Exploration

• During the reign of Elizabeth I, education became more important and attitudes towards education became more positive. However, the Elizabethan people still lived in a very strict social hierarchy.    The education a person received simply prepared them for the life they were expected to lead.  For most children, this involved important practical skills with some basic literacy.  Only a very small percentage of children and boys in particular would received a formal education.  Few girls, even in the more wealthy parts of society received education.
• Why did education change during this time?

  • HUMANISM: There was a new idea called Humanism. Humanists believed that learning was an important part of life. They believed better education would stop people from being so superstitious and encourage them to be more open-minded about the world around them.
  • RELIGION: The religious settlement had made sure the Bible was written in English instead of Latin so English people could now understand it better. This motivated people to learn how to read so they could read the Bible themselves.
• Why did education change during this time?


  • INCREASING TRADE: With towns and ports growing, there was a need for more people to be literate and educated in arithmetic so they could trade, run their business and communicate with other businesses.  This encouraged more people to gain an education.
  • THE PRINTING PRESS​: Better printing machines were developed to produce books.  This made books a little cheaper and more available to the wealthier classes. Books were printed about a number of subjects such as philosophy, mathematics, religion, medicine & law.  
• Younger Nobility – Home Education


  • Taught in their homes by a private tutor.
  • Subjects like foreign languages, History, Philosophy and Theology (religion).
  • Girls learned the skills expected of upper class women such as dancing, music, horse riding and needlework.
  • Noble boys were taught skills such as fencing, wrestling and swimming.
  • Around 7, boys were often sent to another noble household to finish their education
  • The boys would learn how to become future noblemen and would be expected to learn from the other noblemen around them.
• Older Nobility - University


  • Many nobility boys (and some middle classes) could go on to study at a university
  • Elizabethan England only had two universities – Oxford and Cambridge. These were made up of different colleges. 
  • A young person would start university at the age of 14 or 15.
  • Subjects would include Geometry, Music, Astronomy, Philosophy, Medicine and Law.
  • Rhetoric taught public speaking and persuasion. It was mainly aimed at boys who wanted a career in politics. ​
  • Elizabeth saw the two universities as highly important to educate more Protestant Clergyman.
• Young Middle Class Girls - Dame Schools



  • Only schools specifically set up for girls
  • Provide a basic education of reading and writing in English
  • Run by a local, educated woman in their own home.  
  • ​Women were simply expected to go from being under the control of their fathers to being under the control of their husband.
  • For most girls, education was about learning important skills to be a wife and a mother (e.g. learning how to sew, bake and treat injuries).
• Young Middle Class Boys - Petty Schools


  • Petty Schools were run for middle class boys from the age of around 4 to 7 years old. 
  • Boys were educated in a teacher’s home.  ​
  • Boys who parents could afford to send them would go here. 
  • They would learn reading and writing in English as well as basic arithmetic (maths).  ​
  • Punishments were harsh and beatings for poor behaviour or not achieving well enough were common. ​
  • After attending a Petty school, the bright or wealthy boys would go to a grammar school. 
• Middle Class Boys – Grammar Schools


  
  

  • Private schools set up for wealthy or bright boys mostly from towns.
  • Once middle class boys had been at Petty School, they moved on to a Grammar School at around the age of 7 or 8.
  • 42 Grammar schools were formed in the 1560s
  • By 1577, every major town in England had a grammar school.
  • School days were very long, beginning sometimes at 6am and lasting for 10 hours. 
  • Subjects taught would be Latin, Ancient History, Philosophy, Archery, Chess, Wrestling and Debating.
  • Punishments might include corporal punishment such as caning.
• University Apprenticeships


  • Some grammar schools ran an alternative curriculum for the sons of merchants, craftsmen and yeomen.
  • Focused on more practical academic subjects such as Literacy, Arithmetic and Geography.
• Labourers and Poorer Children


  
  

  • Most people in Elizabethan England had no formal education as most people were labourers (workers) or farmers.
  • In most cases, children needed to contribute towards the family income from a very early age as a way to support their family.  
  • Most jobs that the poor had did not need any need for literacy or numeracy.
• What Impact did Schools have?

