Year 7
The Norman Conquest - 1066:
Norman Conquest - Revision Guide on BBC Bitesize - Includes short video and a 10 question test
Norman Conquest - 'Claimants to the Throne' on BBC Teach - 5 minute video on the men that wanted to be King.
Norman Conquest - 'The Battle of Hastings' - BBC Teach - 6 minute video on the Battle of Hastings and the events leading up to it.
Norman Conquest - 'Animated Bayeux Tapestry' - 5 minute You Tube video of the events shown in the Bayeux Tapestry
Norman Conquest - ''King William and the Domesday Book - BBC Teach - 5 minute video on how William controlled England
Norman Conquest - 'The Domesday Book' - BBC Teach - 7 minute video on how the Domesday Book was created.
Norman Conquest - Launch Page for all 6 videos - BBC Teach - Other videos about Stamford Bridge and Anglo-Saxon resistance
Norman Conquest - Normans (Story of Britain) - BBC Teach - 6 minute video on life under Norman rule
Mountfitchet Castle - Castle Website - see the aerial video and photos of a Motte and Bailey castle.
Norman Conquest - 'Claimants to the Throne' on BBC Teach - 5 minute video on the men that wanted to be King.
Norman Conquest - 'The Battle of Hastings' - BBC Teach - 6 minute video on the Battle of Hastings and the events leading up to it.
Norman Conquest - 'Animated Bayeux Tapestry' - 5 minute You Tube video of the events shown in the Bayeux Tapestry
Norman Conquest - ''King William and the Domesday Book - BBC Teach - 5 minute video on how William controlled England
Norman Conquest - 'The Domesday Book' - BBC Teach - 7 minute video on how the Domesday Book was created.
Norman Conquest - Launch Page for all 6 videos - BBC Teach - Other videos about Stamford Bridge and Anglo-Saxon resistance
Norman Conquest - Normans (Story of Britain) - BBC Teach - 6 minute video on life under Norman rule
Mountfitchet Castle - Castle Website - see the aerial video and photos of a Motte and Bailey castle.
The Events of 1066:
England 1066
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England is the home of the Anglo-Saxons, led by their saintly king Edward the Confessor.
The Anglo-Saxons live in one roomed wooden huts in small villages, with a small stone church. They are skilled at making decorative metal jewellery and books of ornate hand-decorated books. The Anglo-Saxons suffer a major problem this year, Edward dies without children, so he doesn't have an heir to take the throne. |
Claimants to the Throne
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Three candidates emerged to claim the throne of England:
Harold Godwinson - the most powerful Anglo-Saxon nobleman, he claims that Edward promised him the throne on his deathbed. Edward was married to his sister, so he is the King's brother-in-law. William Duke of Normandy - ruler of an area of what we call Northern France leading the Normans, he claims that Harold swore an oath on holy relics promising him that he could be king and that Edward had promised him the throne too - he was also a cousin of Edward's. Harald Hardrada - ruler of the Vikings from Norway, he claims he should be king because the Vikings ruled England not so long ago. He also has the support of Harold Godwinson's brother! There is also Edward's nephew, Edgar Etherling in Hungary, however, he was seen as too young. The Witan an Anglo-Saxon council of nobles agreed that the Anglo-Saxon Harold Godwinson should become King, and Harold became Harold II of England. However, the other claimants weren't going to take this lying down. |
William's Preparations:
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On hearing the news William of Normandy prepared to inavde England to fight Harold for the throne.
He got together an army of around 7,000 men and 700 ships to sail across the sea to England. He also got the blessing of the leader of the Church the Pope, who gave him a special banner. However, just as he was ready to set sail the winds were blowing in the wrong direction, and he couldn't invade England for months. |
The Viking Invasion:
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Harald Hardrada the Viking ruler invaded the North of Engalnd to fight Harold for the throne.
