Often referred to as the Golden Age, Queen Elizabeth’s 45-year rule assisted in the turn of the declining, tattered realm of England into one of the most powerful and prosperous countries in the world. At the beginning of her reign, the country was weakened by war and religious strife, and the treasury was empty. The two most important issues that marked her reign were the settling of religious unrest, and the defeat of the Spanish Armada. However, she did have many other impacts upon England, such as the laws on shipping, commerce, industry, poor relief and agriculture. Those policies that she forged remained in England for more than twenty years after her control ended.
Elizabeth was born on September 7th, 1533 at the Greenwich Palace in London to King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. Henry was desperate for a strong and healthy son who could succeed after him as heir. Astrologers and doctors confidently predicted Anne was carrying a male, which made Elizabeth’s birth an exciting political event in the 16th century. Once born, everyone viewed her as a great disappointment (Marilee). When she was three years old, Elizabeth’s mother was beheaded for adultery. Twelve days later, Henry remarried and over time went through a total of five wives. It wasn’t until his sixth wife, Katharine Parr, that Elizabeth was blessed with a kind, loving woman who proved to have a profound effect on her life. With Katharine’s strong belief in academia, Elizabeth received her education through noted scholars such as Roger Ascham. She was taught as a potential heir to the throne, rather than as an insufficient daughter. Elizabeth came to study theology, languages, philosophy, history, and rhetoric. She was intellectually gifted (Marilee). The death of Elizabeth’s father came when she was thirteen years old. She was separated from her brother’s household, and moved into Katharine’s home in Chelsea, as she was deemed illegitimate under the 1536 ‘Second Act of...