  • There was an improvement in education for men but not for women.  ​
  • However, for wealthy women in the nobility, there was an improvement in the opportunities for education they were given – perhaps inspired by Elizabeth herself as a highly respected and educated monarch.  ​
  • For the poor, there was still no need for a formal education and families still needed their children to work towards the family income.
• Elizabethan Sports:

  THE RICH:

  • Hunting – On horseback with dogs or birds of prey.​
  • Fishing – Enjoyed by men and women.​
  • Bowls – Similar to the modern game but men only.​
  • Fencing – Using blunt swords​
  • Real Tennis – Played indoors by men only.  It was a mix of modern day tennis and squash.​
  • Wrestling – In private.

  THE POOR:

  • Football – It was the most popular game for lower class men only.  It was very violent and some men were killed during matches. The ball could be picked up and the size of the pitch could be across two villages.
  • Wrestling – Competed in public.
• Elizabethan Watching Sports

  Baiting​:

  • This involved watching animals fight.  ​
  • The most common was bear baiting where a bear would be chained to a post and dogs would be set against it. 

  Cock-fighting​:

  • Cockerels were made to wear metal spikes around their feet and trained to attack each other.  
• Elizabethan Literature

  THE RICH:

  • A lot of new literature was written during this period.  ​
  • History was a popular subject.​
  • The increasing exploration of the world led to new adventure stories being written.​
  • The printing press also made reading books cheaper and more available.​
  • Poetry and plays were very popular with the rich.  The most educated people wrote poetry, including Queen Elizabeth herself. ​
  • Plays written for the theatre were going through a revolution at the time.​
• Elizabethan Literature

  THE POOR:

  • Literacy rates among the poor were very low.  ​
  • The poor relied on stories told from the word of mouth.  ​
  • The type of work they had to do also gave them very little time for leisure activities such as reading.
• Elizabethan Theatre

  • Elizabeth encouraged more secular (non-religious) plays to be written. 
  • The secular (non-religious) plays were more entertaining, funny & exciting for ordinary people and became popular.
  • Theatre companies increased and even the nobility paid for them. Elizabeth formed her own theatre company called ‘The Queen’s Men’ in 1583. ​
  • The theatre was popular with all classes, but the seats divided the rich and poor. The poor could pay a penny to stand in The Pit at the front of the stage.​
  • Women were not allowed to perform.​
• Elizabethan Dancing & Music

  THE RICH:

  • Music and dancing was popular with men and women of all classes. 
  • However, the classes would never dance together.
  • Many played instruments such as lutes (similar to a guitar) and harpsichords (similar to a piano).
  • Wealthy families would employ their own musicians to play.

  THE POOR:

  • The poor would enjoy listening to music at fairs, markets or public occasions. 
  • There was also music at the church and in the taverns (pubs). 
• The Poor Rate was a local tax organised by Justices of the Peace.  They decided who deserved this help.  The poor were given either money, or items which they could make and then sell in order to earn money.
• Statue of Artificers (1563)


  • This law made sure that the tax and collection of Poor Relief was collected from all those who had to pay.  ​
  • Anyone who refused to pay the Poor Rate could be put in prison.​
  • Any officials who failed to organise the collection of Poor Relief could be fined up to £20.
• Poor Relief Act (1576)


  • Justices of the Peace would provide the able bodied poor with wool and raw materials to make items to sell. 
  • This would allow them to make money and further fund their work.​
  • Those who refused  to work were sent to a special prison called the ‘House of Correction’, where they would be forced to work for no pay.
• Vagabond Act (1572)


  • Criminal vagrants would be whipped and have a hole drilled through each ear as a mark of shame and to discourage others.​
  • Vagrants given the death penalty if caught a third time.​
  • The Justices of the Peace had to keep a register of the poor who they had to find work for.
• The Elizabethan attitude towards the poor

