3.3.1
Navigation & Exploration under Elizabeth
Exploration and Discoverers
Exploration and Discoverers
Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492. The Spanish and Portuguese were the best sailors of Elizabethan times. They had large overseas empires and England tried to match them.
Discoverers
Discoverers
- Elizabeth’s reign was known as the ‘age of discovery’.
- Sailors such as Sir Walter Raleigh, John Hawkins and Sir Francis Drake increased England’s prestige and power through their trips around the world.
- However, Elizabeth's unofficial support for the discoverers, or privateers may have worsened relations with Philip II of Spain.
Sir Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake
- Between 1577-1580, Drake became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. This included raiding Spanish ports in the Americas, and losing several ships from his fleet in storms around the globe.
- He was knighted on his return. The wealth from Drake’s travels and his knighthood encouraged more British sailors.
- Elizabeth also took a large chunk of the treasure that Drake brought home from his journey.
Sir Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh
- In 1584, Elizabeth gave Sir Walter Raleigh permission to colonise (seize control of) any part of the Americas not ruled by Christians. She knighted him, took him 'for a kind of oracle', gave him 40,000 acres of Ireland and granted him monopolies.
- Raleigh had shares in Humphrey Gilbert's trip to colonise Newfoundland, Canada (with Humphrey Gilbert) and was involved in other trips to places like New Albion in California.
- Gilbert's colony in Newfoundland failed. So did the other colonies created on the east coast of America in the 1580s.
The Lost Colony
The Lost Colony
- In 1585, Raleigh set up a colony on Roanoke Island, Virginia. The name Virginia was chosen in honour of the Queen. But, most of the 108 settlers returned to England in 1586. By 1590, there was nobody in the colony.
- Roanoke Island was then called the Lost Colony. There were not enough supplies and Roanoke did not have good land for farming.
- Raleigh remained a favourite at court. However, in 1592 Elizabeth discovered that he was married to one of her ladies-in-waiting.
- He was banished from court and even briefly imprisoned. However, he later returned to politics as an MP.
Rivalry with Other Nations and Trading Companies
Rivalry with Other Nations and Trading Companies
Countries wanted to trade with Spain’s colonies because of all the resources in Spanish colonies (gold, silver etc.) so trading companies were created.
Rivalry
Rivalry
- In 1560, England exported lots of wool to Antwerp (which was a port controlled by the Spanish Netherlands). Antwerp was closed to English ships after the dispute over the treasure seized by English privateers in Plymouth and Southampton.
- This encouraged exploration and the discovery of new trade routes.
Trading companies
Trading companies
- Trade with Asia was helped when James Lancaster discovered a route to Asia around the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) to Asia.
- The Spanish and East Indian companies were later created by Elizabeth to compete in international trade. Here, Elizabeth used patronage to grant people monopolies on trade (with the Spanish and Asian colonies). This helped to hurt Spain's trade, win her support from English nobles and bring wealth back to England.
Privateers
Privateers
- The Queen was friendly with Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh. She personally supported them, used them as a casual navy, and invested in their trips overseas.
- The privateers would raid ports and other ships, capturing them and their treasure and returning it to Queen Elizabeth.
- This strained relationships with all other trading nations.
Navigation and Exploration Technology
Navigation and Exploration Technology
English ships were some of the best in the world. Exploration also made England wealthier.
The superiority of English ships
The superiority of English ships
- They had triangular sails made from lateen which made the ships much faster. The astrolabe device improved navigation as it enabled sailors to pinpoint their position.
- Martin Cortes’ book “The Art of Navigation” (translated into English in the 1560s) told how to navigate the Atlantic Ocean to America.
John Hawkins
John Hawkins
- John Hawkins was a courtier and the British commander against the Spanish Armada in 1588.
- Whilst exploring in 1564, he kidnapped hundreds of West Africans. He then sold them in South America, in an early example of the European slave trade, and the first carried out by an Englishman.
Exploration and trade
Exploration and trade
- Exploration also made England wealthier. The money came from new trade routes, as well as from raiding Spanish ships and ports.
- Many Englishmen also began profiting from using cheap slave labour. During this period, English colonies emerge for the first time.
1Queen, Government & Religion
1.1Elizabeth I & her Court
2Challenges to Elizabeth at Home & Abroad
2.1The Religious Settlement
3Elizabethan Society 1558-88
3.1Education & Leisure
3.2The Poor & Living Standards
Jump to other topics
1Queen, Government & Religion
1.1Elizabeth I & her Court
2Challenges to Elizabeth at Home & Abroad
2.1The Religious Settlement
3Elizabethan Society 1558-88
3.1Education & Leisure
3.2The Poor & Living Standards
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