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- 1. 3 The Tudor Navy and The Spanish Armada 1. Introduction Elizabeth's conquest of the Spanish Armada is the most important of her achievements. It established the supremacy of England's navy. It quelled the threat of Spain once and for all. 2. Causes of the misunderstanding between Queen Elizabeth and Philip II of Spain i) Queen Elizabeth remained a virgin all her life. But she flirted with a large number of men and gave them false promises of marriage in order to keep them subordinate to herself. This was a gambit in her political game. Philip II, the king of Spain, was one of the men she flirted with. He was deeply disappointed when she abandoned him. He wanted to teach her a lesson. ii) The second cause of friction between the two countries was the constant trouble given by English pirates who they were called sea-dogs by Spanish traders. Spain was the monarch of the sea for long. Philip's galleons had colonized Portugal, Southern and Central America, and Indies. The Spanish galleons plundered these countries and brought their gold and silver to Spain. iii) The Tudor monarchs wanted to have a share in the growing maritime trade. Henry VIII backed up John Calbot who discovered Labrador. A team of private merchants from England established trade contacts with South America. A new English company called The Company of Merchant English com was formed. Sebastian is ompany of the navigator John Calbot, was the Chief of this company. It had trade connections with Baltic and Scandinavian markets. iv) John Hawkins, another famous navigator, was a thorn in the flesh of the Spaniards. He bought sturdy negroes in West Africa and sold them at a huge profit to the Spaniards in America to work in their mines. Philip hated the intrusion of Hawkins and tried to capture him. Hawkins escaped and returned to England. In the same way, Francis Drake and Martin Frobisher also looted the Spaniards. Queen Elizabeth supported Hawkins, Drake and Frobisher and gave them jobs in her navy. v) Philip sponsored Mary, Queen of Scots. He intended to throw out Elizabeth and make Mary the queen of England. Her execution and the suppression of the Catholics in England angered Philip. Drake sailed into the harbour of Cadiz and sank a Spanish ship. Philip could not control himself any more. He declared an open war against England.
- 2. 4 3. The course of the naval battle between Spain and England The Spanish fleet called the Armada anchored in the shape of the crescent moon. It was captained by the Duke of Medina Sidonia. It consisted of one hundred and thirty ships. The horns of the crescent were seven miles long. The Spanish ships were huge merchant ships. They were unfit for war. The English fleet was captained by Lord Howard of Effingham and assisted by Hawkins, Drake and Frobisher. The Spanish ships were anchored off Calais. At night, the English admiral set fire to some old ships of his and let the wind carry them. The ships were loaded with inflammable material. On seeing this moving inferno, the Spanish sailors panicked. They sailed helter-skelter. The English sailors pursued them and destroyed most of them. This was a deci- sive victory for England. This took place in 1588. 4. Effects of England's victory The victory of England was greeted by the Protestants both in England and abroad. They regarded this as God's punishment for the headstrong Philip. They said: God 'blew' and 'scattered' the Spanish ships. Having gained naval supremacy, England was able to establish many colonies unhindered by rivals.Also, Elizabeth was now in a position to concentrate on internal problems and work for the progress of England _____________________________________________________________________________ 3. THE ELIZABETHAN AGE & THEATRE THE ELIZABETHAN AGE 1. Introduction The Age of Queen Elizabeth was like the bright sunrise that comes after a dismal night. It was like the healthy and happy rejuvenation of a man after a long period of sickness. Queen Elizabeth is one of the very few monarchs who occupied the English throne for a longer period and reigned in a beneficial way to all. This age experienced peace and prosperity, safety and security, and perfection and pinnacle in various spheres like religion, economics, culture, art, politics and literature. 2. Religious policy of Queen Elizabeth
- 3. 5 Elizabeth's predecessors were religious fanatics. Henry VIII beheaded Thomas More for he supported the Pope. Mary Tudor burnt many Protestants in an attempt to revive the Catholic faith. Elizabeth was aware of people's disillusionment with religious frenzy. She got her Parliament pass the Act of Thirty-Nine Articles of Belief. According to it, praying and preaching were to be only in English. This patriotic move was widely welcomed by the people. She compelled the clergy to wear surplices. If they did not do so she sacked them. She took only such mild measures. She did not go to the extreme extent of killing non-conformists in large numbers. Thus the religious policy of Queen Elizabeth was much appreciated by people for its tolerant nature. 3. Economic policy of Queen Elizabeth The coins in Queen Elizabeth's time were debased. So their value decreased and prices rose. To arrest this trend Elizabeth started a special mint in 1560. New coins were minted and circulated and thus fall in the value of money was stopped. Cultivable land was closed to provide pastures for sheep. So, many farmers lost their jobs. There was growing scarcity of skilled labourers in certain other places. Hence apprenticeship for seven years was made compulsory. Justices of Peace were empowered to fix the wages and working hours of labourers. The Patent Law was intended to promote mining and manufacturing industries. But a lot of misuse was found. In 1601, Elizabeth's Parliament passed a new Patent Law Act and stopped the misuse. To help the poor people many poor laws were passed. Thus Elizabeth took many steps for the improvement of the economy. 