Elizabeth I of England was a ruler faced with difficult task of governing a “state [that] was relatively impoverished and weak, without a standing army, an efficient police force, or a highly developed, effective bureaucracy,” however she was a skilled leader who effectively met many of her challenges (Greenblatt). She used her “skill at manipulating factions” to control her court and pacify hostile foreign leaders (Greenblatt). Economically, she managed to keep the nation running despite mounting war expenses. She endeavored to strike a middle road in religion, adopting moderate Protestant doctrine, which most accepted, even if they didn’t fully agree. As queen, she often used her gender as a tool to help her control those with whom she interacted, …show more content…
On top of the near-constant war against Spain in the latter part of Elizabeth’s reign, the nation also had to deal with inflation, rising expenses, and “tax evasion, which became endemic.” (Morgan). On this last issue, Elizabeth’s government wasn’t really a role model; her Lord Treasurer himself dodged taxes. While Elizabeth herself did not suffer the full extent of these problems, her successors James I and Charles I were left without sufficient funds, leading to all-out war with Parliament. In order to keep the government somewhat functional, Elizabeth turned to corruption, selling land, government offices, and monopolies to the highest bidder. The combined “strain of a war economy … and a series of localized famines” (Morgan) seriously undermined Elizabeth’s popularity and rule, though again, she herself did not suffer the full effects of these …show more content…
After the defeat of the Spanish Armada, Elizabeth allowed the war to “drag on,” sending support for other Protestant nations, authorizing “literally thousands of privateering expeditions against Spain,” and launching small-scale raids on Spanish targets (Morgan). Her allies proved less committed than she hoped; Henry IV of France turned Catholic to win broader support and the Dutch argued with her over the price they paid for English protection. Fear that the Spanish would use Ireland as the staging ground for a massive invasion led Elizabeth to attempt to conquer the neighboring island. Though her forces did succeed in conquering the land, its people remained staunchly Catholic and anti-English and one of her closest advisors turned against her over the issue. These pressures, combined with famine and poor handling of finances, especially tax collection, led to extreme economic downturn and eventually to a war between Parliament and Charles
Finally, Both Empress Theodora and Elizabeth I impacted their respective kingdoms by making many changes during their reigns that improved conditions for their citizens. Empress Theodora impacted their kingdoms by improving living conditions and the society for women. Queen Elizabeth expanded England and hoped religion would not be a problem. Even though both rulers had challenges, they faced it with courage and
The Spanish wanted to invade England was mainly to turn England back into a catholic country, and to get Queen Elizabeth of the throne and to get a queen who was for the catholic monarch on the throne. However there are many other reasons: Firstly Philip II couldn?t accept that was not the king of England, as he was married to Queen Mary I, who was the Queen before Elizabeth. Secondly, when Philip proposed to Elizabeth she turned him down. Another reason is Elizabeth wouldn?t stop the privateers from robbing and sinking Spanish ships, which were carrying gold over the ocean, however it is to be said that Elizabeth ?turned a blind eye to it?, which means that she knew it was happening but wasn?t taking any notice. The last straw was when Elizabeth executed Mary Queen of Scott?s, who would have been Philips choice of queen to rule England, in 1587.
Like her father Elizabeth took England into a different direction. She would be attributed for many advancements in the English kingdom. Under Elizabeth Arts flourished, exploration heightened, literature increased, and foreign trade succeeded. Elizabeth like her grandfather won the hearts of her subjects. Perhaps one of the more outstanding accomplishments in Elizabeth’s reign is peace. Although she was raised Protestant, unlike her brother she did not condemn and punish Catholics. She took a more peaceful approached and tried to bridge a barrier amongst Protestant and Catholics that allowed them to live in peace. Elizabeth may have had many intelligent advisors, but she did not allow herself to be dominated and repressed. Equally intelligent, Elizabeth was able to further support the suffering of her kingdom. She failed to supply proper income to fund her wars, but she was able to sustain the wealth within her own kingdom. This alone made Elizabeth the final Tudor, a successful
...ide throughout history and to this day. In addition, the Elizabethan Settlement has demonstrated to the world the peace that can emerge from religious compromise and toleration between specific conflicting views. Lastly, the Privy Council, cabinet-type, advisory group that was first most prominently used by Elizabeth has been adopted by many thriving nations, such as the United States today. Ultimately, from all of these actions during her forty-six year reign, Queen Elizabeth I has truly been a molder of England, artistically, religiously, and politically.
The conflict between England and Spain only escalated with the continuous harassment of Queen Elizabeth's privateers. The attacks by the Sea Dogs began to disrupt the Spanish silver trade, piled on with the religious opposition Queen Elizabeth faced from Catholics, along with the execution of Mary of Scots. In retaliation of the attacks from England, Phillip II formed the Spanish Armada, or Invincible Fleet. Even before the attack on England, the privateers were already at work to deny the Spanish their victory...
