Golden Age

I have recently analyzed the quiz I have done and researched that most people answered the questions “for fun”. Also, much people weren’t older than 18 years old and I have noticed, that basically boys answered the questions which were related with Queen Elisabeth private life correctly. Unfortunately all those who answered the questions considered the Queen Bess latent physiologically or mentally impaired.  Many people associated the Golden Age with both economy and art as well.  Likewise, it is believed that Elisabeth’s relationships with Queen Mary weren’t great. And also no one is sure, who was the reason that the Queen became a great reformer. In my humble opinion, our school should carry out further lessons for the Study of the Golden Age to improve our students’ knowledge of this great time.

We analyzed the answers to the questions that we have provided for all to see and come to the conclusion that most people do not know what the Golden Age of the UK is, or know, but very little. Test results show that the majority of students answered at random or wrote "do not know."
However, if we pay attention exclusively on the correct answers, the most well-known historical facts are: East-Indian Company, and cultural development. On this basis, we expect to make the final part of the research work, doing "emphasis" on the two most prominent factors.

I would be grateful if you will answer theese questions - https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dC1BQU1UR1ViOXd0RUJKVkU0ME5WYVE6MA

Опросник на тему "Золотой век Англии"


http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dHI1azIxQnFNYjcxbmhJMktNUXk5Vmc6MA

Part II

Theoretically, the concept of "golden age" was planted along with Greek mythology, the tightly linked with the "utopian paradise". However, as mentioned earlier, the "Golden Age of England" is the meaning of the years of reign of Elizabeth I. And more precisely, the reign of Elizabeth Tudor (Elizabeth I) is considered to be the beginning of the Golden Age.

In 1558, the seventeenth of November, dies Mary I, better known as Bloody Mary, the elder sister of Elizabeth I. When Elizabeth learns of the death of her sister, she utters the following words: "God so decided. Strange things to our eyes". Perhaps those words have become the beginning of the Golden Age and the era of changes in England.

Big Beginning

January 15, year 1559. Elizabeth is crowned. The date of the coronation Queen chose herself. It is believed that Elizabeth have chosen this date to extend the holidays in England (the coronation took place  immediately after Christmas holidays).

January 25, year 1559. The first Parliament of Elizabeth is opened. Assumed the crown, young empress immediatly felt the brunt of that burden - country (like the rest of Europe) was split into two irreconcilable camps - Catholic and Protestant. Elizabeth did not drive out and did not subject to reprisals any of the adherents of the Mary I.

With an "Act of Uniformity" queen showed that she will follow the course of the Reformations, started by her predecessors Henry VIII (Elizabeth`s father) and Edward VI (son of Henry VIII), but the Catholics in England were not forbidden to serve mass. This act of religious tolerance allowed queen to avoid civil war, the propobility of which, at that time, was extremely high.

In May 1559 Scottish Protestants uprised against Queen Regent Mary of Guise - a Frenchwoman. Elizabeth was advised to support the Protestants in Scotland, but she refused this step, knowing that such intervention could provoke an armed conflict with France, wfich flooded Scotland with its army. Queen has developed her own, very cutious, foreign policy.

However, Elizabeth has provided material support to the Scottish Protestants. The money was taken away secretly and no one could catch the Queen of complicity.

In 1560, because of some political reasons, Elizabeth was forced to begin the intervention. Scottish Protestants, with the support of British troops, defeated the supporters of Mary Of Guise and on the sixsth of July, 1560, in Edinburgh, an agreement was singed, to concolidate this victory.

English fleet. Colonization of America

The English fleet has always been strong and respected by all countries of the world.

In essence, the Royal Navy was established by Henry VII (grandfather of Elizabeth I), Henry VIII (father) has encouraged maritime trade and Mary Tudor (Bloody Mary) sent an expedition to find the North-East passage to China and India. But only in the reign of Elizabeth, England became a powerful maritime power.

Under Elizabeth`s reign brothers William and John Hawking began their trade-piracy raids. In late 1560, "rises star" of Francis Drake.

At that time there was a conflict with Spain: British sailors regularly plundered Spanish ships and traided the coast of the Spanish colonies. In 1570s there was a strange "war" between England and Spain. Spanish and England ships attacked each other for every day, but official Madrid and London chose to turn a blind eye to these "private war" and were limited with formal protests.

However, step by step, England was fighting back the authority of "Strongest Fleet". This evidence not only pirate attacks, but F. Drake`s journey around the American continent, the base in North America, the first English settlement in America in 1587 and the work of Walter Raleigh. August 18, 1587. The Brittish founded the first colony in America, which was named Virginia, also was founded first English settlement in the America - Jamestown.