4. Foreign policy and maritime activity Elizabeth adopted all kinds of methods to decimate her enemies like Spain, France and Scotland. To make King Philip of Spain submissive, she promised to marry him. But later she evaded him. Philip sent his massive Armada. But Elizabeth destroyed the Spanish Armada with her sailors like Drake and Hawkins. She set the Protestants and the Catholics of France against each other. So France forgetting England, had to struggle with its local problem. Elizabeth beheaded Mary Queen of Scots who tried to topple Elizabeth. Thus she destroyed all her foreign enemies. Elizabeth promoted many companies for Social History of England - 1 82 trading with foreign countries. The Muscovy company was established to trade with Russia. Sir Francis Drake voyaged round the world between 1577 and 1580. Sir Walter Raleigh established a colony called Virginia in memory of Elizabeth in North America. In 1600 the East India Company was
- 4. 6 started to trade with Spice Islands. But the company reached India. Thus the reign of Elizabeth saw the beginning of the maritime activity and the naval supremacy of England. 5. The Elizabethan Literature Regular theatre In 1576, the first permanent theatre was built by James Burbage, a famous Elizabethan actor. It was called ‘The Theatre’. Then many theatres were built. ‘Rose’ ‘Globe’, Fortune and Swan were some of the famous play houses of the day. The theatres were small and were in different shapes. In these theatres, the yard in front of the stage was opened, but the backstage and the galleries were roofed. Structure of theatres The Elizabethan play houses were crude structures built of wood and their roofs were attached. The theatres were exposed in the centre but the sides of the stages were covered. Drawbacks The main drawback of the Elizabethan theatres was that there were no proper stage appliances to announce the change in time and place. Placards were used to announce the location. There was no drop curtain and the end of a scene was indicated by a rhyming couplet. There were no female actors. Women’s roles were played by adolescent boys who were trained for the purpose from childhood. There were neither scenery nor stage property. Audience The Elizabethan audience was a small motley crowd, drawn from all sections of the society, who differed in taste education and wealth. Most of them were superstitious who believed in witches and ghosts and were fond of violent scenes. The wealthy people sat in the galleries and boxes. The privileged persons sat on stools on the stage. The groundlings who were most noisy and unruly, occupied the pit by paying just a penny. Period of transition The Elizabethan age was a period of transition from the old religious drama to the modern non-religious plays. In the beginning, the clergies performed dumb shows inside the church or the church premises. Then came the Miracle and Morality plays that imparted instruction and entertainment. After the Renaissance new type of non-religious plays were enacted. In the beginning these plays followed the classical tradition. But later, the rules were broken and modern dramas were staged.
- 5. 7 First English plays Robert Greene, one of the ‘University Wits’ wrote the first original English play. ‘Spanish Tragedy’ written by Thomas Kyd is the first English tragedy. Christopher Marlowe wrote “Tamburlaine”, “The Jew of Malta”, “Dr.Faustus” and “Edward II”. He is considered to be the father of English Tragedy. The drama started by Marlowe was completed by Shakespeare, the world’s greatest dramatist. 6. Conclusion The age of Queen Elizabeth witnessed progress in all walks of life. Further England and its people experienced prosperity and peace. They felt safe and secured without any external threat that is why the age of Queen Elizabeth is regarded as the golden period of English history. ______________________________________________________________________________ Unit -4 THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN ENGLAND 1. Introduction The origin and growth of political parties makes an interesting study. It may be traced back to the period of Civil War that took place during the Stuart era. It is also quite interesting to know that the same old parties continue to exist even now with different terminologies. 2. Tories and Whigs During the Civil War between the King and the Parliamentarians, the supporters of the King were known as the Royalists and the supporters of the Parliament were called Roundheads, because the supporters had close haircuts. After the Civil War, the Royalists were called the Tories. The term comes from the Irish term 'toraidhe' which means 'outlaw'. Currently, the Tories are known as the Conservatives. At the same time, the Roundheads came to be known as the Whigs. The term 'Whig' comes from a Scottish word meaning 'mare drivers. Currently, they are called the Liberal Party. It is to be noted that both the terms were originally terms of contempt and later acquired new meanings. The Tories were associated more with the gentry class and the Whigs were associated with the traders. 3. Restoration Period The Restoration of 1660 was the Restoration of Monarchy. With Charles II the nobles and the gentry were also restored to their hereditary positions and their property was restored.
