Early Modern England c.1500 - c.1700 Flashcards
(65 cards)
1
Q
What was proved in this era regarding the power of the monarchy?
A
- Proved their power
- Definition of a crime could change very quickly
- Monarchs wanted people in their country to follow their belief
2
Q
How did heresy and treason become linked?
A
- Challenging religious beliefs of the king or queen was a crime against them
- It was also against the religion of the country
3
Q
What was the punishment for Heresy?
A
Burned at the stake
4
Q
Which 5 kings and queens kept changing the laws of the country due to religion?
A
- Henry viii
- Edward vi
- Mary Tudor
- Elizabeth i
- James i
5
Q
Why did towns and cities grow?
A
- Growing population
- Decline of feudalism - people moved to urban areas for work
6
Q
What are vagabonds?
A
unemployed and homeless
7
Q
What were the three vagabond laws introduced? (think Very Relieved People)
A
- Vagrancy act
- Relief of the Poor
- Poor Law
8
Q
What was witchcraft?
A
- generally poor old women
- people for the wealthy to blame for their own bad luck
9
Q
What was smuggling?
A
- illegally importing goods without paying tax
- social crime
- tea, alcohol
10
Q
Why did Puritan crimes become a thing? Name a couple.
A
- Oliver Cromwell took over as Lord Protector and he was puritan
- drinking, feasting all illegal at Christmas
- not attending church every Sunday
11
Q
What law made poaching illegal (again)?
A
1671 Game Act
12
Q
What are three types of new law enforcement?
A
- Town Constable
- Night Watchman
- Thief Takers
13
Q
What did the Town Constable do?
A
- help collect fines
- round up beggars and vagabonds
- were paid
- general stuff like break up fights
14
Q
What did the Night Watchers do?
A
- Unpaid volunteers
- Patrol streets from 10pm to dawn
- Warned ppl to stay instead if there was a criminal on the loose with a bell
- carried a candle and spear
15
Q
What did the Thief Takers do?
A
- hired by rich people
- guarding or catching criminals to give to the police
- corrupt and violent
16
Q
Name on famous Thief Taker and what he did.
A
Jonathan Wild
- led a gang of thieves who conned people
17
Q
What was transportation?
A
- criminals shipped to north america
- taught physical labour
- white slaves basically
18
Q
What was the role of early prisons?
A
- NOT used for punishments
- used to hold prisoners until trial
- prisoners had to pay for food/water
- everyone locked together
19
Q
What were Houses of Correction?
A
- prisons built purposefully
- hard labour
- used to punish
20
Q
What kinds of punishments stayed the same?
A
- most corporal and capital punishment
- fines, whipping
- hanging/beheading for heresy
- hung drawn quartered for high treason
21
Q
What was the Bloody Code?
A
- A theory that the only way to stop crime was remove the criminal altogether
- death
22
Q
Who led the Gunpowder Plot?
A
Robert Catesby
23
Q
What year was the gunpowder plot?
A
1605
24
Q
How were the gunpowder plotters punished?
A
Hung, drawn and quartered
25
Why did the gunpowder plot happen?
catholic rebels against protestant James i
26
What was the plan of the gunpowder plot?
- gunpowder stored below parliament
- Guy Fawkes (explosive expert) had to light them
- betrayed :(
27
How was Guy Fawkes tortured?
The rack
28
What two new anti-catholic laws did James introduce after the gunpowder plot?
- 1605 thanksgiving act - nov.5th was commemorated
- 1606 recusants act - catholics had to swear an oath of allegiance to the king
29
Seven reasons why there was an increased belief in witchcraft?
- James I influence
- attitudes toward women
- economy
- fear of the poor
- Church influence
- English Civil war
- Monarch Laws
30
Acronym for seven reasons for belief in witchcraft?
Jaguars And Elephants Fear Cannibals Eating Meat
31
Why was James I influence relevant to belief in witchcraft?
- wrote a book called Demonologie
- paranoid for his life and clearly detailed witchcraft as evil
32
Why were attitudes to women relevant to belief in witchcraft?
- Easy targets for being blamed
- Vulnerable generally
33
Why was fear of the poor relevant to belief in witchcraft?
- Easy target
- Scapegoats for witchcraft
34
Why was the civil war relevant to belief in witchcraft?
