Early Modern Europe, Part 7

Question 1: Describe Britain’s role in sea trade during the 1500s and 1600s.

Answer 1: Britain was late to rise as a sea power, but quickly caught up with and surpassed its rivals. Although John Cabot claimed North American lands for the British in the 1490s, the British government was too unstable to focus attention on colonization or exploration until the reign of Elizabeth I. While military leaders worked to modernize the navy, Elizabeth dispatched a group of pirates called the seadogs to undermine Spanish and Portuguese trade. These men, led by John Hawkins, Francis Drake, and Walter Raleigh, attacked seafaring vessels, plundering the wealth of England’s enemies. Elizabeth publicly claimed the seadogs were renegades over whom she had no control. Meanwhile, she authorized creation of the British East India Company to expand trade ties. Initially the company made no effort to colonize, focusing mainly on establishing diplomatic relations that allowed for the building of trading posts in Asian markets, undermining rival nations.

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Question 2: Describe the relationship between the British monarchy and Parliament under Elizabeth I and James I.

Answer 2: Members of Parliament considered themselves to be the voice of the people, entrusted to protect them against abuses by the monarchy. At this time Parliament’s House of Lords was made up mainly of nobles and clergy. The House of Commons represented the gentry (landowners) and burgesses (businessmen). Recognizing their importance as representatives of the people, Elizabeth I worked closely and usually successfully with Parliament. During this era, however, Parliament only met when convened by the monarch, thus Elizabeth rarely called the body into session and usually only when she needed to raise taxes (which it usually approved). James I, who lacked Elizabeth’s political savvy and promoted absolute monarchy, clashed openly with Parliament over his desire for greater control of the government. Parliament reacted by denying his requests to raise taxes. James also faced opposition from Puritan members of Parliament who wanted the government to reform the Anglican Church. As a result, James’s reign created more divisions between the legislature and monarchy.

Question 3: Explain why Charles V divided his kingdom.

Answer 3: . Charles, a member of the Habsburg family, became king of Spain in 1516 and Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria in 1519. His kingdom, consisting of numerous and often conflicting ethnicities and interests, proved too vast to manage as he faced problems on all fronts. Wars between Catholics and Protestants drained resources and manpower. Spain faced food shortages because of overdependence on wool production, as well as war with France. In the east, Charles’s troops faced invading Turks. Charles even found himself at odds with the pope, leading his troops to sack Rome in 1527. After years of constant fighting, Charles came to believe that no one king could lead such a vast area. In 1556, he retired and split his kingdom. Charles V’s son, Philip II, became king of Spain and the Netherlands. Charles named his brother Ferdinand (already king of Hungary and Bohemia) as Holy Roman Emperor and king of Austria.

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