eyes of the people

LOVE

Robert secretly married

Lady Lettice Knollys in 1578

and is banished from court

After her death, a letter

from Robert was found in

her jewel box, with “his last

letter” written in her hand

VOYAGES AND TRADE

Elizabeth sanctioned voyages to the Americans,

often benefiting from the pirating of Spanish ships

Established the East India trading company

She herself never stepped outside of England

Advocated the slave trade and sent Captains to

acquire them

MARY STUART: QUEEN OF SCOTTS

Mary, Elizabeth's cousin,

was seen by many as true

catholic queen and rightful

heir to the English crown

Queen Mary had a son,

James VI, King of Scotland,

She fled to England in

1568 only to be imprisoned

by Elizabeth for 19 years

Letters written by Mary associated

her with a plot to kill Elizabeth

Although originally apposed to it,

Elizabeth agreed to have Mary

executed in1587

People of noble blood were usually

executed by beheading, whereas

commoners were hanged

MARY'S EXECUTION

WAR

There were many unsuccessful plots to over

through and assassinate the queen

War with Spain and dissension throughout France,

Scotland, Ireland, and the Netherlands

Northern England was in rebellion

Poverty and sickness were prevalent at times,

especially in the country

SPANISH ARMADA

England was weak militarily and needed the heir

and alliance that a marriage would provide

Instead of fleeing for safety when the Spanish

sailed to defeat England and kill her, she addressed

her troops on the front lines

The Spanish Armada of 132 ships was defeated by

the English fleet of 34 ships and 163 armed

merchant vessels in 1588

POOR LAWS

In 1601 the queen established poor laws that

charges parishes for providing for the deserving

poor (widows, orphans, disabled, blind, and elderly)

The undeserving poor (beggars, stealers, vagrants)

could be whipped or forced into a workhouse

Elizabeth dies in 1603

of blood poisoning

James IV of Scotland

(Mary Stuart’ son)

becomes king of England

She ruled for 45 years

DEATH OF THE QUEEN