Queen Elizabeth I and the wider world Flashcards
(40 cards)
why in the 15th century were long sea voyages made possible
new navigational instruments like the compass.
fast, light ships that could be manoeuvred to catch the wind.
the invention of guns (for protection).
Why did Elizabeth encourage exploration?
Naval power: As England is on an island, a powerful navy would be a good defence
Empire: Spain’s wealth from the New World meant that Elizabeth was keen for overseas territory.
Weakening Spain: Spain was a threat - Elizabeth feared they would get rid of her and replace her with a Catholic. Attacking Spain - and reducing its wealth - would reduce the threat.
Trade: In the 1550s, the cloth trade - England’s main trade for centuries - collapsed. Merchants needed new markets for their goods, and new goods to sell. They wanted a sea route to India or China, so they didn’t have to rely on overland merchants.
what was the Muscovy Company. when was it founded. who did they trade with and what did they trade
it was founded in 1555. they traded furs and timber with Russia
what was the Eastland Company. when was it founded. who did they trade with and what did they trade.
it was founded in 1581. and they traded timber, tar and canvas with Baltic
what was the Levant Company. when was it founded. who did they trade with and what did they trade
it was founded in 1581. and they traded dyes, dried fruit, wine and silk with the Eastern Mediterranean
what was the East India Company. when was it founded. who did they trade with and what did they trade.
it was founded in 1600. and they traded silk, cotton spices and tea with Indian and the Far East
was England able to establish colonies
The English made several attempts to establish overseas colonies during Elizabeth’s reign, but none of them were successful. One of the notable attempts was Roanoke.
during the Elizabethan era what happened to the navy
The English navy grew, and English ships got better. English sailors become much better at sailing - and fighting - at sea. This didn’t just improve trade and exploration - it was vital in defeating the attack by the Spanish Armada in 1588.
By the end of Elizabeth’s reign, England was the greatest sea-power in the world – and it stayed that way until the 20th century.
in 1572 what happened to weaken Spain
1572: Drake attacked Spanish ships loaded with silver from Peru and seized silver worth £20,000 - the equivalent of about £30 million today.
in 1578 to 1579 what happened to weaken Spain
1578–79: Drake launched successful attacks on Spanish settlements and ships in the New World, bringing back gold, silver, jewels and silk, making a huge profit.
who was Francis Drake
Francis Drake was the most famous seaman of Elizabeth reign. He is a controversial figure - some see him as a national hero, others as little more than a pirate
what was Francis Drakes main achievements
Being the first Englishman to sail around the world, circumnavigating the globe between 1577 and 1580.
Helping defeat the Spanish Armada by attacking Cadiz in 1587 and delaying preparations. He was also vice-admiral during the Armada. He was proud of his impact during the Armada and boasted about it by saying he ‘singed the King of Spain’s beard’.
Launching successful attacks on the Spanish empire, bringing back gold, silver and jewels, making a huge profit.
Making valuable trading contacts with the Spice Islands.
who was John Hawkins
John Hawkins was Francis Drake’s cousin. He was a navigator and slave trader
what was John Hawkins main achievements
He developed a new type of fighting galleon which was faster, lighter and better able to withstand harsh weather conditions than ships in the Spanish fleet.
His innovative designs were important in helping to defeat the Spanish Armada.
who was Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh was a famous sailor, explorer and courtier.
what were Walter Raleighs achievements
The queen invested in his privateering expeditions against the Spanish. He wanted to establish colonies for Elizabeth in North America. The area was thought to have an inexhaustible supply of wine, oil, sugar and flax and would reduce England’s trading dependence upon Europe.
In 1584, Elizabeth gave Walter Raleigh a charter, allowing him to form a colony in America. what did Raleigh and Elizabeth hoped that the colony would provide
provide riches from the New World
act as a base for disrupting Spanish treasure ships
what happened when they tried to colonise Roanoke
Raleigh didn’t go to America himself, but he sent Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe to find a suitable site for a colony. They arrived on Roanoke Island in July 1584 and met the native tribes, the Secotans and the Croatans. Barlowe came back to England, bringing two Croatoan tribesmen, who told Raleigh all about the area. Raleigh thought it sounded good and sent a second expedition of five ships, led by Richard Grenville. Bad weather separated the ships, but eventually a group of settlers made their way to Roanoke. In August 1585, 107 colonists landed and constructed a fort on the island. Grenville promised to come back in April 1586 with more colonists and supplies, but the reinforcements didn’t arrive. Many of the colonists returned to England and brought back tobacco and potatoes with them, but some of them stayed behind.
In 1587, Raleigh sent another group of colonists to set up a colony on Chesapeke Bay and asked them to visit Roanoke and check on the settlers there. When they arrived, the settlement was deserted. They found a skeleton, but no sign of anyone.
what were the 4 things that happened on Roanoke Island to make all the colonists to disappear
Relocation (White’s only clue was the word ‘Croatoan’ carved into a fence post. Did this mean the colonists had moved to Croatoan Island? The island was 50 miles from Roanoke), Conflict with local tribes (One theory is that the colonists were slaughtered by a local tribe), Integration with local tribes(Some historians believe that the settlers gave up on reinforcements coming from England, and integrated with local tribes) and the Spanish ( Some people believe that the colony was wiped out by the Spanish)
who were the driving force behind trade with the East
English merchants were the driving force behind trade with the East. They were less interested in American colonies and more interested in spices like pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Spices were very important to the Elizabethans, as they were used to preserve meat and the prices charged by middlemen on the overland routes were high.
who were the people who tired to navigate the dangerous North West passage
Martin Frobisher (1535-1594) tried to reach China by going round North America. He reached the Arctic and was driven back by snow and ice.
Humphrey Gilbert (1539-1583) also believed that there was a route around North America. His ship was hit by storms and he never returned.
John Davis (1550-1605) made three separate voyages looking for a northern route to China. Like Frobisher, he was driven back by the cold weather.
who was the first person who was successful in navigating the dangerous North West passage
Although Francis Drake had reached the East Indies, the first person who established trade with the Spice Islands was James Lancaster. He took the southern route around Africa (capturing Portuguese trading ships along the way) and reached the East Indies, where he bought spices and valuable dyes used in the woollen industry. When he came back, the East India Company was set up to attract investors and in 1600, Lancaster took the first of the Company’s fleets to modern day Indonesia. He met with local leaders and made alliances and set up trading posts.
The East India Company grew under later monarchs and became very important and prosperous.
who was the one of the first sailer to visit India
One of the first English sailors to visit India was Ralph Fitch. He was a merchant who spent eight years travelling around the Middle East, India and Burma.
who was Dr John Dee
he was the brains behind the Elizabethan exploration. this was shown in the fact that he argued that the Englishman should search for new northern routes to the rich markets of china and the East Indies. and dee also presented his vision of a great empire ruled by Elizabeth stretching across the northern Atlantic. and dee also produced a Mao and books to justify the colonisation of North America and he argued that the Atlantic voyages of John and Sebastian cabot after 1497 gave Elizabeth a claim on America
