Economic expansion and trade in the 16th century

During Queen Elizabeth's reign, the ruling class aimed for economic expansion and trade to solve economic problems caused by population growth. The cloth industry was crucial, and the idea of seeking land and resources abroad emerged as a solution. Trade links were established with various European nations, and colonizing Ireland and the Americas became strategies to catch up with the Spanish and Portuguese. Travel writers and anti-travel writers expressed contrasting views on foreign lands, while the English aristocracy considered the Native Americans similar to laboring classes and the Irish.