Queen Elizabeth I Research Paper

Queen Elizabeth I was born on September 7, 1533 to King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. She was crowned queen of England in 1558 and ruled until her death in 1603. Throughout her forty-four years of reign, Elizabeth strengthened the British empire by using toleration to create a more stable religious environment in England, by advancing England’s economy, by improving foreign policy, and expanding the empire through exploration.

Religion: Queen Elizabeth I stabilized the religious environment in England after the chaotic reigns of her predecessors. King Henry VIII, Elizabeth’s father, married Catherine of Aragon in 1509 in order to strengthen ties between Spain and England. However, he became frustrated due to the lack of a male heir, and decided
Henry VIII’s successor, Edward VI (and his Regency Council), created a Protestant nation especially through his work in the creation of the Book of Common Prayer and other religious reforms. However, Mary I, a devout Catholic, became queen after his death and worked to restore Catholicism. Protestantism became a crime punishable by death. Queen Elizabeth took a more moderate approach to the subject. She created a religious settlement, ensuring that neither Protestants nor Catholics would be discriminated against by law. This religious settlement consisted of the Acts of Uniformity and Supremacy, the Prayer Book, and the Thirty-nine Articles. The Act of Uniformity of 1559 stated that Protestantism was the official faith of England, and it included the Book of Common Prayer. The Thirty-nine Articles followed in 1563, defining the ideology of the Church. As Elizabeth’s reign continued, it became clear that her goal was to create a church that was not reliant on the beliefs and personal gain of the monarch. Although the religious settlement was generally Protestant, many Catholic traditions and aspects were preserved – the most prominent can still be seen
Under Queen Elizabeth’s rule, two of the most famous British trading monopolies were created. The British East India Company and the Levant Company rivaled and surpassed the Dutch tea trade companies, boosting the English economy. Companies sailed to the Indies and the Ottoman Empire to gather spices for tea and seasoning and quickly became successful trade businesses. Through these trade routes, England became a well-known economic power, giving the country a higher world status. This status gave England easier access to trade networks across the globe. More imports to the country required more exports from the country, and colonies in the Americas helped to produce cotton, rice, and other cash crops. During this time, Queen Elizabeth became engaged with John Hawkins’ transatlantic slave trade. Slaves in American colonies helped to boost the English economy by producing more goods. The Triangle Trade route between Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean tied all three together in This practice also connected England’s economy to the American economy, giving England a stronger sense of power that helped later in wars and other conflicts. However, American slavery was uniquely associated with race, and racism became an issue throughout history that continues to be a problem