Elizabeth I
Anybody really know why they consider her reign as the "The Golden Age"?? Because honestly, upon first studying her a long time ago, I always thought of it more of a bad time, economy couldn't be good with the war with Spain and all, religious divides, different people making the claim to the throne, etc.
This thought came up to me again after watching the Elizabeth movies, why is her reign considered the Golden Age?
Originally posted by lord xyz
Protestants became the dominant religion, which was historically good, and we won the war with Spain.Apparently, it's called the English Channel because England's right close to it.
That can't be it though, yeah, they won with Spain, but Spain a few months later on had their fleet rebuilt, they weren't crippled by the war at all.
That was part of it, but Elizabeth was secretly supporting English ships pirating Spanish ships and bringing their wealth back to England, this actually really angered Spain, I forget the leader at the times name. But he was also publicly coming up with plans to dethrone her also, which is probably why he wasn't too happy with the execution of Mary, who was also plotting against Elizabeth, even after she saved her, which is ridiculous.
Originally posted by General G
That was part of it, but Elizabeth was secretly supporting English ships pirating Spanish ships and bringing their wealth back to England, this actually really angered Spain, I forget the leader at the times name. But he was also publicly coming up with plans to dethrone her also, which is probably why he wasn't too happy with the execution of Mary, who was also plotting against Elizabeth, even after she saved her, which is ridiculous.
Mary was not plotting against Elizabeth- Liz's Intelligence Chief (an ardent protestant forged documents to suggest she was...at the end of Letters Lizzie used to score down the rest of the page so nothing could be added before her seal. Mary was not so clever.)
In short, Elizabeth is the first Queen in her own right who was successful (unlike her predecessor Bloody Mary) that is why she is seen as being successful- however "successful" monarchs changes over the decades. Just look at Edward I. At the start of the century, he was hated, then he was rehabilitated- lots of statues of him built etc- now he is vilified again as a dictator and a murder of Jews...it goes in cycles. Elizabeth's reputation has remained steady for some time however...yet her fathers breaking with Papal Rome...big error.
The first few years of Mary's reign were actually successful, but she mingled with the wrong crowd, ties to Spain and such, not well received by the English. She did have the added advantage of being a legitimate Tudor though, and the English loved their Tudors.
Under Elizabeth England returned to Protestantism obviously. The country finally found a viable religious settlement that endured against militant Calvinism and the Catholic Reformation and it has persisted until pretty much the present day.
She managed to launch out a political and economic course that led to the creation of an empire and embraced all kinds of Protestantism leaving her immensely popular. She never really pursued a vigorous course of action against religious dissent like Mary did for example until after her excommunication and the discovery of the conspiracy plots.
When she suppressed the plots, executed Mary, and defeated Philip II's armada, she gained the support of most Englishmen, even the Puritans.
And as for the economy, she quietly supported the work of "pirates" which brought in great revenue for her at the expense of the Spanish.
She was pretty genius actually, but I think it's important to realize that unlike many others she had genius and loyal advisers and support, not to mention legitimacy, at least to the Protestants.