The English Renaissance

The Elizabethan Age
The Elizabethan Age is another term for the Renaissance in England. It refers to the long reign (1558-1603) of Queen Elizabethan I of England, which is generally considered to be one of the greatest periods in English history. England not only became a leading maritime and commercial power but also enjoyed a major cultural and artistic renaissance, epitomized by the great dramatist William Shakespeare.

From early in the reign of Elizabeth, English seamen such as Sir Francis Drake (1541-1596) and Sir John Hawkins had preyed on Spanish shipping and colonies in the New World. The culmination of the maritime rivalry came with the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. With English naval superiority thus confirmed, the rising class of commercial interests intensified its efforts to expand English overseas trade.

Sir Walter Raleigh, military commander and writer, 1552 was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth. Raleigh fell into serious disfavor when James I succeeded to the throne; his political enemies had convinced the new king that Raleigh had conspired against James's succession. Raleigh was deprived of his offices and found guilty of conspiracy in 1603, then imprisoned in the Tower of London for 13 years. He was executed on Oct. 29, 1618.

Culture
Although all the arts--including painting, music, and architecture--flourished during this eventful period, the outstanding achievements were in literature. In addition to William Shakespeare, the age produced the dramatists Ben Johnson and Christopher Marlowe (1564- 1593). Leading poets were Sir Philip Sidney and Edmund Spenser (1552- 1599), whose epic The Faerie Queene was dedicated to Elizabeth. The queen translated the works of the Roman philosopher Boethius and patronized other scholars engaged in translation work. Particular attention was given to the translation of great religious writings, an effort that climaxed with the completion (1611) of the King James, or Authorized, Version of the Bible in the following reign.

In Italy, Galileo Galilee (1564-1642) was making some amazing discoveries. Unfortunately for him, his findings conflicted with established positions of the Church. He was convicted of heresy by the Roman Catholic Church in 1633.

Monarchy and Parliament
England in the early 1600s was a country in transition. Political tension existed between the growing power of Parliament and the monarchy. Related to this was the social and economic tension between the hereditary aristocrats and the increasingly wealthy middle class of merchants, bankers, and others seeking more power in politics and society. Religious tension existed between Protestant and Roman Catholic, and within Protestantism between the Church of England and reformers such as the Puritans. Queen Elizabeth's remarkable reign was a balancing act between opposing forces in these arenas, but she could do little to reconcile the real differences. For example, in the so-called Elizabethan Settlement, the Church of England took a middle road between Roman Catholicism and Protestant Calvinism. But unresolved differences between these beliefs would flare up again after Elizabeth.

Her successor, James I, King of England and Scotland, was the son of Mary Queen of Scots who Elizabeth had executed for treason and the great- grandson of Henry VIII's sister. He was not nearly as capable or devoted to governing as Elizabeth and faced a Parliament which had grown more independent-minded. Under James, England began the downward slide into political and religious strife that culminated in the English Civil War. He and Parliament disagreed frequently over the exercise of power. James believed he ruled by divine right, not the will of the people. He needed the funds that Parliament controlled, but looked on its participation in governance as interference. He managed to go seven years in one stretch without calling Parliament (1614-1621).

Initially guided by Robert Cecil, first earl of Salisbury, an able chief minister, James subsequently allowed his court favorites--first Robert Carr, earl of Somerset, and later George Villiers, first duke of Buckingham--effective control. He was fortunate in having the services of Lionell Cranfield, earl of Middlesex, a former merchant, who looked after the royal finances until he was impeached (1624) for corruption at the behest of Buckingham.

Francis Bacon (1561-1626), was an English essayist, lawyer, statesman, and philosopher who had a major influence on the philosophy of science. Knighted (1603) after the succession of James I, Bacon became James' solicitor-general (1609), attorney-general (1613), lord keeper of the great seal (1617), and lord chancellor (1618). Bacon retained James's favor by steadfast defense of royal prerogative, but in 1621 he was found guilty of accepting bribes and was removed from his offices by Parliament.

Despite the fact that James was raised a Presbyterian, his desire to show tolerance to Roman Catholics angered many Britons and was prevented by Parliament, as was his effort to unite England and Scotland. The conflict between Parliament and monarchy would eventually result in the execution of James' second son and successor, Charles I, in 1649 during the second phase of the English Civil War.

Greyhounds and the Renaissance
See the greyhound history section of this web site.