Research Task #1

1. In the Elizabethan era, fashion was at its best. The wealthier people
wore more elaborate clothing while lower class people wore basic
clothing made of only necessary materials. Women usually wore several
items of clothing, not just a dress. These items include collars, hats, and
ruffs just to name a few. Men wore doublets and breeches as well.
2. People ate and drank according to wealth. If they were wealthy, they
would normally eat more meat and sugar. In fact, if you ate a lot of
sugar, it would blacken your teeth, showing your wealth. Lots of fruit
trees such as apple trees and orange trees. Beehives were also becoming
popular around that time.
3. There were many sports in the Elizabethan era such as; shinty, which is
similar to hockey, gameball, a rough and violent game like football, pall
mall, an ancestor of croquet, and hammer throwing. There were also
blood sports, which involved animals including bears, bulls and dogs.
4. Music was important to the people of the Elizabethan era. It was a form
of entertainment. People of the lower class normally sang to distract
themselves of the vigorous task they are undertaking. Music was also
performed at church, as it is today.
5. Queen Elizabeth I ruled through the Elizabethan era. She did not marry
so a man never controlled her. People in England found a sense of
security because of her good leadership skills. She was the daughter of
King Henry VIII.
6. Some interesting jobs in the Elizabethan era were; a bower, in this job
you were required to make bows, arrows and crossbows, a cordwainer, a
job in which you made shoes for the rich and the poor (if they could
afford it), and a clothier, who were required to have extensive
knowledge of materials and could make clothes for nobles.
7. Most celebrations in the Elizabethan era were dictated by the church.
Some celebrations like Halloween, (then called All Souls Day or All
Hallows Day), St. Valentines Day and Easter, that we celebrated
today, were celebrated four hundred years ago!
8. During the Elizabethan era, the Bubonic Plaque (the black death) killed
one third of the population of England. So many people died because
they only had basic medicine. Elizabethan doctors dressed up in some
weird clothing, however it protected them.
9. According to socio-economic status and gender, everyones daily lives
were different. If you were a wealthy woman, you were dependent on
your husband to support them. However, if you lived in a village, you
and your husband would both work.
10. Elizabethan family life varied according to wealth. All families were
required to attend church on Sundays. Women were considered inferior
to men, so if they were not obedient, it would be seen as a crime. Men
were expected to protect and work for their family. Children were
expected to obey their parents.