England in the Early 17th Century
Political Circumstances
- The British empire, which was already an extremely influential power in the world, expanded rampantly, especially in London
- Slave trading was very important in the British Empire
- (above two: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-19032742.html)
- There was increasing tension between Catholic church and government
- There was a Catholic attempt to kill the king, which led to reduced rights for Catholics
- (above two: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/g08.pdf)
Social Circumstances
- In the early 17th Century, England underwent an explosion of improvements, even for the lower classes. In terms of Agriculture, methods were upgraded to yield more bountiful crops.
- Trade amongst the European countries increased greatly; they gained access to the foreign crops, fruits and plants which could not thrive in England’s cooler climate.
- There was rapid increase in wealth among nobility due to agricultural revolution
- Created a new taste of luxuries in housing, furniture and dress - Elegant and substantial houses, elaborately carved furniture, household items included: glass mirrors, intricate carpets, velvet chairs and ornamental French clocks
- Literature was since neglected, however, because of rise of figures such as Spenser and Shakespeare, literature had higher impulse on people
- (above five: http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_html/Our_Country_Vol_1/life17th_dh.html)
The role of English woman in the early 17th century was clearly dictated by the social circumstances of the time. There was a rapid increase in wealth among the nobility due to the agricultural revolution, which funded the training of women as mothers and housewives. Also, new agricultural farming methods were introduced in the 17th century with the same result, to some extent, on lower class women. However, this was due to the fact that women of lower stature were needed as housewives to clean, cook, and raise their respective families, not merely because of a surplus in revenue. A rise in the popularity of literature also developed during the 17th century, and this ultimately caused many women to become successful authors, though usually under a penname.
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