Religion played a pivotal part in Elizabethan life. Protestants, Catholics, Puritans, and other religious groups jostled for power and survival in uncertain times. In 1559, an Act of Parliament was passed which determined the “supreme governor” of all things spiritual.…

Staying alive was a difficult task for Elizabethans. Disease, infection, poverty, childbirth, and occupational accidents could all result in one’s untimely demise. Most people never reached the age of fifty. When an Elizabethan died, intricate rituals were followed. What was…

Everyone in Elizabethan England was born into a social class. Peasants were the unluckiest of the lot: they were denied basic comforts, security, and even the chance to dress well. Yep, the Statutes of Apparel outlined the clothes one could…