Elizabethan Exploration (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
How did the Renaissance affect exploration in Elizabethan England? - Summary and Timeline
The 16th century was an exciting period for exploration because the Renaissance encouraged new thinking. Elizabethans wanted to understand more about the world around them. Adventure and wealth drove explorers like Sir Francis Drake to make voyages across the world. Technology impacted Elizabethan exploration. Elizabethan explorers travelled further and more often than in previous centuries.
The Renaissance encouraged the creation of new technology and as a result navigational tools improved in this period. Maps, astrolabes and quadrants helped explorers accurately plot and navigate their journeys. There were also improvements in ship design. Elizabethan galleons could travel faster and carry more goods. The ship design also protected English galleons from attacks from pirates or privateers.
The Renaissance created a desire to know more about the world and encouraged explorers like Drake who circumnavigated the world in 1577-1580. This inspired many Englishmen to begin careers in privateering and exploration.
Why was there a growth in exploration during the Elizabethan period?
There were many factors that motivated Elizabethans to explore the world on voyages by boat
Factors that Encouraged Elizabethan Exploration
Factor | Why did this encourage exploration? |
|---|---|
Trade | England's conflict with Spain led to Elizabethan merchants suffering. Spain’s control of the Netherlands affected the cloth trade which had been a fundamental part of England's economy. Merchants began to look for new, undisturbed places to trade with. English merchants exploited the existing African slave trade to lay the foundations of the Triangular Trade between England, Africa and the Americas |
Wealth | Explorers reported back to England about the treasures available in the Americas such as precious metals and crops. The potential profits from these markets persuaded investors to fund voyages to the Americas. Queen Elizabeth hired privateers like Sir Francis Drake to find and steal the wealth from Spain's American colonies. Much of the interior of America remained unexplored. This provided an opportunity for explorers to discover further wealth in the Americas |
Adventure | Elizabethans had few opportunities to travel. The accounts of explorers like Sir Walter Raleigh inspired young men to voyage to the Americas. They desired treasure, fame and wealth, but many did not find this. Transatlantic voyages were very dangerous. Many of these young explorers would die from preventable diseases, mutiny or attacks |
New routes | Explorers wanted to find a new passage to the Far East. They believed that a faster route existed around North America. This was called the North-West Passage. Although the passage was not discovered until 1845, it inspired Elizabethan explorers to study the coastline of America |
Trade with Asia | Explorers attempted to find a direct trade route to Asia. Many attempts were made by individuals such as Sir Martin Frobisher and Ralph Fitch. Fitch encouraged Elizabeth to trade with Asia and, in 1600, the East India Company was created to establish this trade route. New products were brought to England, such as silk and spices. Although trade with Asia was small, it prospered in the future |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In the 16th century, the Spanish Empire was heavily involved in the slave trade. From 1502, the Spanish Empire transported people from the Congo-Angola area of West Africa to the Caribbean. Historians estimate that the Spanish Empire enslaved over a million Africans in the Americas between the 16th and 17th centuries. The Spanish Empire was the model that all European leaders wished to follow. In an attempt to become as rich and powerful as Spain, England began to involve itself in the slave trade. In modern times, we condemn the slave trade and the horrors Europeans inflicted upon enslaved Africans.
Why did Elizabethans look west?