- 6. 8 Hence, political activity became popular. The political divide became greater. The famous Whig politician, Earl of Shaftesbury was known by the contemporaries as the father of the political parties. The small squires constituted the main elements of the Tory Party. The Tories hated the Whigs, because, while the income of the Tories was gradually decreasing, the army contractors, merchants and money-lenders who formed the main element of the Whig party were becoming richer and richer. The Tories wished to crush the Dissenters and make every citizen a member of the established Anglican church. The Whigs were in tune with the process of economic change which finally led to the Agrarian and Industrial Revolutions. 4. The Age of Queen Anne During the Age of Queen Anne, there were a lot of political activities. Though there was much rivalry between the two parties, the Queen supported the Tories and considered them as her supporters. After the death of the Queen Anne, the Tories wanted to continue the Tory line by inviting James, the Old Pretender, son of James II. It was the Whig party which was responsible for bringing the Hanoverian family to power. George I, the first Hanoverian king, considered the Whig Party as his well-wishers. The Whig politician, Sir Robert Walpole, considered to be the first Prime Minister of England, virtually controlled the Parliament. However, during the 18th century, greater importance was given to the individuals and not to the parties. Several eminent politicians hailed from the Whig party like Henry Petham, George Grenville, Lord Rockingham, Lord North and William Pitt. They dominated British politics from 1743 to 1782. These politicians brought in their admirers and supporters but when these people lost their powers, their supporters also became obsolete. 5. The French Revolution and After During the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, the Tories were holding the office. They took care to preserve the position of the Upper Class. But, in the general election of 1830, the Whigs came to power again. Because of the Agrarian and Industrial Revolutions, life had changed and people were expecting a lot of reforms. The Whigs had a zeal for reform, as a result of which the famous Reform Bill of 1832 was passed. They were also responsible for abolishing slavery and passing the Factory Act, both in 1833.
- 7. 9 6. The Victorian Period In the year 1841, the Tories came to power with Sir Robert Peel as Prime Minister. They pursued a policy of conservatism. During the mid-Victorian period, the political parties were divided and poorly organized. They still revolved round the individual leaders. Another important change that took place during period was that the major parties changed their names. The perios called themselves Conservatives and the Whigs came to be called Liberals. For almost two decades from 1868, the Whigs (now, the Liberals) dominated the political scene. Some of the farnous Liberal Prime Minsters were Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone. Gladstone's Irish policy was a failure and the Conservatives came to power and remained in power, except for two brief intervals in 1892 and 1895. Again, the concept of the two-party system continued till the end of the 19th century 7. The Rise of the Labour Party After the Industrial Revolution, the problem of the working classes began. The Salvation Army founded by General Booth in 1878, and the Fabian Society with popular personalities like Bernard Shaw made people aware of the common men's problems. Socialist ideas grew with the influence of Karl Marx and his popular work Das Kapital. But the English socialism was mild. It depended on the trade unions and the trade unions were not interested in politics. For a long time, the trade unionists were supporting the Liberals. Now, many felt the need for the Labour Party and the Labour Party was born with the support of cooperatives, socialists, trade- unions and various working class organizations. In 1924, the Labour Party came to power with the support of the Liberals but they could not survive because most of the ministers were inexperienced. They depended upon the Liberal support. Hence, they lost to the Conservatives who came to power in the same year; and remained in power till 1929. Once again the Labour Party came to power in 1929, but unfortunately England was under a severe economic depression and the sec- ond Labour government also failed. 8. After the Second World War Sir Winston Churchill was a popular war Prime Minister but after the war, the English people wanted a change. The Labour Party came out with many proposals for social security measures. With the result, the Labour Party won the elections and Clement Atlee became the
- 8. 10 Prime Minister. Many social security schemes were announced and England became a Welfare State. For next thirteen years the Conservatives were in power, and continued the welfare measures begun by the previous Labour government. In 1964, the Labour Party came to power and this time Harold Wilson became the Prime Minister. James Callaghan became the Prime Minister in 1976. He was a great Labour leader and under his government the trade unions became very powerful. There was a marked shift in the next election in 1979 and the Conservatives won a victory under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, known popularly as the "Iron Lady", During her regime, there was a shift back to the right wing politics. In 1990, John Major took over from Thatcher. The Conservative rule which began in 1979 came to an end in 1997, when Tony Blair became the Prime Minister of Labour government. 9. Political Parties in the 21st century Tony Blair strongly supported the American foreign policy and also participated in the Afghanistan war and Iraqi war. Though he won victories three times, he was criticised for his foreign policies. He was succeeded by Gordon Brown in 2007 as the Leader of the Labour Party and the next Prime Minister. In 1981, many Labour Party members left the party and formed a new party called Social Democratic Party. Later, they merged with the Liberal Party to form the Liberal Democratic Party in 1988. In 2005, there was a change in the leadership ofall the three parties. David Cameron was elected leader of the Conservative party; Gordon Brown was the leader of the Labour Party and Nick Clegg became the leader of the Liberal Democrats. In the recent general election in 2010, the Conservatives won the largest number of seats but it was a hung parliament. An agreement was reached between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats and a coalition government was formed with David Cameron as the Prime Minister. He remains the Prime Minister to this day. In the 2015 election, the conservaties won and David Cameron has become the Prime Minister for the second time. Conclusion Thus, the political parties have a long history in England. They continue to play a significant role in shaping the destiny of the country.