Elizabeth personally sponsored all of these activities. "The strongest one, is the right one". Sea Gravelinn battle (1558) between the British and Spanish fleets to the North of Calais anded with a defeat of the Great Spanish Armada (Invincible Armada). After the victory over the Spanish fleet, was defeated a Portugal fleet. England became the most powerful maritime nation in the world.

In 17 century British colonies emrged in East areas of North America, "New Amsterdam", conquered from Dutch, was renamed in "New York".

Development of culture

During the reign of Elizabeth, dramatic art blossomed. This was aided by the Queen herself, who patronized the theater. She even participated ia amateur theatricals. In addition, in 1582 under the patronage of Elizabeth I established the Royal troupe.

In the late 16th and early 17th centuries there was a sudden creative flowering of all forms of literature in London. There were poets such as Donne and Spenser but the main explosion of creativity was centered on the theatre. The building of London`s first theatre in 1576 changed drama from an amateur recreation into a professional art. Within a few years, a dozen theatres employed increasing numbers of professional actors and attracted large but not always well-behaved audience. There was an instable demand for new plays and well over 800 plays were written and performed in London between 1570 and 1620. Brilliant playwrights emerged, like Marlowe, Jonson, Webster and, of course, Shakespeare.



What caused this burst of literary activity to take place? At this time, London was undergoing dramatic changes. It was growing rapidly, attracting thousands from countryside, such as the young William Shakespeare from Stratford. The city was also undergoing an economic revolution as a centre of commerce with ships of London going all over the world. London was the home of the English court and the aristocracy, but traditional society was being revolutionized by the new money from trade. London was a place where fortunes could be made or lost. A new class was emerging, ready to spend to show their new status and looking for ways of enjoying themeselves. Theatres like the Globe grew up outside the city to satisfy the demand  for entertainment for both rich and poor. The London theatre was big business with companies of actors and playwrights like Shakespeare or Jonson, who were celebrities in their time.

East-India Company

The British East-Indian Company - joint stock company, sreated on Dec. 31, year 1600 by decree of Elizabeth I and received extensive priveleges for the traiding operations in India. By 1640 it had established a network of factors not only in India but also in South-East Asia and far East.


March 24, year 1603 Elizabeth I died in the palace of Richmond and was buried in Westminister Abbey.

Concept of Golden Age

So what is the concept of the Golden Age?

Let us take a short look at the text, which you have just red:

1. Religious tolerance, each erased a possibility of civil war - tgis is one.
2. End of war between Protestants and French in Scotland - this is two.
3. The most powerful fleet in the world - this is three.
4. Colonization of America - this is four.
5. Development of culture and economics - this is five
6. East-Indian "merchant" company - this is six.

As we can see, Golden Age, is an age of England, when Brittany was developing allmost in every sphere: military, merchenary, economics, culture, monarchi, even the territory of England was expanded

 And this was only the beginning of the Golden Age.

Resources:

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%95%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B0_I


http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9E%D1%81%D1%82-%D0%98%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F,_%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F

"New Opprtununities - Education For Life. Upper Intemediate - Student`s Book"; Michael Harris, David Mower, Anna Sikorzynska.

I have decided to analyze this and that article to understand, how actually and why did the British Empire headed by Queen Elizabeth have colonized almost the whole world. As we all can see, everything begins in 1578, when Virgin Queen I granted a patent to Humphrey Gilbert(an English adventurer, explorer, member of parliament, and soldier from Devon, who served the crown during the reign of Queen) for discovery and overseas exploration. From that moment begins the development of British Empire and expansion of its borders. In 1583 Newfoundland is claimed on behalf of England's queen Elizabeth, but unfortunately, no settlers were left behind. In 1585 , Raleigh Walter(an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, and explorer) founded the colony of Roanoke on the coast of present-day North Carolina, but lack of supplies caused the colony to fail. Another group of settlers is brought to the island in 1587, a year which sees the first child born in America to English parents. She is called Virginia Dare (Virginia, in honour of England's virgin queen, is the name given to the colony). But when an English ship next visits the island, in 1590, no trace remains of any member of this pioneering community.The next attempt to establish English colonies in America comes in 1606, with the founding of two companies for the purpose.

Well, I think if I say why am I interested in golden age, you will be a little bit surprised. I have had to make a choice, but recently I realized that the only things I see into are History and English.  The most interesting for me are X-XVII centuries. So, when I saw this theme, I taught: “Why not? Good Queen Bess is woman I admire; it can be interesting to know something new about Elisabeth of England”. And that is the main reason for me to choose that theme. I think I have not mistaken. Anyway, even Socrates claimed, that you can do anything you want; Anyhow, you will regret about it.