The History of Great Britain

The History of Great Britain is full of outstanding events. There are many various conquests and invasions on the territory of GB: the Roman conquest, the Anglo-Saxon Invasion, the Scandinavian Invasion, the Danes and the Norman conquests.

The History of Great BritainThe Tudor period

The Tudor period is the period between 1485 and 1603. The century of Tudor rule (1485-1603) is often

thought of as a most glorious period in English history.

The History of Great BritainThe Tudor period

The History of Great BritainThe Tudor period

Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603)

was Queen of England and Ireland

from 17November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana or Good Queen Bess, the childless Elizabeth was the fifth

and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty.

Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII by second wife, Anne Boleyn, who was executed two and a half years after Elizabeth's birth.

The History of Great BritainThe Tudor period

• The Elizabethan era was the epoch in English history of Queen Elizabeth I's reign (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia was first used in 1572 and often thereafter to mark the Elizabethan age as a renaissance that inspired national pride through classical ideals, international expansion, and naval triumph over the hated Spanish foe. In terms of the entire century, the historian John Guy(1988) argues that "England was economically healthier, more expansive, and more optimistic under the Tudors" than at any time in a thousand years.

The History of Great BritainThe Tudor period

Elizabeth’s first priority on becoming Queen was to return England to the Protestant faith. Yet she declared that she did not want to "make windows into men's souls" and was satisfied as long as her subjects gave an outward show of conformity. Elizabeth helped create a Church of England that, although Protestant, allowed some of the old Catholic traditions to continue.

The History of Great BritainThe Tudor period

Elizabeth chose an able set of administrators to aid her during her rule, including William Cecil, Lord Burghley as her Secretary of State and Sir Francis Walsingham, in charge of intelligence. Elizabeth's reign also saw England significantly expand its trade overseas and in 1580 Sir Francis Drake became the first Englishman to successfully circumnavigate the earth. The arts flourished in England during this period as Shakespeare, Spenser and Marlowe created poetry and drama while composers such as Byrd and Tallis worked in Elizabeth’s court.The queen was also keen to be seen by her subjects. She went on 25 regional visits known as ‘progresses’ during her reign, often riding on horseback rather than traveling in a carriage.

The Tudor period Mary, Queen of Scots

However, trouble was never far away. In 1568 Elizabeth's cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots - a Catholic with a strong claim to the English throne - sought exile in England. Many Catholic plots centred on putting Mary on the English throne. With Francis Walsingham’s help, Elizabeth imprisoned Mary and kept her under constant surveillance for 19 years. Despite the discovery of conspiracies and plots centred on Mary, Elizabeth showed caution and was reluctant to act against her. However, in 1586 Walsingham uncovered the Babington plot which implicated Mary directly in a conspiracy to overthrow Elizabeth. Mary was tried for treason and executed in 1587.

The History of Great BritainThe Tudor period

•The following year Philip II of Spain launched a great fleet of ships, known as the Spanish Armada, to try and overthrow Elizabeth and restore Catholicism. Always a popular monarch, and a brilliant public speaker, Elizabeth united the country against this common enemy. In a famous speech to troops at Tilbury, she said: ‘I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king - and of a King of England too.’•Partly aided by bad weather, the English Navy defeated the Spanish Armada, with the help of Sir Francis Drake.

The History of Great BritainTudor parliaments

The Tudor monarchs did not like governing

through Parliamenr. Henry VII had used

Parliamen t only for law making. He seldom called

it together, and then only when he had a particular

job for it. Henry VIII had used it first to mise

money for his milita ry adventures, and then for his

struggle with Rome.

The History of Great BritainThe Tudor period

Language and cultureWilliam Shakespeare (/ e ksp ərˈ ʃ ɪ ɪ /;[1] 26 April 1564 (baptised) – 23 April 1616)[nb 1] was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.[2] He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon".[3][nb 2] His extant works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, [nb 3] 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, the authorship of some of which is uncertain. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

The History of Great BritainThe Tudor period

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