Elizabeth I Author:Jacob Abbott She had fiery red hair and bold spirit of her father, Henry VIII; she also possessed his fierce temper and determination to rule. The reign of Elizabeth I was marked by great achievements in the arts and sciences, by voyages of exploration to distant lands, by unprecedented prosperity and power for the British crown, and by the miraculous defeat... more » of the Spanish Armada. Publicly she exhibited uncommon strength and will. She dealt with treachery and treason as she regarded the suitors who sought her hand in marriage. But privately she suffered the pain of betrayal, sorrow, and loneliness. Biographer Jacob Abbott traces the life of this unhappy queen from her perilous childhood to her glorious reign as one of the greatest monarchs the world has ever known.« less