About the lecture

In this module, we consider the question, ‘Was there new economic and imperial activity under Elizabeth?’, focusing in particular on: (i) the ‘traditional’ view that the origins of the British Empire can be dated back to the reign of Elizabeth (1558-1603); (ii) the ‘revisionist’ view that the British Empire only begins in earnest in the reign of James I (1603-25); (iii) imperial failures in the reign of Elizabeth, e.g. the disappearance of the colony at Roanoke, Frobisher’s failure to find the Northwest Passage, etc.; (iv) imperial successes in the reign of James I, e.g. the establishment of colonies in the Americas, trading factories in India, etc.; (v) the theoretical underpinnings of empire in the works of John Dee (1527-1608/9) and Richard Hakluyt (1553-1616); (vi) advances in maritime navigation, including William Gilbert’s research in magnetism, William Bourne’s navigational textbook, and the invention of new navigational aids; (vii) the celebration of explorers as national heroes, especially Francis Drake; (viii) the importance of trading companies such as the Muscovy Company and the Turkey Company (later the Levant Company) in establishing trade routes in the East; and (ix) the foundation of the East India Company in 1601.

About the lecturer

Susan Doran is Professor of Early Modern British History at the University of Oxford. She has a substantial publishing record which reflects a particular interest in the religious and political history of the Tudors, especially Elizabeth I. She is also a Senior Research Fellow at Jesus College and Director of Studies in History at Regent’s Park College.