Three Leaders and Three Nations: The Elements that Made Their Nations Successful

Throughout history, there have been numerous nations that risen and fallen apart in the blink of the eye. There’s one aspect that separates all the nations that have existed through the course of human history: the person that leading the nation at its peak and its worst. Queen Elizabeth 1, Abraham Lincoln, and Mao Zedong are all leaders who have cemented their names in history for their contributing to their countries. Queen Elizabeth 1 become the queen of England (UK) in 1558 and would go on to rule England for 45 until her death in 1603. Her rule is often referred as the golden age of English history. Despite this, Queen Elizabeth greatly struggled with maintaining peace in England and pursuing their country that she was a great leader.

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States (US) from 1861 to 1865. He also lead the north in the civil war and reconstruction the south after the war was over, but sadly was assassinated before he was able to follow through his plans. Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-Tung) was the founder of the People’s Republic of China and ruled China for 27 years. He lead China through a civil war to unite the whole country together and create a new government. Even with being blinded by their own perspectives, all three successful governments had leaders who had the ability to unite different people and were cautious when picking their advisors. Weakness of Each Reign Despite the powerful governments that Queen Elizabeth, President Lincoln, and Chairman Mao built, they all had weakness that hurt their time in power. When Elizabeth began her reign, she outly expressed a common religion of protestantism but allowed catholic to practice their religion in private. Some protestant weren’t happy with her decision because of the harsh persecution they had faced during Queen Mary’s reign; They felt that they had to get their revenge and Elizabeth wasn’t going to give to them. So, they turned against her and become to be known as puritans: protestants but with more extreme views. Puritans would actively try to change the structure of the religion.

On April 4, 1566 William Strickland went up to parliament with the proposal to reform the prayer book and to change the practices of the clergy.Elizabeth was not pleased because she wanted to be the only one to make all the religious decision and as a way to punish Strickland for his actions, Elizabeth suspended him from parliament. This decision was bad on Elizabeth part because she was silencing Strickland and others puritans who had the saem view because they didn’t agree. Even though Strickland would get restrained, he inspired many puritans to start rebelling against Elizabeth that would lead to death and a mini war. People like John Greenwood and Henry Barrow and others would be executed for not conforming to Protestant religion which sparked more hatred from the puritans to Elizabeth. Elizabeth had a hard time looking at another perspective which created conflict because when anyone wanted to make changes to her ideas, she thought that they were already perfect and the changes weren’t needed. Another thing was that she took the recommendation for changes personality when it wasn’t. Queen Elizabeth inability to view made weakened her ability to rule without bias in her decisions. Abraham Lincoln was an intelligent man but war wasn’t his area of expertise. So when the civil war started, President Lincoln relied heavily on his army generals to lead the war but his decision of army general almost cost him the war. George B. McClellan was a great general when it came to “ drilling troops and inspiring them with loyalty and trust”, but he was “low, overcautious, duped by his spies’ fantastic exaggerations of enemy strength” and would rather “to win the war by strategy, not butchery”. McClellan’s overcautious caused his popularity to drop because he appeared to be doing nothing with the men and when he did fight, he lost the battles but wouldn’t take responsibility for the lose.

All the people wanted him gone even Lincoln who was very indecisiveness when it to general McClellan. Lincoln allowed him to lead the army despite the damage he was causing for the north; The president reasoning for not replacing him was the general’s popularity with the miluray men and that if McClellan was gone then many men would abandon their cause for fighting too. This time period created a negative image for Lincoln as the people realized that he wasn’t the strong leader that they needed in the time of war and caused many people’s support for the war to decrease. In 1958, Mao Zedong started the Great Leap Forward program which was meant to start allowing China to progress and catch up to the same progress as developed nations. The idea for the program was that people would be group together and share everything from food, clothing, farming supplies, and homes. In theory, Mao’s ideas should have worked perfectly because everyone would be sharing their resources, but humans are greedy. Many officers who were in charge of the communities started to take extra food from the communities combined with terrible weather lead to negative consequences. 36 million people were reported to die during the Great Leap program due to starvation and direct killing. The famine would lead to cannibalism, people aboming their families, and civil unrest in the country. Officers were often violent to citizens who were caught trying to take food by torturing and beating citizens. Instead of taking responsibility for his actions and policies and the effect it had on the Chinese people, Mao Zedong just attempted to cover up by blaming his party members.

“As for talking of responsibility, [other CCP leaders] have some responsibility – but the one with the most responsibility is me… The chaos caused was on a grand scale and I take responsibility. Comrades, you must all analyse your own responsibility. If you have to shit, then shit. If you have to fart, then fart. You will feel better for it.” Mao isn’t willing to allow himself to take responsibility for his faults but trying to share it on the other members so that his reputation isn’t tainted. None of the three leaders are perfect and all have faults that negatively impacted the citizens of their countries. All three were blinded by the perspectives because they thought that their methods were the best which created problems. Elizabeth wasn’t able to see things from the puritans perspective, Mao wouldn’t take responsibility for the famine that killed million due to his policies, and Lincoln was afraid to dismiss McClellan even when he was hurting the north’s war effort. At the end of the day, all 3 leaders were just humans who have faults but still managed to unite the different people during times of trial. Ability to Unite People Having to unite room of people and having agree on one decision is something most people would dread to do. Yet, the three leaders were able to unite nations when the country were at their lowest points. When Queen Elizabeth started her reign, she had to solve the issue of what to do with religion in England.

