poverty Flashcards
what was poverty during elizabeth’s reign (4 things)
- spending more than 80% of your income on bread
- being unemployed or ill, so you could no longer provide for yourself or your family
- being unable to afford the rising cost of food
- needing financial help or charity
what were the 5 types of people who were poor
- widows or women abandoned by their husbands and their families
- the sick and the elderly
- orphaned children
- people on low wages
- itinerants, vagrants and vagabonds
why were the widows or the women abandoned by their husbands and their families poor
women were paid very little
why were the sick and the elderly poor
they were incapable of work
what percent of the poor were under 16
40%
what were the 7 reasons for poverty in elizabethan england
- growth of towns
- bad harvests
- economic recessions
- enclosure
- sheep farming
- increasing demand for land
- population growth
how did growth of towns mean there were reasons for poverty in elizabethan england
the growth of towns drove up the cost of rents, while food prices rose as food had to be brought in from rural areas to be sold
how did bad harvests mean there were reasons for poverty in elizabethan england
the bad harvests hit subsistence farmers reduced the food supply and drove up prices
how did economic recessions mean there were reasons for poverty in elizabethan england
it caused by trade embargos such as those involving spain over the netherlands created unemployment and poverty
how did enclosure mean there were reasons for poverty in elizabethan england
lands were divided into fields for animal husbandry, arable farming or both and given to farmers who farmed for profit. this denied people use of common land, which meant that they were unable to provide for their families
how did sheep farming mean there were reasons for poverty in elizabethan england
the growth of the wool trade meant that many farmers preferred to rear sheep, rather than grow food
how did increasing demand for land mean there were reasons for poverty in elizabethan england
as the population increased more people needed land. this drove up rents and resulted in entry fees. many people could not afford to pay these
how did population growth mean there were reasons for poverty in elizabethan england
this increased demand for food while increasing the labour supply. this meant many ordinary people could no longer provide for themselves or their families
what were the 4 reasons for the changing attitudes towards the poor
- the fear that poverty led to disorder and was a potential cause of rebellion
- the cost of dealing with the poor, especially the poor rates
- population changes and enclosure meant the poor were increasingly visible presence in elizabethan england
- changing economic circumstances
what did many elizabethans distinguish between
- the deserving or important poor
- the idle poor