Harold Godwinson, marched his Anglo-Saxon army from Southern England north to near York. Harold's Anglo-Saxons fought Harald's Vikings at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Harold's Anglo-Saxons won the battle, and so Harold was still Harold II King of England. However, in the battle the Anglo-Saxons had lost some of their best warriors. |
The Norman Invasion:
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Whilst Harold was defeating the Vikings in the North of England, the winds changed allowing William of Normandy to sail over to England and invade in the south.
William ordered his Norman army to build a castle, and burn down Anglo-Saxon villages in Harold's lands, to provoke Harold into coming to face him rather than the Normans marching North. When Harold was told of the news he marched his Anglo-Saxon army south, around 200 miles, to near Hastings. Readying, for the battle to come William allowed his Norman army to rest and gave them a feast. Harold, however, didn't allow his Anglo-Saxon army to rest after the march south. |
The Battle of Hastings:
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On October 14th 1066, Harold got his Anglo-Saxon army to form their ancient tactic of a 'shield wall' on Senlac Hill. The overlapping shields of the Anglo-Saxon warriors to defend them from attack and wear down the opposing army.
William arranged his Norman Army in three lines of Archers, Infantry (foot soldiers), and Knights on horses. He also wore the relics Harold had sworn on, and the banner given to him by the Pope. William's Norman army attacked in its lines several times, but was unable to break the Anglo-Saxon shield wall. At a key moment in the battle when it began to look as if the Normans were unlikely to win, a rumour began to spread amongst the Norman soldiers that William had been killed. In response William lifted his helmet to show that he was still alive, and command his men to attack again. William then used the Norman's ancient tactic the 'Feigned Ratreat' pretending to run away. The Anglo-Saxon army saw the Normans running away, and began to chase after the Normans, Harold had lost control of his army. William's Norman knights, then turned and attacked the Anglo-Saxon warriors who were no longer protected by each other's shields, and could easily be killed by several Norman warriors, Harold was killed when he was hit by an arrow to his eye, and then hacked down. The battle had lasted all day for around 10 hours. William's Normans had won the Battle of Hastings. William now headed to London to be crowned King of England - William the Conqueror. |
How did William the Conqueror control England?:
1) Motte and Bailey Castles
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Evidence: Wooden fortresses were built quickly across England. They had a Keep on the top of a man-made mound (the Motte) and a village surrounded by a pallisade (the Bailey). Hundreds were built, possibly 1000 in the Norman period. A good one is Mountfichet Castle in Essex (see film of it at https://mountfitchetcastle.com/ if you can, go and visit it)
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Explanation: William's Knights were protected from attacks from Anglo-Saxon rebels, and could see from high up across the surrounding lands to spot and deal with any attacks. The castles were a visible sign to the Anglo-Saxons who was now in control of England - the Normans!
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2) The Feudal System
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Evidence: William arranged English society into a hierarchy with him at the top. He rewarded his best soldiers, who he made Nobles/Barons with land, in return they provided the king with knights and taxes. The Nobles gave some land to the Knights, who trained ready to serve the Nobles and the King and provided taxes for the Nobles & King. The Knights allowed the Peasants to farm their land, providing food and taxes for everybody, whilst having a small area of land for themselves to survive. All laws were based around this.
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Explanation: This system kept the King in charge, it gave him an army and money; it rewarded his best soldiers from the Battle of Hastings so they wouldn't turn against him. It also kept the Anglo-Saxons at the bottom, unable to rebel as they were hard at work and couldn't move villages.
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3) The Domesday Book
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Evidence: William sent out Commissioners to cross the country and find out how much each village in England was worth. They recorded how many people, mills and animals each village had. All the records were put together in the 'Domesday Book'. (1085-1086)
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Explanation: This allowed William to know how much to tax each village in England, ensuring he had a steady stream of money coming in - that he could use to defend and control his two kingdoms England & Normandy. It also reminded the Anglo-Saxons who was in control, as they felt they were being judged.