When her half-brother had been king England was protestant but when her half-sister took over, catholicism become the religion of the country creating civil war between the two religious groups. Elizabeth had the difficult task of unifying the two fighting groups with a settlement that would please everyone so that England wouldn’t fall into a civil war; Also, she had to be aware of Spain and France who were catholic countries and didn’t want the two countries to attack England. As a solution, Queen Elizabeth created the Elizabethan Settlement which tried to be the middle ground between the two religion by incorporating two aspects of both religions. The Act of Supremacy made Elizabeth the “supreme governor of this realm” which made her in charge of the catholic instead of the pope; Another aspect was that clergy had to “make, take, and receive a corporal oath upon the evangelist” pleading their allegiance to the Queen. This ensured that Elizabeth was able to make religious decisions over the whole country and everyone would obey her orders. Catholic would be executed if they were found conspiring with the pope because they had pledged their alliance to Elizabeth.

The Act of Uniformity was the most important because it put all the prayer book into a common one where everyone could use and wrote the Holy Communion in vague language so that both protestant and catholics would be pleased. It also required that everyone attend church or they would pay 12 dollars for each time they missed. This act would unite all of England even if forced while other parts of Europe were engaged in religious war. In spite of the many challenges that she had to overcome, Elizabeth was able to unite the protestants and catholics and evade a war. President Lincoln entered the presidency when the united states was in a tense state with the US beginning divided between the slave south and the free north. Lincoln tried his hardest to perverse the union but when South carolina seceded from the union, other states followed the pattern. When the war began, the north was struggled with military stargties and not all the states in the north were in support of Lincoln actions. Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which had many benefits for the north. “

Now, therefore I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States …order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free” .The emancipation proclamation made slavery illegal in the states that had seceded from the union which made the north happy because they had started the war for this reason. Something important to recondige is that Lincoln only made slavery illegal in states that had seceded so that states that were in the union and had slaves wouldn’t get angry and feel offended. The northern states now had a common goal that united them together of deafening the south and freeing any slaves being held. The slaves begin free was an advantage because the north had more men to unite the war and slaves in the south would start fighting the south giving Lincoln more time. Mao Zedong came into power with communist party of china when China was fighting the war against Japan who was dominating all of west asia and had it’s sight set on China. Mao Zedong realized how important it was that China be united or get conquered. “ The Chinese people now find themselves in the following situation: the Japanese aggressors have not yet been defeated; the Chinese people urgently need to work together for a democratic change in order to achieve national unity, rapidly mobilize and unite all anti-Japanese forces, and defeat the Japanese aggressors in co-operation with the allies” stated Mao in political report.

Mao along with his party was able to unite a scattered chinese population to fight against Japan and won. Mao known that united China would be a threat to the world and would only make China stronger, so he counted to advocate for unity from the chinese people. After the war witth Japan, then communit and nationalists started a civil war over who would control china. Under Mao’s leadership, the communist party was able to defeat the nationalist party. 10 years later, Mao stated “ It was only after the Communist Party led the people in waging a long and arduous struggle that they were able to change to being united from being like loose sand, a condition which favoured the reactionaries’ exploitation and oppression, and that the people achieved this great unity among themselves within a few years after victory in the revolution”. Due to Mao’s persistent fighting for a unified China was the country able to defat Japan and beome a strongn nation.

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Papaver Somniferum – Queen Elizabeth

The poppy, otherwise known as Papaver somniferum, is a flower that most see as a symbol of remembrance for those who have fought in wars and died on the behalf of the general populace; however, in England, this flower used to be something worth going to war over. Papaver somniferum exists as the base for the infamous drug called “opium.” The need for power and wealth, combined with the lack of interest in the common man during the 17th to early 19th century, allowed for opium’s reign to move from Asia into Europe, and portrays deeper, ugly truths about the lives of British nobles and commoners alike. The opium poppy represents the baleful-yet-lavish lives of courtiers, the unhealthy lives of most commoners, and the lengths England would go to acquire power and wealth. War, colonization, illegalities, and addiction only compromised a few of the lengths England would go to in order to gain ground within the world.

This history, however, did not begin with the turn of the century; Queen Elizabeth I ruled from 1558 to 1603, and set a precedent for power. As a ruler, Queen Elizabeth I used “adroit political maneuvering and imperious command” to gain favor in the independent Parliament, as well as developed a “cult of love” to ensnare the overall country (Greenblatt and Logan 359-360). She had difficulty acquiring all of the wealth she needed to fit the perceived definition of royalty; lavishness signified power, as such flamboyancies as parties and excessive luxuries could be met through wealth alone. Throughout her reign, she used her strategic skills and loveliness to keep from being forced into marriages and to keep the illusion of true power going. Then came a trial, one in which her struggles could be put to bed after completion: the Spanish Armada being sent by Philip II to take England. When Sir Francis Drake and Lord Charles Howard returned to her with the news of victory, her reign could move forward, solidified in power and with access to more wealth via the navy and piracy (Greenblatt and Logan 361). Queen Elizabeth I, in the years after this, did all that she could to strengthen her nation; in 1600, towards the end of her lifetime, she established the English East India Company, which began the epic journey of opium throughout England (Greenblatt and Logan 381).

