Differences And Similarities Between The Elizabethan Era And 1980

The Elizabethan era was during the 16th century when Queen Elizabeth ruled England. It was considered a golden age because of the prosperous time, it inspired pride but also saw an expansion of ideas, innovation, literature, and music. The 1980s in the United States was characterized by the end of the cold war which America was directly involved in. President Ronald Reagan was at the forefront of politics and the decade is often remembered for its never before seen level of materialism and consumerism. Dealing with political, social, and economic factors the Elizabethan era and the 1980s in the United States had similarities and differences. Political factors in the Elizabethan era and the 1980s in America were vastly different. Queen Elizabeth

“Parliament was attended by a group of representatives and was divided into the House of Lords and the House of Commons” (“Elizabethan Politics and Government”). The lawmaking institution, included the upper house of Lords for the elite and privileged while the house of Commons were elected positions by the local people. At the time women could not yet vote and were not allowed to have political say in the system, they were legally inferior to men and didn't have the same rights and opportunities. The wealthy popular men with incomes held political power so laws were most beneficial to their class not the majority of workers and poor. Wealth and gender were factors that impacted the political life and influence in England at the time. Moreover, in America during the 1980’s, Ronald Reagan was president at the time, the leading political figure who represented the nation and its people. “The 1980s also witnessed a dramatic series of developments in U.S. foreign relations, first an intensification of the Cold war with the soviet union and then a sudden relaxation of tensions and the effective end of the cold war with an American

“...many people who had lived and worked in the countryside their whole lives found themselves without any means of support and, in many cases, evicted from their homes. Large numbers headed for the towns in the hope of a better life” (“Causes of Poverty”). Elizabethan England was divided into social classes, from the rich and powerful nobility with land to merchants and other laborers who didn't own any land and worked to make a living and survive. The different social classes had more privilege the higher up they were, while many farmers and workers had to deal with poor living conditions. Other effects on society were the bubonic plague, commonly known as the black death which affected the population regardless of status. The wealthier were able to afford medicine for treatment while the ones in poverty had little options and little help given to them. Furthermore, the 1980s in America was characterized by technology and consumerism. While the social classes of rich and poor did exist in America the population experienced much technology. “Americans enjoyed many fundamental changes in their standard of living in the 1980s...MTV, or Music Television, brought a revolution to the recording industry. MTV broadcast music video interpretations of popular songs” (“Life in the 1980s”). New developments like MTV changed the way people listened and saw popular