Queen Elizabeth & Her Explorers (1558-1603) Princess Elizabeth, a slender, athletic,
             extremely intelligent young woman, recieved an ideal Rennaissance education in Latin,
             Greek and modern languages, in history and Scripture. As Henry VIII’s second eldest
             child, shunted back to third in line for the throne by the complex politics of the period,
             she also had a very practical education in political intrigue - and the fine art of political
             survival. She came in 1558 to the royal throne shaken by a decade of misgovernment,
             religious fanaticism, and economic problems. She proceeded to give England 45 years of
             strong government, moderate religious policies, and unexplained prosperity. Elizabeth
             was a prudent ruler. She avoided costly wars, however, supported the war with Ireland.
             “The creation of this English colony (Ireland) led to the expansion of markets for English
             goods and the growth in imports of desirable commodities.” Elizabeth sought for
             religious compromise rather than religious crusades, worked through her appointed
             ministers, and dealt firmly with an increasingly vocal Parliament. She was well served by
             lifelong royal counselors such as Lord Treasurer Burghley and veteran warriors such as
             Francis Drake. She was less well supported by dashing younger cavaliers such as the Earl
             of Essex. “Queen Elizabeth supported colonization ventures only if they did not detract
             from what she believed was the primary purpose of her government: to defend the nation
             and its territory and to consolidate royal authority within the realm. She was much more
             concerned with with preventing invasions of Scotland and Ireland and protecting the
             English Channel against the Armada, the Spanish Fleet that threatened English ships on
             the high seas. But her government’s hesitance ebbed after the English gained access to
             the seas with their seemingly miraculous victory over the Spanish in 158...