Final Copy Queen Elizabeth Essay

Research paper: First paper due 21st March
Explain the impact of Queen Elizabeth’s reign on Britain.
1. Outline the contributions Elizabeth made to Britain
2. Highlight the impact of these contributions
3. Summarise the legacy of Elizabeth I
Queen Elizabeth I was a very independent and contentious woman in British society who revolutionized Britain’s past which is also referred to as the Golden age or the Elizabethan era. Queen Elizabeth I was born on the 7th September 1533 and was crowned Queen of England in 1558. She reigned over England until 1603 when she passed away and left England as an independent, dominant and prosperous country. Queen Elizabeth I was an influential member of Britain’s society and impacted many historical events that affected the way Britain’s population lives today. Three key contributions and points of interest in Queen Elizabeth’s reign during the Golden age included: Implementing Protestantism (Church of England) as Britain’s religion, Repelling the advances of the Spanish Armada and Promoting literature and the arts along with her work with the less fortunate people. Queen Elizabeth I secured Britain’s religion which was Protestantism and is now referred to as the Church of England. The Spanish armada was a significant event that Queen Elizabeth was involved with and protected her country in alliance with Sir Frances Drake, by obstructing the Spanish fleets from entering into Britain’s territory as their motive was to depose Queen Elizabeth’s position of the throne. Queen Elizabeth was also recognized for her promotion of the arts both socially and culturally as she promoted English literature and teachings which increased the literacy levels in England. She was a recognized member of Britain’s society as she was a caring person who catered for all people no matter their economic status or social class.
Firstly, Queen Elizabeth I is recognized for her great work in various areas one being the change from Catholicism to Protestantism. During the late 1400’s Britain underwent a difficult time due to the separation of the Catholic Church. Henry VIII separated from the Catholic Church as he did not abide by the rules and regulations. He demanded an annulment between Catherine of Aragon as she could not conceive and therefore not produce an heir to the English throne. This time period was called the reformation. Soon after Henry passed away Queen Mary tried to counter pole Protestantism and implement Catholicism once again. Although this idea did not last very long; as when Queen Elizabeth came into reign over Britain she wanted to satisfy both dominant religions (Catholicism, Protestantism). She did not eradicate catholic believers as her cousin Mary Queen of Scots would have stood up and taken action in parliament. So she agreed to make an environment tolerant of both religions. She finally implemented Protestantism as the Church of England’s religion but still maintained a healthy relationship with catholic believers. This was a significant event that occurred at the time, as Queen Elizabeth helped Britain reclaim their religion and to steer them into a good direction out of turmoil. Many people commended her on her contributions to the Church of England, as Catholic’s could still continue their practises and rituals as well as protestant believers who had the Church of England as support. This event is still significant in today’s society as the monarchy follows the Church of England which in essence is referred to as Protestantism. The change in the religious system was one reason that led to the attack of the English by the Spanish armada. This contribution is very significant as this triggered England to become a prosperous wealthy country with the most power over other countries as they are under the reign of the monarchy.
Additionally, Queen Elizabeth I is recognized for her great work in the defeat of the Spanish armada. The Spanish armada was a fleet of Spanish ships with the motive to depose Queen Elizabeth of the throne. The fleet Sailed from Spain into Britain’s territory to reclaim the true religion as Catholicism and instead there was a battle in the San Juan De Ulua between the Spaniards and the English force led by John Hawkins. The Spanish plan was to send 130 of their ships to outnumber the English fleet so they could attack territory and claim Catholicism as the true religion in Britain. Catholicism could only be restored if they deposed Queen Elizabeth from the throne. This plan ricocheted as the English were better sailors and navigators, their ships were smaller which meant they could sail faster and approach targets quickly. The English fleets were led by smart, ingenious people like Sir Frances drake and Lord Howard of Effingham. The English fleet retreated and followed the Spanish down the English Channel. They could not see progress so in desperation they called upon large fire ships to destroy the Spanish armada. Due to this most of the 130 ships were destroyed. This was significant in Britain’s society as the English fleet defeated the Spanish armada and all of the riches and power Spain had over other countries Britain inherited. This made Britain a prosperous country as they defeated a large rich country. This event is still significant today as Britain is a well-established country with various countries under the monarchs reign. This is also evident today as Australia and some parts of Europe share the current Britain monarch as their head of state. This furthermore also affected Britain’s society as the Church of England was secured protestant and is still evident in today’s society.

Lastly, Queen Elizabeth I was a very sensitive, emotional, receptive person who cared for the less fortunate people. Queen Elizabeth I felt sorrow for many people suffering from poverty and not being able to afford food and shelter for their family. Due to this, Queen Elizabeth and the government implemented a poor law. They came upon agreement that they would elect most of the church parishes in Britain which estimated to be 15,000 parishes who every Sunday would collect donations from people and use this money to put towards the poor people funds. The “poor law” also included: caring for the poor, feeding the poor, providing them a place to stay and accommodating for their needs in a case of sickness. This was a significant contribution Queen Elizabeth made as the poor people were catered for and the death tolls decreased due to the stability of their health. This contribution is well recognised in today’s society as we respect Queen Elizabeth as she cared for the less fortunate and accommodated for their needs. This has shaped Britain’s society as even now poor people are cared for due to the poor law invented years ago. Queen Elizabeth loved arts and literature and felt by listening and viewing these pieces she could escape and enjoy herself. This is why she promoted playwright William Shakespeare and poets Nicholas Hilliard, Sir Phillip Sidney. Queen Elizabeth also altered education during the 1500’s. She demanded the proper learning materials for children be available to use such as textbooks and built large grammar schools to accommodate studious children. This was significant during the Tudor period as many children were receiving widespread educational facilities, literacy levels were therefore improving which led to a large number of children excelling in university and more jobs were created as more people were knowledgeable. Such contribution is significant today as many people receive a great education and complete tertiary education. Education has significantly changed due to this event for the better and Britain is very particular on education which ensures that children will benefit from schooling and have access to great facilities. Currently Britain enjoys a reputation for continuing to have the most prestigious schools of education in the world (Oxford , Cambridge Universities).
In conclusion it is evident that Queen Elizabeth I made many great contributions to Britain’s society which helped shape the way Britain has evolved. Her work against the Spanish armada, the securing of Britain’s religion and steering them out of turmoil, promoting literature and arts have all contributed to the way Britain is recognised today.