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4) The Harrying of the North
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Evidence: William responded to Anglo-Saxon rebellions in the North of England in an extremely harsh way - he sent his army to the North who punished whole villages - killing their livestock (animals) and destroying crops; burning homes and putting salt on the land. The Domesday Book records that much of Northern England was a 'Wasteland' - which had been caused by William's actions.
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Explanation: This collective punishment for all in the North, whether they were rebels or not, made clear to Anglo-Saxons living in other areas what they could expect if they too rebelled. This prevented further rebellions by the Anglo-Saxons - allowing William to rule for 20 years 1066 (Dec) - 1087 (Sept).
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Other possible factors - building impressive buildings such as Norman churches and cathedrals.
Medieval Life:
'Living History - Living in Medieval Europe' - a 22 minute video on Medieval Life
The Medieval Manor (Village) - a 7 minute video from the BBC's Timelines series
Religion in the Middle Ages - a 6 minute video from the BBC's Timelines series
Medieval Medicine - BBC Teach - a 5 minute video about the development of medicine. A little gory.
Medieval Crime & Punishment - a 10 minute You Tube video featuring Tony Robinson.
The Black Death - Revision Guide on the BBC - Includes short video and a 10 question test
The Black Death - a 7 minute video from the BBC's Timelines series.
The Peasants' Revolt - Revision Guide on the BBC - Includes short video and a 10 question test
Peasants' Revolt - a 9 minute video from the BBC's Timelines series.
The Medieval Manor (Village) - a 7 minute video from the BBC's Timelines series
Religion in the Middle Ages - a 6 minute video from the BBC's Timelines series
Medieval Medicine - BBC Teach - a 5 minute video about the development of medicine. A little gory.
Medieval Crime & Punishment - a 10 minute You Tube video featuring Tony Robinson.
The Black Death - Revision Guide on the BBC - Includes short video and a 10 question test
The Black Death - a 7 minute video from the BBC's Timelines series.
The Peasants' Revolt - Revision Guide on the BBC - Includes short video and a 10 question test
Peasants' Revolt - a 9 minute video from the BBC's Timelines series.
The Black Death:
Definition:
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The 'Black Death' is the name given to an outbreak of the Bubonic Plague in the 14th Century.
The Black Death entered England in 1348 through the Dorset port of Weymouth. It killed 30 - 50% of the country's population. Fleas carried the disease, and they lived on rats, when the rats died the fleas would jump onto other animals and humans, transmitting the disease. The plague usually led to death within seven or eight days, its symptoms included 'buboes' huge blisters appearing in the groin or armpit; dark bruises appearing under the skin; vomiting and painful muscle spasms. |
Causes of the Black Death:
Rats & Fleas:
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Fleas carry the disease bacteria in their bodies.
Fleas live on rats, feeding off their blood passing on the disease. Rats carry the fleas as they move around in search of food. When the rats die the fleas jump onto other nearby animals and humans - passing on the disease. |
Trade:
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The bubonic plague started in Central Asia.
Trade caravans along the 'Silk Road', a trading route from China, across the Middle East and into Europe, brought the disease to the settlements they stopped at. Steadily, the plague moved settlement by settlement across Europe. In Europe the plague was carried by rats, animals and humans on ships to different ports. Eventually, ships with the plague, possibly on and in the rats on board, or in sailors arrived in England. |
Poor Hygiene:
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England in the 14th Century had the conditions to allow the spread of the disease.
The country lacked sanitation, it did not have a proper covered sewage system. Human waste was thrown into the street, where it built up in gutters with animal waste. Rubbish, was also thrown in the street and not removed. These were the conditions in which rats and fleas, and a variety of deadly germs could thrive. |
Poor Medication:
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Medicine was not very advanced in the 14th Century.
Without microscopes people were unaware of what was causing the disease. People thought it was caused by Miasma (bad air), the stars and planets or was a punishment from God. So the people didn't know how to treat it or stop it spreading. Some people fled towns, carrying the disease further; some people went around partying, others locked themselves away. People treated the disease by carrying sweet smelling flowers, and a whole range of ineffective medicines, such as using ten year old treacle. Ultimately people were just left to pray, or try spells - nothing they did could stop the disease, nor was it stopping it from being passed on to others. |
Linking:
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To use the skill of linking two factors together - you could link Rats & Fleas with Poor Hygiene.
