Elizabethan England Flashcards
Why did the plots against Elizabeth fail?(4)
-Spies
-Religious settlement
-Punishments
-Unconvincing alternatives
Rebellions:
Mary QOS arrival triggered many rebellions like the northern rebellion in 1569, wanting Catholicism to be restored back into the country and Mary being their english queen.
How did Elizabethans show of their wealth?(6)
-houses(glass is expensive and takes long to make)
-food(meat)
-wine
-banquets
-fashion
-white faces
Why was Elizabethan England a golden age?(4)
-having different resources(east indian company)
-the river thames as a international port for sugar and spices.
-the theatre was a major part of the golden age(shakespeare’s globe)
-the new world-america
Why was Elizabethan England not a golden age?(3)
-cruel torture and punishments continued to be used.
-the population was very much divided, a small minority lived in luxury while the rest lived in very poor conditions-poverty.
-Life expectancy was low and illnesses that would not kill us today were lethal.
3 reasons Elizabeth inherited an economic mess.
-During Henry VIII reign the cost of war was high.
-Reformation-During henry’s reign (1536-40) he closed all the monasteries in England meaning many people who worked for the church were evicted.
-He wanted to limit the threat of uprising threats among his nobles so he limited their right to have their own retinues(private armies). This left soldiers without work.
3 Reasons why things get worse under Elizabeth reign.
-A terrible outbreak of the flu in 1556 has killed around 200,000 many including the workers who were involved in producing food.
-Limited places to live gave power to the landlords who unfairly increased rents(known as rack renting).
-As a result of the bad harvests, there was less foods which led to price inflammation.
Two reasons why the nobles and gentry decided to help the poor.
-To protect and build their image and status.
-To try act on the christian belief to look after and offer some help to those below you.
Why did some attitudes to poverty change in Elizabethan England.
They recognised that some poor could not help their situation.
Deserving poor-These people could not find work, even if they wanted to help themselves they couldn’t.
Undeserving poor-Untrustworthy beggars who had no interest in work.
What was the poor law?
A law passed by parliament in 1531-1601 to help the sick, old and paupers wanting work.
London treatment to the poor?
-Bridlewell palace was used as a shelter for the homeless.
-A new home was established for the mentally ill.
-Other hospitals were reopen for orphans and the sick.
-The conditions in these institutions were harsh and the problem of poverty within London continued to grow.
-Peasants came from the countryside, many of whom turned to crime struggled to cope.
York treatment to the poor?
-York had become very prosperous(wealthy).
1515-York corporation had begun issuing licenses to beg. This meant beggars with this licence were required to wear a badge, so that they could be identified.
Ipswich treatment to the poor?
-In 1569, they introduced a licensing system for those living in poverty.
-It became one of the first towns to open a hospital specifically to help the elderly and sick who could not afford treatment.
Norwich treatment to the poor?
-In 1570 they conducted a survey which found that 80% lived in poverty. They were separated in 2 categories:
-Idle poor-given work such as knitting and sewing.
-Unfortunate poor-given food and other forms of care and support.
-This method was effective in limiting the numbers who received poor relief, as the poor had to be officially identified.
-Norwich taxed its rich citizens to pay for the care of the vulnerable.
Treatment of the poor before Elizabeth:
-Beggars were punished in the stocks and sent back to their hometown if they came from another area.
-They were publicly whipped if they were caught begging.
-They were seen as lazy and uninterested to find work when that wasn’t always the case.
Why was the poor law passed in 1601?
-The government saw that the local poor laws were successful and decided to make nation laws to stop poverty as a country.
-Some MPs tried to pass the law by themselves so the government felt the need to pass it in 1601.
How was the poor law implemented?
-The wealthy should be taxed to pay for the care and support of the vulnerable including the old and the sick.
-The fit and healthy poor were given work.
Effectiveness of the poor law?
-The success in different cities helped convince Elizabeth to a new approach nation wide.
-It was not until the end of Elizabeths reign that things started to change.
