Economic development: trade, exploration and colonisation; prosperity and depression
Elizabethan England saw dramatic economic swings. Merchants opened new trade routes, explorers attempted to colonise America, and the country lurched between periods of real prosperity and serious hardship.
Real World
When the Muscovy Company opened trade routes to Russia in 1555 after Antwerp became unstable, it was the Tudor equivalent of a business diversifying its supply chain after a key market collapses — driven by necessity as much as ambition.
Exam Focus
Avoid describing exploration and trade as straightforwardly successful; examiners reward recognition that colonisation attempts like Roanoke largely failed.
Essay Framework
Use PEEL to structure every paragraph. Tap each step for guidance and an example.
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