- believed it was a punishment from god
- increased belief of the supernatural
35
Why were Monarch Laws relevant to belief in witchcraft?
- huge influence on people of all backgrounds
36
Why was the economy relevant to belief in witchcraft?
People blamed witchcraft for their bad luck and poverty
37
How was witchcraft trialled?
- searching for a devil's mark (wart or birthmark)
- accused being tied up and thrown in a river
- if they sank, it was a sign that they were not a witch
38
Who was Matthew Hopkins? What did he call himself?
- lawyer who became a witchhunter
- Witchfiner General
39
How did Hopkins interrogate his victims?
- Inspect for 'devils mark'
- Bodkins - fake knife with a retractable blade, 'if the suspects didn't bleed they were guilty
- sleep deprivation
- starvation
40
Some reasons why women were targeted as witchcrafts?
- believed to be the weaker sex
- women were the property of men, so suspicious if they lived alone
- wise women had lots of respect and authorities hated it
41
Three ways Hopkins spread fear of witchcraft?
- mass execution of 'witches'
- during English civil war so lack of law and order
- people relied on Hopkins to help them
42
What three things led to the decline of belief in witchcraft?
- death of Hopkins in 1647
- 'enlightenment' period
- Witchcraft Act
43
What was the enlightenment period?
- Wealthy ppl got interested in science, maths and astronomy
- less belief of religion
44
What was the Witchcraft Act?
- witches were nothing more than trickers
- abolished death penalty for witchcraft
45
Despite the abolishment of death penalty, with whom and why was fear of witchcraft still prevalent?
- poorer communities
- did not study sciences et cetera so beliefs were deeply rooted
46
Why were treason charges more common during this time?
There were more disputes about who should rule
47
Why were heresy charges more common during this time?
The country kept changing the official religion - from Catholic to Protestant to C to P
48
When and how did Henry VII charge heresy and treason?
1509 - 1547 - he executed Protestants for heresy and catholics if they didn’t accept Henry as the head of the church
49
When did Henry become head of the church?
1534
50
When and what did Edward VI do towards heresy and treason?
1547-53 - he executed leaders of rebellions for treason & two catholics for heresy and
51
When and what did Mary 1 do towards heresy and treason?
1553 - 58 - executed leaders of plots to replace her and many Protestants (approx 300) for heresy
52
When and what did Elizabeth 1do towards heresy and treason?
1558 - 1603 Executed many ‘rebels’ for treason but very little for heresy
53
When and what did James 1 do towards heresy and treason?
1603 -25 - executed many catholics for treason
54
Why was there an increase in vagabondage or vagrancy during the late 15th and 16th century?
Due to:
Increasing population
Falling wages
Rising food prices
No system to help the needy
55
One main reason why there was no system to help the needy
the closure of the monasteries in 1536
56
What were the views and opinions on vagabonds and vagrants during this time?
Hated & feared by settled population
Viewed as lazy& responsible for their own problems
- vagabonds resorted to thieving/begging- resented by population even more
57
When and what was the Vagabonds and Beggars Act?
1494 - vagabonds put in stocks for 3 days & nights - then sent back where they were born or most well known
58
When and what was the Vagrancy Act?
1547: the able bodied without work for more than 3 days were:
branded with the letter ‘v’
sold as a slave for two years
59
When and what was the Act for the Relief of the Poor?
1597- split vagrants into 2 categories:
- deserving (elderly & disabled)
- undeserving (those fit to work)
60
When and what was the Poor Laws ?
1601 - the deserving poor given poor relief by local parish
undeserving could be branded, whipped or sent to correction house
61
What did Henry VII do towards witchcraft and when?
1542 - made witchcraft punishable by death
62
What did Elizabeth I do towards witchcraft and when?
1563 - changes the law so charges against witchcraft were tried in a common court
63
What did James I do towards witchcraft and when?
1604 - instructed the death penalty to be given to people ‘summoning evil spirits’
64
How did benefit of the clergy change with Henry VII?
He allowed non-clergy ‘benefit of the clergy’ only once & people were branded to show their received the privilege
65
How did benefit of the clergy change with Edward VI?
made serious crimes such as murder exempt from benefit of the clergy