Queen Elizabeth I’s history is important for more than setting up the Company, though; she lived in a world of danger within her own court. Courtlife to the general populace seemed opulent, when in reality, few people surrounded nobility that could be trusted. Greed led to assassination attempts–and a few successful ones–and secret plots, ones that kept the time of the nobility occupied (Greenblatt and Logan 351). With such a heavy focus on riches and survival, the lives of common folk were lost in the trail of time, and were only noted when their religion either aligned with or threatened the higher powers. Now, this combined with the court’s desire of power and the brand new trading company, led to questionable investments and an all-but hidden problem in the ports of England.

The British picked up on and developed its general trade in only a few decades after the establishment of the English East India Company; however, the real riches poured in when the opium trade took control. In the article, “Trading Places: The East India Company and Asia,” written by renowned historical author Anthony Farrington, it is stated that, “Hard cash received from the sale of the opium…was paid into the Company’s factory…providing the Company with an immediate supply of silver for its legitimate purposes.” As the trade progressed into China, the English began seeing more direct funds coming to them instead of being poured out into the east for goods such as silk, tea, and spices (Farrington 2).

For the British, the trades being brokered by the English East India Company acted as the triangle trade of the east. This western trade system, in which textiles and manufactured goods went to Africa, slaves went to the Americas, and raw materials went to Europe, mimicked the way trade developed in the east. M. Foster Farley, Associate Professor of History at Newberry College, wrote in his piece, “Commissioner Lin and Opium,” that, “British trade with India, as well as with China, was claimed as a monopoly by the British East India Company… Trade was carried on by barter; but the opium trade was strictly on a cash basis.” He also mentions that the way the British used their silver to trade with India–when they did not outright own the goods, based on the fluctuating sanctions by the Bengali government–, took the goods and opium to China, and then returned to England with Chinese goods monopolized both of the Asian countries and their products (Farley 9). England thrived with the trade in the west as much as with the one in the east, though the latter was smaller in scale overall.

With this newfound and lucrative trade came difficulties, though. The merchants that traded the opium poppy–the ones who took it from its harvest in India to the smaller companies performing the illegal trades with China–began experimenting with the flower and desiring its effects themselves. In the article, “The Opium Trade and Opium Policies in India, China, Britain, and the United States: Historical Comparisons and Theoretical Interpretations,” written by Richard Harvey Brown, a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, it is stated that, “The use of opium in India was embedded in social and religious customs…even the seals with which contracts and other legal documents were stamped bore the inscription ‘Take a draught of opium.’” As the essay continues, the increased usage by British traders is deemed unavoidable, based on how often they are surrounded by the substance (Brown 12). With these merchants now entranced by this exotic substance that offers both sustenance and mind-numbing properties, the addictions flourished among the British sailors.

Merchants and the crew must return to their home-turf at some point, and the addictions do not simply disappear. Thus, the crews began bringing opium back with them to England along with the goods that had been traded for. Those in power in England did not care about those who became addicted to the flower in China or India, as this only increased the value of the product they were trading, but it soon became a problem within their own country. Opium dens became prevalent in the ports that the merchants would return to; however, the dens did not stray far from there, but the drug itself did move through the towns. In the essay, “Opium Rampant: Medical Use, Misuse and Abuse in Britain and the West in the 17th and 18th Centuries,” author John C. Kramer, M.D., from the University of California, states, “Opium would become indispensable to the practice of medicine… Of the many drugs available few would be found as effective as opium.” While the usage of the opium poppy spread into England as a source of medicine, many were cautious about using it without care (Kramer 3).

At one point in British history, the dependency on opium by the general populace became so intense that they began attempting to grow the opium poppy themselves. Virginia Berridge, social historian with a PhD in history, says in her essay, “Our Own Opium: Cultivation of the Opium Poppy in Britain, 1740-1823,” that multiple doctors of the times tried to grow their own poppies to use in their medicines, as the supply was too low in quantity and high in price in England to meet the growing demands. “Medical reaction to British opium was very favourable,” she says, “and many doctors testified to its efficacy and purity” (Berridge 4). Addiction, while common among the merchants, became contained in the majority of lives by doctors regulating the dosages.

Overall, Papaver somniferum changed the face of England as well as accurately represented it from the 17th to early 19th century. The nobility required money and power to fund their lavish lifestyles, and acquired the needed funds by using the English East India Company established by Queen Elizabeth I as well as trade in the west that mimicked this bartering structure. Treachery abounded in the courts, and an overwhelming lack of care for commoners lived in the streets; the polish of the rich coated the anguish of the poor. The British both grew in wealth because of and lost parts of its populace to the illegal trade with China, before trying to rectify the situation on their own, after far too long of a struggle. The opium poppy, a charming flower too look at but vicious upon closer inspection represents the struggles of England in court life and the desolate underbelly that is the common folk. Papaver somniferum, a flower of remembrance to those who have gone to battle, should also be used to remember the dark times that came along with English expansion.

