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Elizabeth I's last years - State of England by 1603 - Coggle Diagram
Elizabeth I's last years - State of England by 1603
political
broadly effective govt but decline in royal authority and quality of administration during 1590s
this was due to anxiety over succession and problems between ministers and factions in the Privy Council
e.g. Essex issues resulting in his execution in 1601
political unity had been achieved by 1603
all English people (minus minority of militant Catholics) were broadly loyal to the Crown
however, her reputation was tarnished and reign too long, seeming out of touch with aspirations of young generation, looking forward to accession of a king
economic
partly experienced considerable economic continuity during 16th century
e.g. setting up trade companies to challenge Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch and interest in Americas
by beginning of 1600s evident that circumstances leading to commercial domination were in place even in early form
however, organisation of English capitalism was crude in comparison with commercial sophistication of Dutch
cottage industries e.g. brewing and soap manufacturing flourished and total production rose substantially
however only through thrift, multiple employments and hard work that people could avoid poverty towards end of 16th century
society
remained a socially divided society with hugely differing living standards but there were constraints preventing society from completely breaking down
the majority of the population could be fed, with only 1 subsistence crisis in 1590s with known deaths of starvation
bitter years of harvest failure and poverty 1594-97 helped shape reform of poor law in 1598 & 1601, limiting the effects of poverty on deserving poor
nobility were subjected to taxation, contrasting many continental societies
religion
religious situation was favourable compared with beginning as the level of popular Catholicism declined
English Catholics were fundamentally divided between majority trying to accommodate conflicting loyalties to Crown & faith and minority who wholeheartedly identified with bull of excommunication and sought Catholic succession
CofE became institution in which most could loosely identify, with broad consensus ensuring degree of unity
Puritanism faded and most assimilated with in Anglican movement and Separatism disappeared