Answer: During the Elizabethan period, food was often scarce.
During the 16th century, England experienced population booms and many wars depleting the food supply.
The scarcity of food during the Elizabethan Period (1558-1603), caused many in England to struggle to survive. When the opportunity came to explore the new world (Americas), some were willing to take the risk just to create a better life. Though permanent settlements would not be established until 1608, the English had begun to explore and bring resources back to England.
