Queen Elizabeth 1 Essay

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Queen Elizabeth I inherited the kingdom of England in 1558 after her half-sister, Mary Tudor, passed away. Elizabeth began ruling England when Mary’s body had scarcely been cold. She was only 25 years old, but she knew that she was responsible for her people. It was said that she wanted to return England to Protestantism, but she kept everyone guessing about what she wanted to do because she could use Parliament to achieve this without sparking a religious civil war. Elizabeth kept all of her intentions well hidden. She refused to decide if she would marry. The Council quietly began to disarm bishops and a few Protestant preachers were arrested. She did this to encourage Protestants. Although Queen Elizabeth I tried to hide her intentions occasionally, she was an altruistic leader because of her understanding of what was going on in her kingdom. She also was a very hard working queen who led her people well and she didn’t let anybody influence her decisions. Elizabeth’s life had been full of incident and drama before she became queen. It is said that she earned votes because of her ability to exercise power successfully, especially because of her being a woman. She was respected because of her bravery and leadership qualities. She was also well aware that people would see her as a weak woman in a man’s world. However, she never let anybody challenge her authority as the queen. Elizabeth faced many challenges, including the religious division throughout the kingdom. Elizabeth was described as, “a most worthy patroness of all true religion and of learning, a most noble defender of all godly disposed people and a noble conqueror,” (Doran, 2003). This quotation signifies that many thought of Elizabeth as a wonderful person and leade... ... middle of paper ... ...property arrangements as well as the laws of succession to the crown,” (Doran, 2003). Women were not expected to maintain any sort of independent authority, especially when male relatives were involved. Before Elizabeth, Mary Tudor’s reign had been marked by harvest failure and military humiliation. It was a relief to have a new queen in England in 1558. Throughout the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, political issues caused many problems for her, as well as the rest of the rulers before her. Some of these issues included religion, the succession, and international affairs. Elizabeth definitely had her own way of leading the kingdom. However, she used the same guidelines to rule as monarchs who had come before her. The main accomplishment of Queen Elizabeth’s reign was the acceptance of female rule. She was a brave leader in England, and she definitely made a difference.

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