Queen Elizabeth I (*1533-+1603)
Queen of England (1558 to1603)
Under her reign England became an economic power
Elizabethan England
5million inhabitants
4/5 of the population lived in the country
London was the trade center of England and had 25000 inhabitants
most of England was covered with forests although the deforestation started at that time because of the need for building materials and firewood
Big plagues took the lives of many English people specially in hot summer month .
Between 1593 - 1594 10 000 people in London died in consequence of the plague.
meat and bread where the main foods in England at that time
The first English colony in the new world (Virginia founded in 1584 by Walter Raleigh) and the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.England became a naval power.
Trade during the Elizabethan time
In 1450 England exported 30000 pieces of wool, in 1560 130000.
1555-Muscovy Company (for trade with Russia)
1555-Guinea Company (for trade with Africa)
1579-Eastland-Company (for the East Sea trade)
1592-Leavant Company (for trade with Italy and Turkey)
1600-East India Company (for trade with India)
The main attractions of the time
Strange animal fights (for example a bear against 3 dogs)
The globe Theater a theater built by Shakespeare made specially for people from al classes.
Art, Literature and Architecture
The art literature and architecture was positively influenced, by the relatively liberal reign of the queen Elizabeth, who for example raised the general education system of the time.
All this things, allowed some really great personalities to come up as for example William Shakespeare. The Architecture of the time was very influenced by Italy and the continental Gothic style. A famous artist of the era was Nicholas Hillard with his miniature paintings.
