Elizabethan

The Elizabethan era is the time in Europe’s history associated with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I from 1558-1603.

Many agree that this was the golden age of English history. Queen Elizabeth I reigned during the height of the Renaissance when poetry, music, literature and science were flourishing. Expansion and exploration abroad was happening constantly. Protestant Reformation was already established and acted as a defense against the Catholic powers of the Continent.¹

This was a period of relative peace that laid between the periods of English Reformation and the battles between parliament and monarchy that would engulf the seventeenth century.¹ The divide between the Protestants and Catholics was momentarily settled and England’s government was centralized and organized, although parliament was still not strong enough to challenge the monarch.¹

England was doing very well in respect to the rest of Europe. The Italian Renaissance had come to an end and France was embroiled in its own religious battle. England did had a rival in Spain though. There was the Anglo-Spanish War of 1585 - 1604 during which Philip II of Spain attempted to invade England in 1588 and was eventually defeated.¹

Despite this being England’s golden age, the country descended into war less than 40 years after the death of Queen Elizabeth I.¹

Reference:

1. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Elizabethan_age

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