England was not the only country to look to the Americas
Most European countries also had voyages to America
Elizabethans went to America in search of:
Wealth
Influence
Colonies
The Spanish and Portuguese had a lot of success in the “New World”
They had established colonies
They had established a reliable source of gold
They had made good trade connections with the “New World”
Sir Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh became a favourite of Elizabeth’s after his success in Ireland
He suppressed an uprising in Munster
In 1584, Raleigh was permitted by Elizabeth to colonise any land not already ruled by a Christian
Raleigh would, in return, have to give Elizabeth one-fifth of all the gold and silver found in the colonised lands
Raleigh travelled to America to colonise the land
Raleigh attempted to colonise Roanoke
John White later returned to Roanoke to find the colonists had disappeared
The colonisation of Roanoke failed
Attempts to colonise America were not successful until the reign of King James VI
John Hawkins
John Hawkins was a successful and significant member of Elizabeth I’s court
Hawkins was:
A successful merchant
Influential in establishing the Royal Navy
A successful military leader
Believed to have introduced tobacco to England
Knighted in 1588 for his contribution to the defeat of the Spanish Armada
Hawkins played a significant role in the establishment of the slave trade
Hawkins's role in the slave trade resulted in goods being brought to England from the Americas, such as tobacco and sugar
England’s involvement in the slave trade was small during the Elizabethan period
Hawkins's involvement in the Elizabethan period encouraged others to become involved
England's role in the slave trade did grow after Elizabethan times
By the 18th century, England dominated the trade of enslaved people
Sir Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake was a favourite of Elizabeth I
Drake gained Elizabeth’s favour because Drake was:
A successful privateer
He was given permission by Elizabeth to raid enemy ships and cargo
A well-known explorer
Drake circumnavigated the world between 1577 to 1580
He was knighted upon his return
A successful military leader
His fireship tactic during the Spanish Armada helped to defeat the Spanish
Drake’s Circumnavigation of the Globe
Between 1577 and 1580, Drake became the second person in history to circumnavigate the world
This was not the initial aim of Drake's voyage in 1577
Elizabeth had tasked Drake to capture Spanish treasure and disrupt Spain's monopoly of the Americas
The Motivations for Sir Francis Drake to Circumnavigate the World in 1580
Reason | How did this reason motivate Drake's circumnavigation of the world? |
|---|---|
Personal vengeance | Drake had a hatred of Spain. Drake worked with his cousin, John Hawkins, on a slave trading voyage in 1567-1568. Spanish ships attacked them, killing 325 of Hawkins' sailors. Circumnavigating the world would show the strength of English sailors |
Political factors | By 1578, Anglo-Spanish relations were at an all-time low. If Drake successfully navigated across the globe, it would be a powerful political victory for England. Philip II of Spain recognised England as a threat |
Wealth | When news of Drake's attempt to circumnavigate the world reached England, it attracted a significant number of private investors. When he returned to England in 1580, Drake had captured £400,000 of Spanish treasure. He became a very rich man |
Fame | Drake would become the second person in history to circumnavigate the world. Upon his return in 1580, he became a national hero |
Drake's circumnavigation of the world is a significant point in Elizabethan exploration
The impact of Drake on Elizabethan England
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Drake's circumnavigation of the globe has previously been a historical environment 16-mark ‘How far” question. For writing about the historical environment, you will need more detailed knowledge of exploration and Drake’s circumnavigation than found above.
What impact did exploration have on England?
Voyages had a significant impact on England
Voyages increased the country’s wealth
They showed England to be a powerful naval force
Voyages introduced new technology to the English navy
They contributed towards the progression of English ships
Advancements in ship design
Improvements in technology created better, faster ships for Elizabethans to use for exploration
The key areas of progress in Elizabethan ship design were:
The size and reliability of ships
Galleons were larger than previous trading ships
They could carry more food supplies for voyages and held more cargo for the return journey to England
16th-century galleons had a lower bow and stern than in previous designs
This improved the galleon's stability in stormy conditions
Improvement in sails
Galleons utilised different types of sails
Square sails create speed
Triangular (or Lateen) sails improved the ability to manoeuvre the ship
More sails and masts made galleons faster and more accurate
The placement of the cannon
Designers placed cannons along the whole length of the galleon
This allowed sailors to protect themselves better from pirates or Spanish privateers
Advancements in naval technology
A better understanding of science developed in the 16th century
This enabled a development in naval technology and improved navigation
Worked Example
Explain what was important about exploration in Elizabethan England.
[8 Marks]
Partial answer:
Exploration was important in Elizabethan England as it helped to establish new trade routes. During the Elizabethan period, trading routes to the Americas and Asia were created. New trade routes were found to Asia by Ralph Fitch, which helped to establish the East India Company in 1600. Therefore, exploration was important to Elizabeth England as it created new trade routes which started to increase the wealth and opportunity for the trade of new goods like silk and spices in England. Although they did not become prosperous during the Elizabethan period, these trade routes were incredibly important to the future wealth and power of England.
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