Rats and Fleas carried the disease and their movement spread the disease onto people, but the plague may not have been as bad, or spread as rapidly or far, if the hygiene in villages and towns had been better, the waste building up in the streets allowed the rats and fleas to survive and breed. If hygiene had been better the plague may not have spread in Central Asia, in Europe or in England. These things together, made the plague that was the Black Death. Can you find any other links? |
The Peasants' Revolt:
Definition:
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The Peasants' revolt was an uprising by the lowest group of people in the Feudal System in England in 1381.
It began in Brentwood, Essex, and spread to villages throughout the country, with the rebels marching on London to make their demands to the King, |
Events:
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King Richard introduced an unpopular tax the Poll Tax, where everyone had to pay the same regardless of how rich or poor they were.
The tax collectors were heavy handed when visiting the villages, and so very unpopular. In Brentwood, Essex, villagers fought back against the tax collectors. The Peasants spread the news of the uprising through, Essex, Kent, Suffolk and Norfolk, calling on more people to join the cause. The rebels freed a radical priest, John Ball, who preached equality. They also picked a leader, Wat Tyler, and marched on London - to take their demands to King Ricahrd II. When King Richard travelled down the Thames from the Tower of London, but didn't meet the rebels standing on the bank at Greenwich, the rebels marched into London - with poor Londoners joining them. The rebels set alight and destroyed numerous buildings, including the houses of King Richard's advisors, entering the Tower of London and capturing the Archbishop of Canterbury who they beheaded. (the King had already left the Tower). King Richard met the rebels, whose leader Wat Tyler demanded less harsh laws, the church wealth given to the poor, and all men should be equal. At which point, Tyler got into a fight with some royal guards and the Lord Mayor of London stepped up to Tyler and stabbed him, Tyler called for the rebels to attack as he lay dying from numerous sword blows. King Richard, turned to the crowds and said 'You shall have no captain but me!', and promised the peasants more freedom. With the King's word, and their leader dead, the peasants went home. In the following weeks and months the ringleaders of the rebellion were hunted down and executed, and the King went back on his word. |
Medieval Rule:
King John and the Magna Carta - Revision Guide on the BBC Bitesize - Includes short video and a 10 question test.
King John and the Magna Carta - UK Parliament video - a 7 minute video, comic cartoon style
King John and the Magna Carta - BBC Timeline video - a 7 minute video from BBC Timeline series
Simon De Montfort & Parliament - UK Parliament video - a 7 minute video, comic cartoon style.
'The First Parliament' - Simon De Montfort on BBC Teach - a 5 minute video about King Henry III & Simon De Montfort
Horrible Histories - The Crusades - a 6 minute video overview of the Crusades
The Crusades - Revision Guide on BBC Bitesize - Includes short video and a 10 question quiz
Richard I - 'the Lionheart' - You Tube - a 4 minute video about Richard I, Saladin and the Third Crusade
King John and the Magna Carta - UK Parliament video - a 7 minute video, comic cartoon style
King John and the Magna Carta - BBC Timeline video - a 7 minute video from BBC Timeline series
Simon De Montfort & Parliament - UK Parliament video - a 7 minute video, comic cartoon style.
'The First Parliament' - Simon De Montfort on BBC Teach - a 5 minute video about King Henry III & Simon De Montfort
Horrible Histories - The Crusades - a 6 minute video overview of the Crusades
The Crusades - Revision Guide on BBC Bitesize - Includes short video and a 10 question quiz
Richard I - 'the Lionheart' - You Tube - a 4 minute video about Richard I, Saladin and the Third Crusade
The Tudors:
Henry VIII:
Henry VIII - Overview of Life and Wives - Two short videos and information on Brittanica.Com
The Tudors Compared:
The Impact of the Tudors on the Modern UK - BBC Teach Article with Clips, covering key aspects of each Tudor Morarch.