There was undoubtedly an increase in extreme Protestant views throughout Elizabeth’s reign, an area of particular concern was the Puritan beliefs of some of her senior advisors such as the Earl of Leicester. There were also some of those from within the Elizabethan Church and within Elizabeth’s government whose opposition to the Religious Settlement was influential to an extent, particularly during the 1570s, but all of whom received a severe punishment, and consequently never gained enough support to become a substantial threat to the Monarchy. This view has been illustrated
Upon the death of her sister--in November of 1558--Elizabeth ascended to the thrown of England. Until Mary’s rule, no woman--apart from the unrecognized rule of Matilda, daughter of Henry I--had ruled England of her own right1. Much like her sister, Elizabeth began her rule widely accepted and welcomed2. There were, however, still many who felt that women were unable to rule, being that women were said to be the weaker sex. John Knox argued that, “God by the order of his creation hath spoiled women of authority and dominion, [and] also that man hath seen, proved and pronounced just causes why that it so should be.”3 Women had always been no more then property, first to their fathers and then their husbands. If a women were to be the anointed queen of a realm of her own right and then marry, whom was beholden to whom? A woman was to do as instructed by her husband in all things, yet a sovereign was to be under the command of God only.
Gender was the leading cause of distress in the 1500’s: King Henry VIII wanted nothing more than to have a son, yet was “cursed” with the legacy of a sickly son, whom died before the age of 18 and two daughters, one of whom broke every convention of her gender. Queen Elizabeth I never married nor had children, yet can be considered one of England’s most successful monarchs. By choosing King James VI of Scotland as her heir, unbeknownst to her, she created the line that leads to the modern Queen of England, Elizabeth II. The question posed is then, how did Elizabeth I’s gender affect her rule?
Queen Elizabeth I’s gender appears as one of the main topics in her speeches. Elizabeth’s common mention of her own female gender, despite the fact that she could refer to herself with masculine terms, allows her to use gender stereotypes. Using these stereotypes along with mentions of motherly love and her knowledge of literature and when to manipulate her gender, she can rally others to her side, explain why she delays her answers to Parliament, and explain why she cannot knowingly harm her subjects, but by doing this, she provides people with evidence that women are unintelligent and incapable of ruling.
Queen Elizabeth I, also known as the “Iron Queen”, was a remarkable woman of her time, she ruled with great power and longevity. She was one of the greatest feminist of time. Coming to the throne in 1558, she took the place of her father, Henry VIII. She was given one of the most difficult jobs fit for a man or King, ruling England. At the time women were second class citizens, they could not vote nor own properties and such. Surprising England with her intelligence and fierce rulings, she changed herself to make better decisions. She proved through her rulings, to everyone that females were strong and could rule just as well as a king. She refused to marry, giving a feeling of “I don’t need a man for anything.” The Queen was responsible for giving females a voice in literature and it is shown through Shakespeare’s writings.
Queen Elizabeth I was born on September 7, 1533, in Greenwich, England. Elizabeth reigned queen of England and Ireland from November 17, 1558 until her death. Elizabeth never married, and died a virgin, sometimes called “The Virgin Queen” (Gale 2). Elizabeth was born to King Henry Tudor VIII and Anne Boleyn; she was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. This paper will prove Queen Elizabeth I was a woman wholly devoted to her country and brought it much prosperity and growth; these qualities made her the most respected leader of the entire history of England.
Queen Elizabeth the first was one of the first woman monarchs to rule alone in the history of Europe. Her character, the way she ruled, and even her gender transformed her country’s go...
The second problem that she encountered was that of gender. She was a female ruler I a society that had the idea that it was very wrong for any woman to exercise authority over a man. The society ha a mentality that a father was to be the head of household, and a King was to head a Nation. The emergence of a female ruler to a monarch seemed bizarre. Thus, many people choose to undermine her rule claiming that the natural order was broken. John Knox claimed “a woman promoted … to reign over a man is a monster in nature”. The fact that her predecessor was a woman made the situation even worse for Elizabeth I.
To place this assumption into retrospect, in Shakespeare time, from the 1558 to the 1600s, England society was ruled by Queen Elizabeth. Although a women took ownership of the country, in Elizabethan’s society married women and minor girls were entirely in the power of their husband and guardianship of their father. None the less, even after Elizabeth I took the throne, she was expected to wed and “have her rights to rule limited or completely take up by her husband” (Wagner, 21). Women living in a society built upon Renaissance beliefs were only m...