Elizabethan Society was Class-Based
In Elizabethan times, society divided into a strict social order that included six classes: the monarchy (or the Queen herself), the nobility, the gentry, the merchant class, the yeoman class (tradesmen) and laborers. Elizabethan laws even dictated what kind and color of clothes each class could wear so that they could be immediately identified.
Cuisine Exploded During the Elizabethan Period
The exploration of the New World and the South Pacific brought a slew of culinary treats into the kitchens and restaurants of England. Tomatoes, chili peppers, chocolate, cinnamon and avocados are just some of the hundreds of flavorful items that the British tasted for the first time during the Elizabethan era.
Nobody Drank Water in Elizabethan England
Except for country people, most British people in the Elizabethan era drank ale, beer, cider or wine instead of water. Water was contaminated and not safe to drink, especially in London; the alcohol content of alcoholic beverages helped to kill germs and bacteria.
Witch Hysteria Occurred in Elizabethan England
Like the rest of Europe at the time, England went through a phase of witch hysteria during the Elizabethan era. In England, however, witches found guilty of murder were publicly hanged, not burned at the stake like in France.
