1. The Years after Elizabeth

2. The Elizabethan era
Tolerant religious views: she eliminated all forms of repression of Catholics and promoted tolerance and respect
Long period of prosperity
Exceptional development of British trade
Conflict with Spain
Spain supported Mary Stuart, the Catholic Queen of Scotland, Elizabeth’s cousin, who claimed the English throne. After a long phases of conspiracies and intrigues, Mary was executed in 1587;
1588 the English victory over the Spanish fleet, the so called Invincibile Armada, marked the beginning of England’s dominance of the seas.

3. The end of Tudor Monarchy and the beginning of the Stuart Dynasty
Elizabeth died in 1603 and left no heirs James the protestant King of Scotland, son of Mary Queen of Scots, was proclaimed her successor.
James VI was crowned in 1603  End of Tudor dynasty and beginning of the Stuat monarchy

4. The Stuart Era (1603-1714) King James I
He was the first king to combine the Scotland crown and the British one
He tried to impose an absolute monarchy (he believed in divine right of the king)
He imposed a strictly Anglican worship and all forms of Catholic and Puritan practises were forbidden

5. The Gunpowder Plot and the Pilgrim Fathers
As a consequence of James I’s intolerant power there were two important events:
Some radical Catholics organized the so called «Gunpowder Plot»: a group of conspirators planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament on 5 November (one of the conspirator was Guy Fawkes). The plotters were arrested and executed.
Some Puritans left England for America. On 16° September 1620, a group of Puritans (The Pilgrim Fathers), left Plymonth with their families aboard the Mayflower and in November reached Cape Cod and there established their colonies.