  • People were sympathetic towards those who could not work because of genuine illness or disability.​
  • People were worried that poverty in England would lead to disorder and more crime.​
  • People were worried about the cost of dealing with the poor.​
  • People were worried as the poor were more visible around them, especially in towns and cities.​
• Elizabethans did not have sympathy for the poor when…​

  • They believed the poor were fit to work but too lazy (called the ‘idle poor’).​
  • They believed beggars (vagabonds) were committing crimes.​
  • They believed a person was deceiving or conning the public about an  illness in order to get money.
• The punishments for the 'idle' or 'criminal poor' were:

  • Imprisonment
  • Publicly whipped through the street
  • Hanged if caught three times
• Charity in Elizabethan England:

  • Monasteries used to give help to the poor before Elizabeth's reign but were closed by Henry VIII
  • The Church and wealthier people would donate money to the poor. It was believed that it was a Christian duty to help the poor.
  • Wealthier people would also give their name to a charity.
• Why was there an increase in exploration?

  EXPANDING TRADE:

  • The New World offered more opportunities for trade. There were reports of new, exciting crops and resources.
  • Conflict with Spain and Netherlands had closed down some previous trade routes, meaning explorers had to find new places to trade with.
  • Explorers and traders worked together to discover new trading locations in the New World.
• Why was there an increase in exploration?

  ADVENTURE:

  • Elizabethans were inspired to go on voyages by Francis Drake.
  • They were also inspired by the publications of books by explorers such as Walter Raleigh.
  • The printing press made stories of adventure more accessible to men of the gentry and nobility.

  NEW TECHNOLOGY:

  • Navigation equipment was developed to be more accurate and longer lasting.
  • Voyages were now safer, faster and more direct. This gave less experienced sailors confidence.
  • Quadrants and astrolabes were able to calculate a ship's position using the stars.
• Why was there an increase in exploration?

  THE PRINTING PRESS & MAPS:

  • Improved navigation led to more accurate maps.
  • In 1569, the first map with longitude and latitude was published.
  • The Printing Press allowed more explorers to use these maps.
  • As maps were now printed, they were all the same, meaning they were more accurate.

  THE SLAVE TRADE:

  • Slave Traders discovered they could trade their guns for slaves in West Africa.
  • These slaves were taken to the New World and used to grow sugar, spices, coffee and tobacco.
  • John Hawkins (a slave trader) influenced people who saw his success.
• Why was there an increase in exploration?

  SHIP DESIGN:

  • New ships called Galleons were developed which were larger and more stable then previous ship designs.
  • They could hold more cargo and were much better for longer journeys.
  • They were easier to manoeuvre making them safer from attacks and giving sailors more confidence.

  IMPROVED WEAPONS:

  • The Galleons designed by John Hawkins had bigger and stronger decks for guns. Cannons could be fired from both sides and could fire further than cannons from other countries.
  • These ships could defend as well as attack.
• Why was there an increase in exploration?

  INVESTMENT:

  • Rich, private investors (including Elizabeth) funded new voyages. They knew the rewards could be enormous and wanted the power and glory that it gave.
  • Elizabeth had seen how rich Spain had become from its trading in the New World and was willing to spend huge amounts to explore further.
  • Goods brought back could also fund the government.
• Drake's circumnavigation of the globe:

  • Took 3 years.
  • Set off with 5 ships.
  • Main aim was to raid Spanish colonies and ships in the New World.
  • When they reached the Pacific Ocean in 1578, there was only one ship left (The Golden Hind).
  • Executed one of his sailors as he accused him of mutiny (helping the Spanish).
  • By 1580, only 56 men had survived and returned to England on the Golden Hind.
  • For his achievement Drake was knighted by Queen Elizabeth on the Golden Hind.
• Why did Drake circumnavigate the world?

  POLITICAL GAIN OVER SPAIN:

  • The achievement sent a powerful message to the Spanish about the power and reputation of England.

