During the reign of Elizabeth I, large numbers of aliens emigrated to England for various reasons, most notably to escape religious persecution and the wars that wrecked the continent in the 16th century. Much like governments facing immigration issues today, England's governors struggled to strike a balance between the potentially beneficial and the potentially dangerous aspects of the aliens' presence. This study focuses on the link between the aliens, native English and the central government. It explores policies and attitudes, bringing new perspectives to familiar documents as well as introducing rare documents in the subject's scholarship.

Laura Hunt Yungblut is an Assistant Professor at the University of Dayton, where she teaches English, Medieval, and "Living" History. She received her Ph.D. From the University of Cincinnati