Henry VII Ruled 1485-1509
Henry VIII Ruled 1509-1547
Edward VI Ruled 1547 - 1553
Mary Ruled 1553 - 1558
Elizabeth I Ruled 1558 - 1603
Henry VIII - Overview of Life and Wives - Two short videos and information on Brittanica.Com
The Tudors Compared:
The Impact of the Tudors on the Modern UK - BBC Teach Article with Clips, covering key aspects of each Tudor Morarch.
Henry VII Ruled 1485-1509
- Ended the Wars of the Roses, a war between two royal families in England, the Lancastrians (Red Rose) and Yorkists (White Rose), by defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field to become King, and then unites the two families by marrying Elizabeth of York. The Tudor Rose, contains both a Red and a White Rose. This creates peace in Engalnd after years of war.
- His reign is about ensuring the Tudor Family are in power. He prevents further internal wars, by banning the Barons from having private armies. He also makes sure tha army and castles had the latest military technology, able to fire cannon hundreds of metres.
- Henry sent commissioners around the country forcing people to give the King loans - if they found a large mansion the owner would have to pay. This meant that the King's treasury (fund of money) had a lot of wealth.
- Henry supported the wool industry in England, that became the source of England's wealth for centuries.
- Henry knew wars were costly and expensive, so he negotiated with other Kings to prevent them. He made a deal with the French King, that he wouldn't send an army to France in return for £150,000 per year. His deal with the Spanish King, was to offer the Spanish King's daughter Catherine of Aragon a marriage with his own son Prince Arthur. His daughter Princess Margaret is married to the Scottish King James IV, in a Peace Treaty with Scotland.
Henry VIII Ruled 1509-1547
- Inherits a huge treasury (fund of money) from his father.
- Henry married his older brother's widow, and they were married 20 years. Whilst Henry was fighting in France in 1513, Catherine led the army in England against an invasion by Scotland and defeated it. Catherine, however, did not provide Henry with a male heir (a boy to become the next King) only a daughter Mary, so he divorced her to marry the woman he had fallen in love with Anne Boleyn.
- The divorce of Catherine, led to England splitting from the Catholic Church, and Henry becoming head of the English Church, not the Pope. Anne Boleyn gave birth to a girl, Elizabeth.
- The monks and priests didn't like a non-priest being head of the Church in England, so the monasteries were closed and sold off, making more money for the King's treasury. This is called the 'Dissolution' (dissolving the monasteries). The monasteries had been around for hundreds of years, and played a big role in communities from farming, to education and charity - this would be a big change for the people of England.
- Henry used charges of treason to stop criticism of his rule, and so many people were executed without trial. He had two of his six wives executed, and key ministers who aided him were also executed when he became unhappy with them.
- Henry made changes to religion in England, as head of the Church of England in 1538 he ordered that the bible should be read in English, rather than Latin - meaning the ordinary people could understand church services. Henry was beginning the move towards England being a Protestant type of Christianity, rather than the Catholic type of Christianity. So the Reformation begins years of disagreements between Protestants and Catholics.
- Henry fought numerous wars in France, Scotland and across Europe, where in some battles he commanded the fighting. These were expensive and led to the near bankruptcy (completely out of money) of England on several occasions.
- Henry VIII united the Kingdoms ot England and Wales, as well as becoming the first English King of Ireland.
- Henry creates a national postal service for the King's mail, with a horse kept reay in every town to take the KIng's letters. Henry creates the first proper Royal Navy, with its first dock in Portsmouth, and the ships have the latest cannon and can fight against the French and Spanish navies.
Edward VI Ruled 1547 - 1553
- Edward was Henry's only son, but not his eldest child, but as he was a boy he inherited the throne first, aged 9.