  TO GAIN WEALTH:

  • There was a huge amount of money to be made from a voyage to the New World. Many people invested in Drake's voyage with the hopes of making lots of money. Queen Elizabeth invested in hopes that great wealth would be made for her country.
  • Drake's treasure haul was worth 500 million in today's money.
  • Drake's investors were made very rich from the treasure and foreign goods that he brought back.
• Why did Drake circumnavigate the world?

  FOR REVENGE:

  • Drake wanted revenge for a Spanish attack on his fleet in 1567.
  • The Spanish had attacked Drake and Hawkins' ships at a place called St Juan in the New World.
  • 325 English sailors were killed. Drake and Hawkins returned with only 15 sailors.
• The importance of Drake's circumnavigation:

  ANGERED THE SPANISH:

  • Drake attacked Spanish ships and looted their resources.
  • Elizabeth knighted Drake on The Golden Hind, showing her support for his actions.
  • These events angered Phillip II.

  ENCOURAGED MORE EXPLORATION:

  • Drake and his crew collected useful and fascinating information from detailed logs and maps.
  • Drake's logs were an inspiration to other explorers and sailors to find out about the Americas.
• The importance of Drake's circumnavigation:

  REPUTATION OF THE ENGLISH:

  • Drake became famous as him and his crew were the first Englishmen and second in the world to circumnavigate the globe.
  • This improved English morale (especially at a time where their relationship with Spain was sprained).
  • It gave English sailors a great reputation.

  DRAKE BECAME A HERO:

  • The Golden Hind was 1 of 5 ships to survive and Drake was 1 of the 56 men that survived.
  • The stories about Drake's voyage made Drake a hero and inspiration to those who heard them.
• The importance of Drake's circumnavigation:

  NEW ENGLISH LAND - NOVA ALBION:

  • In 1579, The Golden Hind reached the west coast of America and needed repairing.
  • They met Native Americans who treated them well and even made Drake the leader of their land.
  • Drake named the land Nova Albion (New England) and declared Elizabeth its Queen.
  • This encouraged other English sailors to conquer land that wasn't already taken. For example, Sir Humphry Gilbert set off to North America in 1578 to colonise land.
  • However, the rights of Natives wasn't thought about and led to their decline.
• The importance of Drake's circumnavigation:

  DAVY INGRAM:

  • One of the most famous accounts from the voyage was from the explorer Davy Ingram.
  • Ingram walked over 3,000 miles north up the coast of America. He wrote down amazing tales of great wealth, including precious metals such as silver and lumps of gold.
  • He spoke of red sheep and rabbits and also acts of cannibalism being practiced by Native Americans who killed and ate their sick.
  • These tales encouraged more exploration.
• The Organisation and Planning of the Virginia Project:

  SUPPLIES:

  • Enough food to get across the Atlantic
  • Fresh water and drink
  • Farming tools and seeds
  • Animals such as chickens to use as food
  • Weapons for the voyage and colonisation

  SHIPS:

  • Needed ships that were big enough to carry all the colonists and their supplies
  • These needed to have weapons in case of an attack
  • These needed to be strong enough to survive the voyage
• The Organisation and Planning of the Virginia Project:

  TIMING:

  • Had to reach Virginia at a time of year when they could grow crops
  • Arriving too late or growing the wrong crops could cause problems

  SPAIN:

  • Spain controlled a lot of land and sea around Virginia.
  • This meant that the English would have to find a safe route without being attacked by the Spanish.
  • They also needed soldiers on board to protect the ship from any Spanish attacks.
• The Organisation and Planning of the Virginia Project:

  PEOPLE:

  • Raleigh believed he needed 300 colonists with a variety of skills. He listed hunters, farmers, soldiers and stone masons (who built forts)
  • Raleigh chose Richard Grenville as his expedition leader. He was an experienced sailor and soldier.
  • Ralph Lane was to be the Governor of Virginia. He was a soldier and expert fort builder.
  • Thomas Harriot worked with Native Americans and understood their language. He was also skilled at map making.