- 9. Colonial expansion Introduction During the reign of Queen Elizabeth itself, attempts were made to establish colonies. But only during the rule of James I colonies were established successfully in Virginia, New England and West Indian Islands and trade centres were also founded in India and South Africa. Causes for colonisation At the end of the 16th century many people left England and settled in America and other foreign lands. After the Reformation, the religious persecution made some people dissatisfied with life England. Some others found life dull in England as there was no scope of adventure. Some others, who possessed no land in England, left the country with the idea of getting land in the New world. After the Wars of the Roses wealth increased Which tempted to take overseas enterprises. Virginia It was the first colony to be found in America by Sir Walter Raleigh. It was named Virginia in honour of the virgin Queen Elizabeth, who had supported Raleigh’s adventures. Raleigh’s men could not set up a colony in Virginia. Only in 1607, the first settlement was made by a group of men under the leadership of John Smith and they called it Jamestown in honour of James I the then ruler of England. New Plymouth In 1620, a group of Puritans called the Pilgrim Fathers set out in a ship called Maryflower, and landed in Cape Cod. They called the place New Plymouth in memory of the English port from where they had sailed. Massachusetts The colony of Massachusetts was set up by a group of wealthy puritans who received a charter from the king Charles I in 1629. Their chief town was Boston and Massachusetts was the chief colony of New England. Island and Connecticut In 1636, Roger Williams, a religious leader with his men settled in a place called Providence from where came the Rhode Island, the smallest of the colonies. Thomas Hooker another religious leader settled at New Haven and called the colony as Connecticut. So also, the colony of New Hampshire was later formed. Mary land The first Roman Catholic settlement in America was made by Lord Baltimore, a Roman Catholic in 1634. In honour of Mary, the mother of Christ, the colony was named
- 10. Maryland, though was a Catholic settlement, the colony was open for men of every faith and religious toleration was the chief principle of this colony. New Amsterdam The Dutch had settled in the colony of New Amsterdam, This Dutch colony was assigned to the Duke of York. After the Dutch war in 1664, this settlement passed into the hands of English and was named New York in honour of the Duke of York. Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, which means Penn’s Woods was the settlement made by William Penn, a Quaker in 1681. The city of Philadelphia was founded in 1682 by Penn. He also found taro other colonies called the colony of Delaware and New Jersey Carolina Eight noblemen called proprietors were given the territory south of Virginia in 1663 by King Charles ll. This settlement was caned Carolina. Later it was divided into two as North and South Carolina. Georgia The youngest of the thirteen colonies was founded in 1733 by James Oglethorpe, the humanitarian. He got the lands between Carolina and Florida to settle the poor debtors who were in the prisons in England. Trade with Africa and India Through the trade with Africa, England established her power in South Africa. Gold and slaves of West Africa attracted England and through the Royal African Company, England brought home ivory, gold and dyeing materials. She also shared in the slave trade with America. By the Royal charter given to the East India company by Queen Elizabeth in 1600, trade with India was started in 1609 and factories were set up in Madras Surat and Calcutta. Other territories The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 made England the possessor of territories in all parts of the world. She got possessions in Gibraltar, Minorca, India, Islands of St. Helena and in many of the West Indian Islands. Conclusion Thus, during the Stuart age, by the hard work of the English adventurers, colonies were made in America, West Indian islands and trade centres were established in South Africa and India.