The Elizabethan Era from 1558-1603 was a peak time of the English Renaissance known for prosperity and cultural achievements. Queen Elizabeth I ruled England for 45 years during this period and defeated the Spanish Armada. Notable figures that shaped the era included Walter Raleigh, who explored Virginia and founded the first American colony, and playwrights William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe, who advanced English Renaissance theater.

1. The Elizabethan Era
Jenny Wright

2. The History
1558-1603
• Peak of the English Renaissance
• Beginning of Trans-Atlantic Trade
• England defeats the mighty Spanish Armada
• Plot discovered to assassinate Queen Elizabeth and replace her with Mary, Queen
of Scots
• Queen granted a charter to Sir Walter Raleigh to colonize Virginia in the New World
• Sir Thomas Gresham founded the Royal Exchange, the first stock exchange in
England
• Widely accepted as a golden age of peace and prosperity

3. The People
• Queen Elizabeth I – daughter of Henry III, ruled England for 45 years
• Mary Queen of Scots - Elizabeth's cousin, heir, and threat . She was Catholic, and
most of Europe thought she should be queen
• Walter Raleigh - explorer (claimed Virginia and the Carolinas for England),pirate and
naval commander
• Francis Bacon - philosopher, scientist (pioneered the Scientific Method of
investigation),author, lawyer, statesman
• Francis Drake - pirate and naval commander, first Englishman to circumnavigate the
world

4. Lifestyle
• Jousts and tournaments were popular pasttimes with the obility
• Common folk enjoyed fairs and seasonal festivals
• Sports and games included archery, card games, croquet ,and bowling
• Introduction of the potato from South America. Also, people began taking more
interest in gardening and food production
• A time of general well-being. There were no famines or plagues, and the economy
was stable

5. Art & Literature
• Edmund Spenser was a poet best known for his epic poem “The Faerie
Queene”. Considered one of the greatest poets in the English language
• Playwrights such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe made the
theater the high point of English Renaissance culture
• Traveling musicians were in great demand. Music was commissioned by either
the Church or the Court.
• Most artists during this time were foreign born. However, portraiture was in
high demand.
• Miracle plays, reenactments from the Bible and Book of Common Prayer, were
used for education and entertainment

6. If we could teach you only one thing
about this era, it would be . . .
William Shakespeare’s plays. Insert a paragraph of information here. Each paragraph
hould be at least five sentences long and cover three pertinent points.