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Interesting Facts About Queen Elizabeth

The Oxford Dictionary defines rivalry as “The action of rivalling; competition; the state of being rivals, an instance of this.”(Weiner)

Queen Elizabeth

I used poetry, specifically “The Doubt of Future Foes,” as a political tool against her cousin and rival, Mary, Queen of Scots, in a battle for dominance. In this paper, I am going to discuss how poetry was a well known tool for Queen Elizabeth, her cousin Mary used embroidery to send messages the same way Elizabeth used poetry, and the English Renaissance completely changed how literature was used. It was especially important to Elizabeth I, who presided over England’s greatest literary period.

Elizabeth I became queen in 1558 at the age of twenty-five. The only living child of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, her early life was fraught with political drama and upheaval. As queen, she devoted her life to peace and prosperity within England, at the expense of her own personal life. (Borman) “The Doubt of Future Foes” was written sometime between 1568 – 1571 and is about Elizabeth’s relationship with Mary, the Queen of Scotland. While the poem never mentions Mary by name, referring to her as, “No foreign banished wight…” (Line 13) it appears that her subjects were aware of who it was about and the poem was made available to her subjects. Jennifer Summit supports this in her article “The Arte of a Ladies Penne” writing, “”The Doubt of Future Foes” appears to have been widely circulated, as attested by the eight manuscripts in which it survives today.” (408) One of Elizabeth’s achievements was that she made England’s official religion Protestantism. This led to anti-Elizabethan feelings in much of Catholic Scotland and England where several schemes to place Mary on the throne were formulated. Mary, however, was only directly involved in one. (Borman) “The Doubt of Future Foes” was intended for Elizabeth I’s subjects as well and how they should remain loyal and ignore Mary’s lies; “For falsehood now doth flow, and subjects’ faith doth ebb,”(3) She ends the poem saying that she will end Mary’s life if she threatens to overthrow her. The lines in question are, “My rusty sword through rest shall first his edge employ{/}To poll their tops that seek such change or gape for future joy.” (Line 15-16) Summit writes, “For all its supposed beauty, the poem also takes as its subjects a scene of unexpected violence and menace; under its thin veneer of figurative language, it advances what amounts to a death threat to Mary Queen of Scots.” (402) 16 – 19 years after the poem was written, Elizabeth does exactly that, executing Mary for her role in the Babington Plot. While “The Doubt of Future Foes” is obviously political due to her relationship with the subject, she also used her more personal love poems as political devices as well.

Natalie Mears quotes Conyers Read in her article, “Love-Making and Diplomacy: Elizabeth I and the Anjou Marriage Negotiations, c.1578–1582” saying, “Elizabeth was shrewd enough to see that rules framed for chivalrous love-making might very aptly be applied to diplomatic purposes, and very probably for that reason she always liked to mingle an element of love-making in her diplomacy.”(442) Elizabeth is often remembered as “The Virgin Queen” because she never married nor had children and any lovers she might have had were kept completely secret. (Borman) However, throughout her reign, suitors pursued Elizabeth. She often would entertain them for her own political advantage. I believe Elizabeth figured out that she could be single as long as she was actively entertaining potential husbands. “On Monsieur’s Departure” is one such poem. It describes the end of her relationship with Francois of Anjou, heir to the French throne. This part of her life is also significant because as Susan Doran writes in her article, “Elizabeth I Gender, Power, and Politics,” “The language and iconography of perpetual and powerful virginity first made their appearance during the Anjou matrimonial negotiations of 1578 – 81….” (33) He was her last serious suitor. While it seems they were fond of one another; “I grieve and dare not show my discontent,I love and yet am forced to seem to hate,” (Line 1-2) Elizabeth apparently had ulterior motives. She used him to threaten Spain with an alliance between England and France and used him as her proxy in several instances. (Mears) Mears writes, “Her purpose was to protect English foreign interests by weakening Spanish power, without incurring expense or being drawn into open war.” (443) Anjou remained in England until 1581 and he returned to France. It remains unclear if she truly was going to marry him or not. Elizabeth isn’t the only example of royalty using art and literature to convey a deeper messages though.

Queen Mary, Elizabeth’s rival, used her embroidery to quietly stand her ground against Elizabeth. Embroidery at this point wasn’t considered an art form. Nicole LaBouff writes in her article, “Embroidery and Information Management: The Needlework of Mary Queen of Scots and Bess of Hardwick Reconsidered,” “By ‘devising works,’ Shrewsbury meant designing embroideries; embroidery had become so synonymous with women’s work by this time that it was referred to simply as ‘work.’ (317) One example is the Marian Hanging. It is a tapestry full of Scottish national symbols, references to Elizabeth, and gifts for her supporters made during her time in captivity in England. However, LaBouff mentions in her article that Mary was greatly concerned during early years of internment in England with looking like the ideal prisoner. (340) While embroidery was not Mary’s only form of communication it was the one that led to her forming better relationships with her “hosts” while in England. . All of her written correspondence was inspected before it ever was given to her or reached her intended audience. However Elizabeth and Mary aren’t atypical. Women were becoming more interested in political and religious life outside of the home and poetry and embroidery were two ways in which women could participate without being ridiculed or punished by men. LaBouff writes, “And because the needlework medium was decidedly feminine and domestic, it allowed women to conduct their language and thought experiments at their leisure and without risk of censure.” (358) These activities are indicative of a larger pattern overtaking Britain and Europe. A pattern we now call the English Renaissance.

