Mainly for background but to give an idea of how and why Utopia takes the form it does AT THIS TIME 

'It was the beginning of the modern era, and it saw a revolution in almost every aspect of life. The century opened with the discovery of a new continent. The renaissance in Italy was peaking and spreading north, even arriving in backwaters like England. Life was largely prosperous for the average person, the economy was growing. The mechanisms of commerce, systems of international finance, ocean-going trading fleets, an entrepreneurial bourgeoisie, were all building a recognizably capitalist, money-based economy.' 

Covers: 

The Reformation 

Religion was not a matter of personal preference or opinion, it was the very basis of society.