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Elizabethan Era Explorations and Voyages
Elizabethan era exploration is put equivalent to curiosity, English renaissance, and, voyages of discovery. All distant land opportunities were explored and harnessed to wealth, fame, and, power. The main motive behind the explorations in the Elizabethan era was to open profitable trading routes. Elizabethan era, therefore, was the golden age of exploration.
Elizabethan age of exploration was first dominated by the Portuguese and the Spanish, but, after the great historic voyage by Sir Francis Drake, the dominance of English men increased. There was an emergence of brave and skilful English seamen who brought gold, silver, spices and many other valuable things back home. Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, Sir John Hawkins, Sir Richard Grenvile, and, Sir Martin Frobisher were the other famous English explorers of Elizabethan era.
The commercial motives behind the explorations were many. Eastern spices like cinnamon, pepper, clove, nutmeg, and, ginger were in demand in England, especially in those days. Even precious stones, drugs, perfumes, gums, dyes, and, various woods came from east.
The major aid to the explorations made by the English men in those days was majorly because of the progress made in the art of ocean navigation. The compass helped the explorers greatly in their voyages. Astrolabe was another instrument used for navigation purposes. It helped to calculate the latitudes. Other instruments were; telescope, charts and maps, cross-staffs, quadrants, and, hour glass.
John dee was a brilliant intellectual of Elizabethan era. He helped the explorers and crew members with the geometry and cosmography. Sir Martin Frobisher explored the Arctic. Besides this, the first attempt of English settlement in North America also occurred in this era. The name of the colony was abortive colony at Roanoke Island in 1587. Guilliam Boonen was the first coach builder under the reign of Elizabeth 1. He introduced the spring-suspension coach in England. This invention was the replacement of the litters and carts, which were the earlier transportation mode.
The role of pirates cannot be looked down upon when studying about the explorations made in Elizabethan England. The stolen treasure ships of the enemy, and, stolen gold and silver by the pirates holds an important position in exploring the rest of the world in Elizabethan era. The Golden Hind was one of the major vessels of the pirates. The innumerable ships were as important a part of exploration as the explorers themselves.
From the above facts, it can be rightly drawn out that the golden age in the British history, that is, the Elizabethan era was also the golden age of explorations. The credit of this goes majorly to the brave, skilful, wise, courageous, and, determined English seamen. It is because of them that Elizabethan era is famous for explorations.
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