Elizabeth became queen at the beginning of the greatest literary period of English history. Summit writes, “Few would now doubt that Elizabeth played a major role in the formation of Elizabethan literature,” (396) As much as Elizabeth was an accomplished writer on her own, she patronized writers such as Shakespeare, Milton, Marlowe, etc. and they each changed how poetry was used and written. Poetry became a method for political and religious reflection. Elizabeth used her poetry to send messages within messages. Summit writes, “Renaissance discourses of secrecy, as several recent studies have established, manipulated the appearances of public and private knowledge.” (406) As much as “The Doubt of Future Foes” is a message to Mary, “The doubt of future foes exiles my present joy,”, “The dazzled eyes with pride, which great ambition blinds, “,”No foreign banished wight shall anchor in this port;” etc. (Line 1,9, 13) it is also a message to her subjects, “For falsehood now doth flow, and subjects’ faith doth ebb, Which should not be if reason ruled or wisdom weaved the web. But clouds of joys untried do cloak aspiring minds, “ etc. (Line 3-5)

I believe that Elizabeth I’s poetry was most often personal anecdotes from her daily life that she used to market herself to her friends, potential lovers, enemies, coworkers, etc. as she saw advantageous. “The Doubt of Future Foes” is such an example. It was a political message to her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots just as much as it was a warning message to her constituents. While this poem shows her as a frustrated, somewhat menacing figure her rule was marked exceptional by peace and prosperity and the beginning of the English Renaissance. Using “The Doubt of Future Foes” as an example, I have shown how poetry was used as a tool for Queen Elizabeth, how her cousin Mary used embroidery to send messages the same way Elizabeth used poetry, and how the English Renaissance completely changed how literature was used.

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Elizabeth Era Project

Table of contents

Appetizers:

Queen Elizabeth enjoyed the idea of appetizers for several reasons. She thought they made conversations with people more lively and interesting. She also believed that they would get you into the mood for eating, if you weren’t already. Plus, if you had an awkward moment of silence, you could just pretend that you were eating your food, and couldn’t talk at the moment. There were many types of appetizers, but some of the more common ones, were pieces of eel, mutton balls, spicy lamb bits, veal, and asparagus spears dipped in orange sauce. Some of the more elaborate appetizers included, veal soup, the eel and onion pie, and pickled herring baked in a double crust with fruits. Veal soup is, a type of soup that contains vegetables stew with deer chunks. eel and onion pie is as you probably guessed, a dish made with eel bits and onion snips baked into a pie like bread.

Intro:

The eel Liz À Bee Thann Era was known for its astonishing writings and art, but what most people don’t focus on, was the incredible food! There were some phenomenal things, and there were some outright ridiculous things too. For example, Queen Elizabeth the first constructed a new law, that stated that people were required to eat fish on wednesdays no matter what. This law was created to support the fishing industry, as that was one of their largest trade. If you didn’t comply, then you were punished, usually in the form of torture.

Helen, can you find pictures for the project please???

For all of the topics? What is your student ID number?

Main Course:

During the Elizabethan era the main courses almost always consisted of meat that has been either roasted, baked, or fried. Other than that the food people ate was mostly dependent on their social class. For breakfast the lower classes would eat eggs, cold meat, and cheese. The other meals would consist of stew and white meats including chicken, fish and rabbits and a mix of cooked vegetables. A popular dish was pigeon pie, that was made with pigeon meat, onions, mushrooms, and carrots. The upper class would eat expensive meat such as lamb, bacon, veal and even peacock. along with a variety of seafood such as eel, sturgeon, and a variety of shellfish. They also ate fruit such as apples, raspberries, and peaches which they almost never ate raw and usually in a pastry or tart. Even with their large variety of food the upper class rarely ate vegetables so the lower class actually had a healthier diet. One of the upper classes popular meals is roasted goose with apple gravy, the goose is stuffed with onions, bread crumbs, potatoes, and parsley. Then they covered the goose with sugary apple sauce. Another very common meal was stewed beef which was beef stewed with cabbage, onions, a half pint of white-wine sugar, and a cheese sauce.

Desserts:

Queen Elizabeth was very, VERY fond of sweets! When scientists found her body, they discovered that she had a multitude of decayed, yellow and removed teeth. She apparently had an abnormally long face, with fair but wrinkled skin. Her eyes were very small and black, and she wore a wig because most of her hair had fallen out. The british thought rubbing sugar on your teeth would clean them, which was definitely not the case, seeing as most Britishers had decayed teeth!

