Early modern England, starting in the sixteenth century, was characterized by the voyages of men such as Anthony Jenkinson, Martin Frobisher, Frances Drake, and Walter Raleigh. Their goals included trade, exploration, and colonization, and their exploits were imprinted in English historical documents and literary works. These literary works range from Shakespeare’s poems and plays to those of Aphra Behn, considered the first woman playwright for the English public stage. But what of those women who travelled to England from across the globe during the early modern period, whether involuntarily or voluntarily? How do their lives register in English history, literature, and culture? This course will address those questions by focusing on the lives of women from Africa, Asia, and the Americas who travelled to England from the mid-sixteenth through the first decades of the seventeenth century and how they resonated in the literature of the period. Short writing assignments and oral presentations will build to your final paper or project.