Author Description

This study sheds new light on the impact of the large number of immigrants from the Continent on Elizabethan England and the policy decisions that their presence prompted. The sudden escalation of resident aliens' numbers caused the government to formulate and implement new policies. Strategies had to be developed to minimize the tension domestically, as strangers and natives tried to adjust to each other. At the same time, the immigrants introduced new commodities and technologies to England. Thus, very different policies were required if the government hoped to maximize economic benefits. Finally, the Crown was suspicious that the influx of immigrants posed a threat to order and security. The resulting dichotomy of welcome and control explored in this study characterizes the relationship between natives and immigrants to the present day. Strangers Settled Here Amongst Us provides important insights in the history of immigration and the search for a balance - as relevant today as it was in the sixteenth century.