There were many types of deserts. Many of them are still loved to this day. One of the common ones is Shrewsbury Cake, also known as shrewsbury biscuit. It’s named after a town in England called Shrewsbury. It consists of sugar, butter, flour, eggs, and finally lemon zest.

Another type of dessert is Gooseberry Fool. It’s a combination of cream and fruit, specifically gooseberries. It was served with a biscuit, or sweetbread, and occasionally served with a variety of other fruits as well.

Banbury cake was a currant filled pastry cake that was circular in shape. Besides the filling in the cake, it also contained, a mixture of peels, rum, rose water, sugar, and a few other spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon.

Snow cream was basically the Elizabethan’s way of saying ice cream, it was a desert that consisted of cream, rose water, and sugar. People “whipped” it until it became stiff like ice cream.

Strawberry tart was a desert that included a tart with mashed strawberries, sugar, buttered strawberries on top of the tart, and a variety of spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. Sometimes people would put red wine or other types of alcohol.

Those are just a few of the hundreds of deserts that the people from the Elizabethan era ate!

Drinks:

During the Elizabethan era water wasn’t considered clean so instead they drank ale. The children would also drink ale, but it would be extremely watered down, so it was pretty much impossible to get drunk on ale. Only the rich upper class was able to have drinks such as wine, beer, and buttered beer which was a watered down version of beer with liquid butter and cream, that was drunk on holidays.

Conclusion:

As you can see, people from the Elizabethan era LOVED their sugar and their meat!

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Queen Elizabeth II Participating – Fijian Mats

The Fijian mats and tapa cloths in the hiapo or procession of Elizabeth II were made from the bark of the mulberry tree (Fijian mats) and processed Pandanus leaves (tapa cloths). The procession occurred sometime between 1953-1954 during the royal tour of Queen Elizabeth II after she had ascended the throne in the Pacific nation, the Kingdom of Tonga (Fijian society), in Fiji. These mats and tapa cloths given as gifts in the procession were woven for Queen Elizabeth II to help the Fijian people show that they acknowledged the Queen’s superiority and that they were loyal to her and grateful for her.

The Fijian mats and tapa cloths were skillfully woven by women. They are adorned with intricate and distinctive patterns of concentric circles, triangles, spirals, and several other geometric shapes. The women of Fijian society greatly prided themselves with completing the arduous task of weaving and were eager to present their works to people they deemed important. In fact, one particular mat, the 75 foot ngatu mat, was made from countless hours of labor and diligent work on detailed patterns specifically for Queen Elizabeth II herself. It was made for her because it connected her to another one of their previous leaders, Queen Salote Tapou, who was likewise a significant figure in their society.

Also, Queen Elizabeth II participating in the traditional and sacred ritual of gift giving to the authority was the Fijian peoples’ way of commemorating and celebrating her joyous visit to their island. During the presentation, not only was Elizabeth II given the unique tapa cloths and mats, but she was also given other goods for her acquisition, such as food and a special tortoise called Tu’i Malila. She took part in the Kava ceremony as well, in which she took a sip from the “kava” drink that indicates power. All these valuables, especially the prized tapa cloths and mats, and ceremonies that the Fijian people gave and did for the Queen was used to express her importance to them and the huge amount of respect they had for her.

The difficult patterns and several hours of labor that is put into making these tapa cloths and mats greatly shows that the Fijian people put in much effort to make these gifts because they admired the Queen as a supreme and prominent leader as well as a significant member of their society. Also, the fact that the Fijian women made and presented the Queen with a tapa mat that not only took so much work to make but also relates to one of their former Queens supports the fact that they thought of the Queen as very high in importance and status and that they treated her with the amount of loyalty that they had shown with their previous leaders. The Fijian people were very excited for Queen Elizabeth II to visit their island so they performed this unique and specific ritual ceremony especially for her arrival. The other goods given to the Queen further add onto how thankful they are that she has come and how they want to give her these gifts to show that they acknowledge her royal presence. Their dedication seen in the tapa cloths and mats themselves and the entire presentation ceremony conveys how they believed the Queen was an important figure in society that needed to be respected.

The All-T’oqapu Tunic is similar to the Fijian mats and tapa cloths in terms of its form, function, and the way it was made. The All-T’oqapu Tunic has numerous intricate patterns and variations adorning it, and they are very geometric in character. This is similar to the use of geometry in the shapes and concentric circles woven into the detailed patterns of the tapa cloths and mats. Also, the All-T’oqapu Tunic was created to be worn by those of very high status in Incan society as the dyes and amazing designs used in the tunics were only allowed to be worn by high ranking peoples, such as the Incan army. Likewise, the Fijian mats and tapa cloths were woven especially for Queen Elizabeth II who was their ruler, of high authority, and considered one of the most important people in their society. Lastly, the All-T’oqapu Tunic was produced by women who specialized in weaving fine cloth called acllas or “chosen women”. Similarly, the Fijian mats and tapa cloths were created by the hard working and skilled women of Fijian society.

