Elizabethan/Stuart History
William Shakespeare lived from 1564-1616. This page has links to sources that cover historical events or everyday life during that time. (Note: Shakespeare overlapped with Elizabeth I and James I of England.)
Web Links | Books | SAGE Library Catalog Terms | Research Resources
Elizabethan England. Shakespeare Resource Center.
Brief summary of the era, with annotated links to over ten English history pages.
Elizabethan Life. Britain Express
Short summaries of information on architecture, literature, and daily life in Elizabethan England. Links to other sources.
Life in Elizabethan England: A Compendium of Common Knowledge 1558-1603
Links to information on: Games, Food, Money, Religion, Language, Weddings, Masters & Servants, Occupations, The Peers, London, Fashion, Children, Household Management, Pastimes, Names, The Queen's Suitors, Education, Heraldry, Maps.
The Elizabethan Costuming Page. Drea Leed
Includes: Intro to Elizabethan Costume; Elizabethan Costume Research; Elizabethan Underpinnings; Portraits & Pictures; Costume Patterns; Hats & Headwear; Colors & Fabrics; Dress Accessories; Detailing & Decoration; Dress of Other Lands; Sources for Costume & Supplies; Speake thy Minde; Beyond Costuming: The Elizabethan World.
Primary source material: Response to a Parliamentary Delegation on Her Marriage 1559; On Religion 1559; Response to Erik of Sweden's Proposal 1560; Response to Parliamentary Delegation on Her Marriage, 1566; On Religion, 1583; Response to Ambassador of Poland; The Farewell Speech, 1601. Against the Spanish Armada, 1588.
Primary source commentary on Elizabethan England.
Tudor England. Britain Express.
Somewhat informal presentation. Information on: Elizabethan Life, The Tudor Church, Elizabethan sites, Elizabethan Theatre, Court of Star Chamber, The 39 Articles of Religion, The Act of Supremacy, Acts of Attainder, The Book of Common Prayer.
Elizabethan England: Late Renaissance (1560-1600) Historical Essay. Culture 4.0.
Most useful section is the brief lists of contemporary authors and musicians. There are links to Elizabethan England sites (not all of the links work) that range from containing very useful information to having very minimal content or interest.
Website with information on the Tudors. Growing number of links on life in Tudor times, Tudor architecture, etc.
Stuart England. Britain Express.
Information on events and people.
James I of England. John Butler
Biography with bibliography.
The British Inheritance: A Treasury of Historic Documents. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999. DA 32.5 .B69 1999 REF
Color images of primary documents with commentary on their importance. Unfortunately, not all are translated into English or transcribed in full (some wording is too small to decipher), so not all of them can be read.
Cannon, John, ed. Oxford Companion to British History. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997. DA 34 .O93 1997 REF
Definitions of terms, industries, wars, battles, descriptions of places, and biographies of people.
Dictionary of National Biography. London: Oxford University Press, 1927- . DA 28 .D47 REF
The definitive biographical source for deceased British citizens from all time periods.
Emerson, Kathy Lynn. The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in Renaissance England. Cincinnati, OH : Writer's Digest, 1996. DA320 .E48 1996 Morgan
Aimed at writers, this helpful book provides information about everyday topics. The writer can then have accurate details. These kind of details are also helpful to the historian.
Shakespeare's World and Work: An Encyclopedia for Students. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2001. PR 2892 .S56 2001 REF
Encyclopedic information on life in the time of Shakepeare.
Tudor England: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland, 2001. DA 315 .T753 REF
Definitions of terms, places, and biographies of people. Short bibliographies at the end of some entries. Back of book has lenghty bibliographies (a few of primary sources) on Tudor visual arts, education and science, literature, music, politics and government, religious history, social history, and economic history.
Wagner, John A. Historical Dictionary of the Elizabethan World: Britain, Ireland, Europe, and America. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx, 1999. DA 357 .W34 1999 REF
Basic descriptions of people, events, ideas, and terms of significance to the Elizabethan period.
Identify useful books in SAGE doing a (LC) Subject search for:
- England Social Life And Customs 16th Century
- Great Britain Social Life And Customs 16th Century
- Great Britain History Elizabeth 1558 1603
- Great Britain History James I 1603 1625
- Great Britain History Tudors 1485 1603
- Great Britain History Stuarts 1603 1714
- England Civilization 16th Century
- England Civilization 17th Century
- Art, Renaissance -- England
- Renaissance -- England
- Anglican converts -- England -- History
- Catholic converts -- England -- History
- Reformation -- England
- Full Text of Shakespeare's Works on the Web
- Finding Shakespeare and Shakespearean Criticism in Morgan Library
- Shakespeare: Biographical & Critical Information on the Web
- Using MLA Bibliography to Find Sources on Shakespeare
- Shakespeare Misc.: Globe Theater, 19th Century Illustrations, Current Productions, etc.