Elizabethan society in the age of exploration 1558-88

Question 1

Which European countries were the first to explore the world beyond Europe in the 1400s?

Answer 1

Spain and Portugal- voyages of discovery to Africa, the Americas and Asia. By the time Elizabeth came to the throne, Spain and Portugal had colonies in the Americas.

Question 2

Name two advances in technology that meant longer journeys where possible?

Answer 2

1590s John Davies invented the backstaff which made navigation easier and more accurate than the sea astrolabe.

From the 1570s, the log and line helped sailors estimate their speed more accurately.

Ships-biulding- English built larger and longer ships which were better suited to long ocean voyages because they were faster more stable and easier to navigate. Lateen sails meant faster sailing too.

Question 3

How did maps improve?

Answer 3

More detailed and reliable e.g. the Mercator map.

Question 4

Name two reasons rivalry with Spain encouraged exploration?

Answer 4

Spain made it difficult for English traders to trade freely through Antwerp. This encouraged them to look for new routes into Europe and further afield, especially in the Americas and Asia.

Elizabeth realised she needed to compete with Spain globally not just within Europe.

Question 5

Name two ways Elizabeth encouraged the development of England’s international trade?

Answer 5

She granted some merchants monopolies which gave them exclusive rights to trade in a particular part of the world.

Encouraged privateering and explored opportunities to establish English colonies in the Americas.

Question 6

Give an example of an English monopoly Elizabeth granted?

Answer 6

East India Company- given a monopoly of trade with Asia in 1600.

Question 7

Who was John Hawkins?

Answer 7

A slave trader. He traded slaves captured in West Africa in the Caribbean making him very wealthy.

Question 8

Who was Sir Walter Raleigh?

Answer 8

An English explorer who attempted to form colonies in modern-day North America.

Question 9

Name two reasons Elizabeth wanted an English colony in the Americas?

Answer 9

Political- It could challenge Spain’s dominance in the Americas and could be used as a base of attack on the Spanish treasure ships.

Financial- A colony would provide opportunities for trade and be a source of raw materials that would make the English rich.

Question 10

When did Walter Raleigh go on his fact-finding mission to North America? Where did he land?

Answer 10

1584. On Roanoke Island.

Question 11

What did Raleigh return to England with?

Answer 11

Two Native Americans.

Question 12

When was the first attempt to set up a colony in Virginia?

Answer 12

1585

Question 13

Who led the first expedition to set up a colony in Virginia.

Answer 13

Sir Richard Grenville

Question 14

How many settlers went on the first expedition to set up a colony in Virginia?

Answer 14

108

Question 15

When did the majority of the settlers (planters) from Virginia return to England? Why?

Answer 15

1586. Francis Drake arrived to find planters running low on supplies. Most were unhappy so decide to return.

Question 16

When was the second attempt to establish a colony in Virginia? How many?

Answer 16

1587. 100 settlers.

Question 17

Why were supplies from England to the Virginia colony delayed?

Answer 17

The Spanish Armada.

Question 18

What happened when the supply ship finally arrived in Roanoke?

Answer 18

All the planters had disappeared. Mystery. Roanoke is known as the ‘Lost Colony’.

Question 19

Why was the attempt to set up colonies in Virginia a failure?

Answer 19

Timing: The voyage set off too late in the year to plant crops in Virginia so they were short on food. This made them vulnerable to problems like delayed supply ships. Also, the ship the ‘Tiger’ flooded meaning supplies were ruined such as food and gunpowder.

There was a poor mix of people- there were too many craftsmen and not enough farmers. This led to reliance on native Americans for supplies and skills which lead to increased hostility.

Question 20

How did the planters anger the Native Americans?

Answer 20

Too demanding of supplies and food. Wiginia the local chief disliked the English as many of his tribe died from disease and he was killed in a battle with the colonists.

Question 21

Who was Sir Francis Drake?

Answer 21

A Privateer.

Question 22

What problems did Sir Francis Drake face when circumnavigating the globe?

Answer 22

Rough seas, pirates, the Spanish

Question 23

Why was Drakes’s circumnavigation of the globe an achievement?

Answer 23

He was only the second man in history to achieve it.
He was the first English man to achieve it.
He returned with £400,000 in treasure with Elizabeth getting £200,000 of that, more than her entire income for a year.