- Edward and his advisors were inspired by the Protestantism put forward by a German Monk, Martin Luther, that was now spreading across Europe. Theywere against the wealth and power of the Catholic Church and wanted a simpler religion, Edward became a Protestant and ordered for the Churches to be made plain, with the services in English rather than Latin, the painted walls, whitewashed, and the colourful stained-glass windows were removed. So determined in his Protestant beliefs, that people should not be distracted when worshipping God, that Edward was called 'God's Imp'. This was the Reformation proper.
- Edward died age 15 of tuberculosis, and his eldesr sister Mary became Queen,
Mary Ruled 1553 - 1558
- Mary was a Catholic, and many were happy when she came to the throne as they hopd she would undo the changes of her brother and father, and make the country Catholic again.
- Mary made the Church Catholic again making the Pope the head of the Church in England, restoring the church decorations, and having the church services in Latin again.
- Mary had those that opposed these religious changes executed in a severe way, by being burned at the stake, she had 300 people executed in this way. For this she was known as 'Bloody Mary'. (though other Tudor monarchs had thousands more people executed).
- She married the King of Spain, and it was suspected that English taxes were going to Spain.
- Mary lost important battles, and she lost the las part of France that had belonged to England.
- Mary died of cancer in 1558. Church bells rang out in London - few people were unhappy at her passing.
Elizabeth I Ruled 1558 - 1603
- Elizabeth was the daughter of Anne Boleyn, very bright she could speak 5 languages by age 18 - her mother was executed when she was two, and Henry VIII's last wife Catherine Parr, particularly aided her education.
- She worked out how to use publicity to her advantage, sending hundreds of portraits around the country so people knew what she looked like, and she would also go on tours of towns and cities. She encouraged paintings of herself, portraying her as wealthy and powerful - creating the view of a Golden Age of England under her as 'Gloriana', especially after the Spanish Armada, where troops had chanted '"Gloriana! Gloriana! Gloriana!"
- Elizabeth won a major victory against Spain, when the King of Spain tried to invade England with the Spanish Armada. She herself gave a stirring speach at Tilbury on the Thames to the English forces stationed there. With this victory England gained respect in Europe as a major power, having defeated the 'Superpower' of the day.
- Parliament tried to bully her at the start of her reign, as she was a woman. But, Elizabeth refused to sign their laws, refusing to sign one that stopped people playing games on a Sunday, she said people needed relaxation.
- Elizabeth never married, ldespite many men offering to marry her. Like her people she was worried that the man who married her would become King and too powerful, instead of Elizabeth ruling. She assured the people of England that she was married to England.
- Elizabeth was a Protestant, but she realised that since the times of her father England had been channging between different types of Christianity, and she realised changing things like this was only bringing problems in the country and for the ruler. Elizabeth, chose a clever tactic of taking a middle path between Protestantism and Catholicism. She didn't believe it was her job to look into the souls of her people. This would please most people in England,
- Elizabeth had her Catholic Scottish cousin Mary Queen of Scots imprisoned, to prevent Mary overthrowing her. Mary was implicated in a plot to overthrow Elizabeth and to restore Catholicism, and so Elizabeth had her executed. Elizabeth had a spy-network set up under Francis Walsingham that reached across Europe, and had its own code-breaking and forgery school!
- With the monasteries gone, people in need had no-one to go to for charity. In 1601 the Elizabethan Poor Law was extablished, in each church area (a parish) the people (parishioners) were pay money according to how much they could afford to help the very poorest in society.
- During her long reign England saw a number of advances in its power, knowledeg and culture - Francis Drake became the first English person to circumnavigate the globe (go around - Spain had already done this); Walter Raleigh began attempts to set up new colonies in North America - potatoes and tobacco were brought to England, and Shakespeare wrote his plays; a Royal Exchange was set up that began the banking industry in London.
- Elizabeth died aged 69, without children that was the end of the Tudor Dynasty (royal line/ family), her Scottish relative King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England as well - this began the Stuart dynasty.