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England’s Greatest Monarch – Queen Elizabeth

People often say that the most respected and effective leaders are those that emulate the leader that they themselves would follow. Throughout the history of mankind, there have been many different forms of leadership and authority. Some leaders have been worshiped and remembered for centuries while others have been and continue to be protested and loathed by the majority of a nation. Certain leaders are often influenced by specific ideologies and will even create their own. They will often use these ideologies to unite a nation and to achieve certain goals. Under absolute monarchies, many rulers would often use religion to legitimize their rule and to gain respect or obedience from their people. Queen Elizabeth I of England used religion not only to unify both Catholics and Protestants in her kingdom, but to assert her power as a female ruler. Her establishment of a Church of England helped create a national identity and unified a once divided nation. During a time of territorial expansion, religious division, and blatant sexism, Queen Elizabeth’s strategic use of religious symbolism made her respected and glorified as a powerful woman. Additionally, her unwavering devotion to England and her nationalist attitudes brought about a new wave of self-confidence that led to an era of artistic creativity and scientific advancement. These accomplishments made Great Britain one of the leading military and economic powers of the world, giving her the title “England’s greatest monarch”.

The religious division between Catholics and Protestants living in England was the most prominent and threatening challenge Queen Elizabeth I faced during her reign. When she came into power in 1558 at age twenty-five, many people believed that she identified as a Protestant sympathizer. The population of Protestants was increasing dramatically after the execution of many innocent Protestants during the reign of her half-sister, Queen Mary I. During Queen Mary’s reign, Elizabeth outwardly presented herself as Catholic, even though she was raised under the Protestant faith. However, when she came into power, she was well aware of the fact that there needed to be an extreme change in order to keep the peace between the two groups. She knew that she could not directly identify herself as Catholic due to the fervent reactions that would transpire from her own people, nor Protestant due to the Catholic population in her own nation and significant foreign relations with Catholic Spain, France, and Scotland. The unity and strength of Great Britain was more important to Queen Elizabeth than her own religious beliefs. She wanted her reign to be an era of political stability and peace.

Therefore, she was a very religiously tolerant ruler for her time. However, when Catholics threatened this peace, her government took action and became much stricter towards them. Her main goal was to establish a church that could appeal to both religious groups. Queen Elizabeth I made the Church of England the official religion, yet she issued the 29 Articles of 1536 which adopted some Roman Catholic traditions into the church, such as bell ringing, ban choral music, and ostentatious design. She became the Supreme Governor of the Church of England—a role that no one thought a woman would ever hold. In 1559, the New Act of Supremacy Law forced public officials to decree an oath of loyalty to Queen Elizabeth I as the supreme governor. Under Queen Elizabeth’s reign, the heresy laws were also repealed in order to avoid more religious persecution. She hoped that many Catholics would gradually and naturally accept her established church. She accomplished this goal– by the time of her death, Catholics were the minority. Queen Elizabeth I ultimately avoided a potential English Civil War that could have destroyed the nation.

Queen Elizabeth I also used religious symbolism to gain the obedience, respect, and acceptance of her subjects as a female leader during a time in which females where subservient to their male counterparts. During this era women were seen as wives, child bearers, and mothers. Only a few noble and wealthy women were able to receive an education. Queen Elizabeth I was likely the most educated woman of her time. She had numerous private tutors and was proficient in six languages. Most women during the Elizabethan Era were expected to marry, have children, and run the households. The Church also believed that it was a woman’s responsibility to obey the man. Protestant leader John Knox wrote “Women in her greatest perfection was made to serve and obey man.” The reign of Queen Elizabeth I dramatically changed the people’s perception of a female monarch. She created a sort of multi-personality that would ultimately gain the respect and affinity of her subjects. She was able to preserve her own femininity while still establishing herself as a powerful ruler. She also was granted the name “the Virgin Queen” because of her reluctance to marry. Therefore, she did not need to obey to any man nor did she have to yield her power to a king. Most of her subjects thought that she would eventually marry and produce an heir to the throne. However, she knew that she did not need a man by her side to effectively rule the nation. Although she had many romantic suitors, she claimed she was married to England and that her people were her children. The use of these metaphors helped her gain respect as a queen and made her one of the most honored and beloved monarchs of all time. In her Spanish Armada speech she stated, “I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king – and of a King of England too”.

Queen Elizabeth I also possessed nationalist attitudes, which fostered a stronger sense of identity and unity among her subjects. Her main concern was always the wellbeing and success of the nation. She longed to see the country prosper economically, creatively, and militarily. Strong English patriotism was born during the Elizabethan Era. Under her reign, England defeated Spain in the Spanish Armada, which brought a huge wave of national pride. Territorial expansion, literary creativity, and artistic creativity were pivotal aspects of the Elizabethan Era. Queen Elizabeth I appreciated the arts and encouraged creativity amongst her people. The first theatres in England opened during her reign. Perhaps the most famous author of all time, William Shakespeare, thrived under her rule. The economy was booming and painters, architects, writers, musicians and sculptors flourished. This new wave of creativity made England artistically respected by other nations. Under Queen Elizabeth’s reign, English people felt a sense of pride in their fellow citizen’s accomplishments. England was more confident and self-sufficient than ever before. Queen Elizabeth I also acknowledged the fact that a monarch governed by popular consent—no Tudor had ever recognized that before. Therefore, she worked with trustworthy advisors and members of parliament to govern. In 1572, the Britannia symbol was first used and it represented a period of renaissance, military triumph, and national pride during Queen Elizabeth’s rule.

