Inventions of the Elizabethan Era

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Recommended: The state of science and technology during the middle ages

Many things defined 16th and 17th century Europe. Most recall it to be the era of the Renaissance; of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign; of a time where industry took its first steps and people no longer thought the world to be flat. It was an era that led to the way we live today. But perhaps one of the most essential contributions to modern day society to come from this period of time is the technology. People have been creating things since the dawn of time itself. Ever since we humans took our first steps into the cold, difficult, unforgiving world, we’ve been thinking of new ways to make life, well, livable. We didn’t have fur, wings, claws, or anything else that lets the rest of the world’s creatures stay alive. But, we did have brains. And, since staying alive is a good thing, we learned how to use our brains to our advantage. From the first spears clumsily thrown at unsuspecting birds, to the iPhones we use as expensive flashlights to find the light switch, humanity’s been coming up with things that make our lives easier and easier. These inventions have shaped our very existence. They’ve brought us from being cave-dwelling, raw meat-eating Neanderthals to the top of the food chain. Then, after we conquered the elements, we set about conquering everything else. We made tasks that would normally take several days to complete take just a few hours. We shaped the land to suit our needs. And all the while, inventions were the source of our newfound power. With the Renaissance going on in full swing in the late 1500’s, people were enjoying their newfound lifestyle. But they were just getting fully recovered from the Black Death, which consequently killed off over half of Europe. One of the biggest reasons for the... ... middle of paper ... ...uld greatly improve the understanding of the language for the masses. The first English dictionary, Table Alphabeticall, wasn’t very useful, however. It was comprised of only 120 pages and 2,543 words defined very briefly. However, is paved the way for newer, fuller dictionaries to take its place. Its creator, Robert Cawdrey, published it in London in 1604. Dictionaries became much more useful as more and more words were added to them, and they are still used in modern society today. From dictionaries to toilets, the inventions of the Elizabethan era have done quite a lot to improve the world. We as humans have become much cleaner and well-educated than we have ever been (even if it doesn’t seem like that at times). Inventors and their inventions continue to help shape society today. And, with any luck, we’ll be prepared the next time we have a plague.

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