English Society in Crisis 1560-1640

The late 16th and early 17th centuries are usually regarded as a golden age in English history. Beneath the veneer of success, the English experienced insecurity in these years. This reader brings together articles for the study of social and economic tension in late Tudor and early Stuart England.

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The late 16th and early 17th centuries are usually regarded as "a golden age" in English history, dominated by military success against the Spanish, the apotheosis of the Tudor dynasty under Elizabeth I and, above all, the outstanding cultural achievements of Shakespeare, Marlow and Donne. Beneath the veneer of success, however, millions of Englishmen and women experienced profound insecurity in these years. This reader brings together essential articles for the study of the cause, course and consequences of social and economic tension in the parishes and communities of late Tudor and early Stuart England.