Essay about Elizabeth I’s role in English Renaissance

Elizabeth I is probably the greatest and most famous queen of the English Renaissance. She improved English economic power and guaranteed years of peace and wealth. Her kingdom is known as the “Golden Age”.

Elizabeth I came to the throne in 1558. She was the daughter of King Henry Tudor VIII and Anne Boleyn.

Religious struggles characterised the first months of Elizabeth’s kingdom.

In 1559, with the Second Act of Supremacy, the queen re-established the independence of the Anglican Church; moreover, all the clergy had also to use the Book of Common Prayer. As a result Anglican faith was ruled and levelled out across the whole England.

With Elizabeth I, England became an economic power. Several laws created an important fleet and stated the birth of “companies” in Asia and America, like the famous East India Company. Seamen founded settlements where to exchange England products with local materials, such as gold, ivory and spices, or people (slave trade was still encouraged).

English fleet was so powerful to defeat Spanish Invincible Armada, in 1588: England was the most powerful country of the world.

However, life quality for peasants was still bad; orphans and ill were not helped. Elizabeth had to pass the Poor Law, by which parishes had to take care of them managing schools and hospitals.