Elizabethan society in the age of exploration

Question 1

Which European countries were the first to explore the world beyond Europe in the 1400’s?

Answer 1

Spain and Portugal - already had colonies in Africa, Americas and Asia by the time Elizabeth came to the throne.

Question 2

Name two advances in technology that made longer journeys possible.

Answer 2

1590’s - John Davies invented the backstaff which made navigation easier.
1570’s - log and line helped sailors estimate their speed with more accuracy.

Question 3

How did maps improve?

Answer 3

More detailed and reliable.

Question 4

Name two reasons rivalry with Spain encouraged Elizabeth to explore.

Answer 4

English traders could no longer freely trade through Antwerp, encouraging them to look for new routes, especially Americas and Asia.
Elizabeth realised she needed to compete with Spain globally, not just within Eurpoe.

Question 5

Name one way Elizabeth encouraged the development of England’s International trade.

Answer 5

Granted some merchants monopolies which gave them exclusive rights to trade in a specific part of the world.

Question 6

Give an example of an English monopoly Elizabeth granted.

Answer 6

East India Company - given a monopoly on trade with Asia in 1600.

Question 7

Who was John Hawkins?

Answer 7

A slave trader. Traded slaves captured in West Africa, made him very wealthy.

Question 8

Who was Sir Walter Raleigh?

Answer 8

English explorer who attempted to develop colonies in modern day North America.

Question 9

Name three reasons why Elizabeth wanted an English colony in the Americas.

Answer 9

Political: would challenge Spain’s dominance in the Americas and provide England with a base for attacking Spain’s treasure ships.
Financial : source of raw materials, opportunity for trade
To become less reliant on Spain and France.

Question 10

Who was Sir Francis Drake?

Answer 10

A privateer.

Question 11

What problems did Drake face when circumnavigating the globe?

Answer 11

Rough seas, pirates, the Spanish.

Question 12

Why was Drake’s circumnavigation an achievement?

Answer 12

Only second man in History to achieve it.
First Englishman to do it.
Returned with £400,000 in treasure stolen from the Spanish. Elizabeth getting £200,000 of that.

Question 13

When did Drake circumnavigate the globe?

Answer 13

1577-1580

Question 14

What did a delayed departure of the expedition to Virginia mean?

Answer 14

That when they arrived they couldn’t grow new crops as the prime crop growing season had gone.

Question 15

What problems did they face on the voyage?

Answer 15

Storms, leading to lots of supplies were lost.

Question 16

Why were the Native American’s resistant?

Answer 16

Because the British were asking for too much food and draining their resources. As well as, lots of Wingina’s people were dying from disease, suspected from the British.

Question 17

What was Wingina’s plan?

Answer 17

He planned with other tribe leaders to attack the settlers.

Question 18

Why did the Wingina’s plan not take place?

Answer 18

The British found out and this caused further tension. The British could no longer trust the American’s anymore and therefore, left.

Question 19

What did the settlers expect the Algonquin to do?

Answer 19

The farming work for them, because they didn’t have the skill to do it themselves. Wingina’s people thought they were being taken advantage of by the British.

Question 20

What problem with the craftsmen, contributed to the voyages failure?

Answer 20

Craftsmen didn’t actually want to work.

Question 21

How many settlers in 1585?

Answer 21

107

Question 22

What did Elizabeth grant Raleigh in 1584?

Answer 22

Royal charter - authorising him to explore.

Question 23

Why was Roanoke chosen?

Answer 23

Strategic benefits for launching raids on the Spanish.
Local indigenous people seemed friendly.

Question 24

What was the result of the first attempted?

Answer 24

Failed and returned.

Question 25

What was the result of the second attempted?

Answer 25

Disappeared.

Question 26

What happened in the first attempted?

Answer 26

They were ill-prepared - set off too late in the season to plant crops.
Storms damaged supplies.
Abandoned it.

Question 27

4 reasons 2nd colony failed.

Answer 27

1. Elizabeth had bigger issues
2. Poor choice of leaders
3. Lack of right skills
4. Relations with natives

Question 28

What bigger issues did Elizabeth have?

Answer 28

War with Spain looking increasingly likely.
Elizabeth needed ships for Armada - meaning colony had limited ships for food replacements or more colonists.

Question 29

Who did Elizabeth choose as a leader?

Answer 29

Richard Grenville

Question 30

Why was Richard Grenville a poor choice?

Answer 30

Hot temper.
Alienated the Algonquin

Question 31

What skills did the colonists lack?

Answer 31

Physical strength for manual labour.
Failed to take stone masons - permanent structures never completed.

Question 32

Why were relations bad between English and Colonists?

Answer 32

Outbreak of disease.
British made tribe do all the work.
So, Wingina led an attack on colonists.