In conclusion, Queen Elizabeth I of England exhibited religious toleration, religious symbolism, and nationalist attitudes in order to see a prosperous and united nation under her reign. She also asserted herself as a powerful woman and effective ruler. Through her many accomplishments, she put England on the path to power and success. Even though she faced many obstacles and limitations, she earned the respect, trust, and love of her people. The strategic expressions of her ideologies made her respected throughout the globe, and ultimately made England one of the most powerful nations in the world.

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Facts About Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth

Table of contents

Mary Queen of Scots, documents the historical events of the sixteenth century during her reign along with her relationship with Queen Elizabeth I. More specifically, the movie centers around the struggle for power between the two and their neighboring countries. The beginning of the movie switches back and forth between Scotland and England’s court life. Mary Queen of Scots offers a more daring and temperamental personality while Elizabeth prefers to keep to herself. The audience quickly learns that both queens are under the control of their nobles, acting as a figurehead rather than a commanding monarch. Elizabeth fears Mary will overtake her country. She sends her suitor, Robert Dudley to marry Mary, in which she refuses. Elizabeth later falls ill with pox, giving Mary a chance to rule England as well.

Later, Mary catches the attention of Lord Darnley, quickly marries him, and gets pregnant. Her mind quickly changes about him when she finds out he is part of the conspiracy that killed her friend, David Rizzio. By then, the baby was born and Darnley is sent away and later killed. Another problem with Mary’s rule is that she isn’t liked by all in Scotland. Besides the nobles with their own agendas, a preacher, John Knox, led a rant to discredit Mary and her inability to rule. She is raped by the earl of Bothwell, James Hepburn and marries him unhappily. At this point, she is weakened and her crown lays in danger of being overtaken. Towards the end of the story, the two queens arrange to meet. During their conversation, the audience is further exposed to both Elizabeth and Mary’s personalities. The reason for the meeting is to ask Elizabeth for her assistance in the wars. Artfully dodging Mary, Elizabeth refuses her tearfully. She explains that she has given up her sense of self for England and that she can’t assist Mary because of her ultimate power. Though she can’t help her, Elizabeth explains that she will provide Mary with safety. This is later shown as imprisonment after Mary is revealed to be part of a conspiracy to overthrow Elizabeth. The last scene shows the beheading of Mary Queen of Scots. Before her death, she delivers a monologue to her son, hoping for his success in rule with an additional prayer.

Relationship to History:

The characters were based on Mary Queen of Scots, her spouses, Elizabeth I, and other members of their court. Without going into depth, it seems that the main characters’ personalities align with history. Mary is shown as more free spirited than Elizabeth, a restrictive woman. There was a battle scene, I believe it was the battle of Langside that was shown with accuracy. Mary was defeated and fled to England for protection under Elizabeth. This ties in with our class course on religious wars of England during the sixteenth century where the question of Protestant versus Catholic was in play during politics.

Evaluation:

Both Robbie and Ronan’s performances in the film were exceptional, drawing out emotion and intensity easily. The costumes and wigs were fantastic, seeing as they were detailed and exquisite

Though this film’s actors, costumes, and hair were wonderful, they could not help the movie from falling flat. Unless one had a serious understanding of history, the plot was difficult to follow. New characters were not well introduced and events happened with little to no explanation. The scenes were piecey and offered no clear explanation to who, what, when, and why a scene was occuring. In short, the movie had no plot. It was just a chain of events that really had no relation to each other. There was no endgame to this film. On top of all of this, the picture was an overall dry and monotonous production, unable to draw the audience in through both their underdeveloped and overdeveloped plotlines. Most of the scenes were boring and moved too slow to grab the audience’s attention. This production could have been greatly improved if it was easier to follow and if the plot was better developed instead of appearing rushed and haphazard. I wouldn’t recommend this movie to another students for these various reasons.

Historical Accuracy:

This movie offers some accurate details. For example, the costumes are spot on for the time period. Tight fitting dresses, puffy skirts, and extravagant hairstyles are greatly incorporated. The time frame and religious conflict is accurate too, although the movie doesn’t focus entirely around it. The other storyline, Mary trying to take over the English throne is true and a good basis for the film. Aside from this, there are a few details in which they are wrong. The biggest one is the highly dramatized meeting between Elizabeth and Mary. Historians have dragged the film for incorporating this scene. The two were rivals from the start and had no intention of making amends. Seeing as it was the climax of the movie, it received lots of backlash.

Purpose:

Judging from the way that this film produced, it seems that the director’s purpose for it was to show a different point of view. Throughout history, Elizabeth is portrayed as superior because in the end (spoiler!) Mary is executed under her hand. However, Mary Queen of Scots, well, focuses on Mary. The audience gets an insider view on her character development and story. This is different because often, history gets told from the winning side. The movie explains that their story is not black and white, but gray.

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