Queen Elizabeth I faced significant challenges in 1558 including religious divisions, financial problems, and foreign threats, particularly from Spain. Her reign marked a period of transformation in English history through religious settlement and global exploration.
• The financial struggles of Elizabethan England were severe, with a £300,000 debt inherited from previous wars
• Elizabethan religious reforms established a middle ground between Catholicism and Protestantism
• Elizabeth's leadership was strengthened by capable advisors like William Cecil
• The defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 marked a pivotal moment in English naval supremacy
• Trade expansion and exploration became crucial for England's economic growth