Elizabethan Society Flashcards
(54 cards)
1
Q
what was the purpose of education?
A
- prepare people for their expected roles in life
- teach practical skills and basic literacy
2
Q
what percentage of the population could read?
A
- 15% to 20%
3
Q
what was the influence of Humanists on education?
A
- they were philosophers who argued the value of education
4
Q
what was the influence of Protestants on education?
A
- they argued that people should be able to read scriptures and therefore boosted literacy
5
Q
what was the influence of the printing press on education?
A
- books became less expensive and gave people more opportunities to read
6
Q
what was the influence of trade on education?
A
- trade meant that people needed to know how to understand mathematics to record transactions properly
7
Q
what were parish schools?
A
- set up by the Church
- taught basic literacy to the children of yeoman farmers and craftsmen
8
Q
what were private tutors?
A
- privately delivered education to members of the nobility
- often done in the home of another nobility family
9
Q
what were universities?
A
- there was Oxford and Cambridge
- lots of languages
- highest qualification was a doctorate
10
Q
what were petty schools?
A
- run privately from people’s homes
- for children of gentry, merchants and craftsmen
11
Q
what were grammar schools?
A
- independent education
- charges fees
- taught the Bible
12
Q
what was education like for girls?
A
- no formal education
- Dame Schools for well off girls
- private tutors for wealthy girls
13
Q
how did education change?
A
- new grammar schools
- scholarships
- improvement in literacy
14
Q
what pastimes did the nobility have?
A
- hunting
- fishing
- real tennis
- bowls
- fencing
15
Q
what pastimes did farmers, craftsmen and the lower classes have?
A
- football
- wrestling
16
Q
what were the main spectator sports?
A
- baiting
- cock-fighting
17
Q
what was literature like?
A
- new literature was written
- medieval literature remained popular
- there were secular plays
18
Q
what was the theatre like?
A
- comedies were very popular
- all social classes attended the theatre
- theatres had sections relative to your class
19
Q
what was music and dancing like?
A
- many Elizabethans played instruments
- musical performances were popular
- dancing brought men and women together
20
Q
what was poverty like during Elizabeth’s reign?
A
- over 80% of your income spent on bread
- cannot provide for you or your family
- cannot afford the rising cost of food
- needed financial help or charity
21
Q
what types of people were poor?
A
- women
- the sick and elderly
- orphaned children
- people on low wages
- itinerants, vagrants and vagabonds
22
Q
why did population growth cause poverty?
A
- higher demand for food while labour supply increased
- people cannot provide for themselves or their families
23
Q
why did bad harvests cause poverty?
A
- it hit subsistence farmers and reduced food supply and drove up prices
24
Q
why did economic recessions cause poverty?
A
- caused by trade embargos e.g Spain in the Netherlands, which lead to unemployment and poverty
25
why did sheep farming cause poverty?
- there was a growth in wool trade so many farmers preferred to rear sheep rather than grow food
26
why did demand for land cause poverty?
- as population increased, more people needed land
- rent went up
- many people could not afford to pay these
27
why did town growth cause poverty?
- rent went up while food prices did
28
why did attitudes towards the poor change?
- fear that poverty could lead to disorder and rebellion
- it's expensive to deal with
- they became increasingly visible
- changing economic circumstances pushed authority to develop a more constructive attitude towards the poor
29
how were the poor distinguished?
- deserving or impotent poor
- undeserving or idle poor
30
what was the poor rate?
- a local tax organised by JPs
- the money was spent on improving the lives of the poor
- the poor were given money or things to make and sell
31
what was charity?
- funded by the local wealthy people
32
what was the Statute of Artificers 1563?
- people who didn't pay poor rates were imprisoned
- officials who didn't organise the poor rate were fined
33
what was the 1576 Poor Relief Act?
- JPs were required to provide the poor with materials to make and sell things
- the poor who refused to do so were imprisoned
34
what was the 1572 Vagabonds Act?
- vagrants were whipped and shamed
- imprisoned
- given the death penalty
- Parliament felt vagrants threatened order and had to be deterred
35
how did expanding trade prompt exploration?
- trade was expanding
- English merchants needed new trading opportunities after the war
- it was vital to find new markets and new products to sell
36
how did adventure prompt exploration?
- people like Francis Drake undertook voyages
- they published accounts of these voyages and persuaded others to venture into the unknown
37
how did new technology prompt exploration?
- navigation was becoming more precise
- e.g quadrants and astrolabes made voyages safer, direct and faster
38
how did the development of standardised maps prompt exploration?
- they gave sailors and traders greater confidence they were were going in the right direction, reducing risk and encouraging further voyages
39
how did private investment prompt exploration?
- they funded voyages e.g Queen Elizabeth
- the rewards could be enormous despite the risk
- this increased the incomes of both the Crown and the nobility
40
how did improvement in ship design prompt exploration?
- ships/galleons had bigger sails, were faster and more manoeuvrable
- they also had greater firepower to protect themselves from pirate attacks
- they were more stable and could take on more supplies, encouraging longer voyages and exploration
41
what was the triangular trade?
- John Hawkins discovered that iron goods and guns could be sold in West Africa to buy slaves
42
why did Drake circumnavigate the globe?
- attacking Spain, raid Spanish colonies
- revenge, the Spanish had attacked Drake's fleet and most of his men were killed
- profit, huge profits to be made so people were willing to invest including Elizabeth I
43
what was the significance of Drake's circumnavigation?
- England's reputation as a sea faring power increased
- England increasingly saw her navy as her best means of defence
- English ships began to trade elsewhere
- caused a decline in Spanish relations
- colonies were established e.g Nova Albion
44
who was Sir Walter Raleigh?
- explorer
- was given a grant by Elizabeth to explore and settle lands in North America
- did not lead the colonists but raised funds for the project and persuaded people to leave ENG and settle in Virginia
45
who went to Virginia?
- 107 colonists set out for Virginia, almost all men
- many were soldiers and sailors but there were also craftsmen, landowners, merchants and farmers
- they were led by Richard Greenville
46
what did the colonists take along?
- food and salt for preservation, for the voyage and afterwards
- fresh water, for the voyage
- tools and equipment, to farm and to build forts and homes
- weapons, to protect themselves from attack
47
why was Virginia colonised?
- trade
- ENG is less dependent on SPA, FRA and ITA for imported goods
- welcoming and friendly natives encouraged the English to go there
- Raleigh persuaded investors that the trip would be profitable
- Virginia provides a base to attack Spanish settlements and colonies
- a successful colony makes it easier to fund other ventures
48
why did the colonisation of Virginia fail?
- lack of food
- poor leadership
- lack of skills and experience
- Native American attack
- war with Spain
49
why was a lack of food a reason for the failure of the colonisation?
- it was too late to plant crops
- one of the ships leaked and the food was ruined
- colonists could not provide for themselves and were dependent on the local Indian tribes
50
why was poor leadership a reason for the failure of the colonisation?
- Greenville (first expedition leader) was hot headed
- John White (second expedition leader) abandoned the colony in 1587
51
why was a lack of skills and experience a reason for the failure of the colonisation?
- the expedition leaders lacked the experience and skills to make it a success
- merchants and landowners weren't used to manual work
- soldiers could defend the expedition but could not farm
52
why was the Native American attack a reason for the failure of the colonisation?
- Chief Wingina believed the colonists brought disease and led an attack, he was also angered with the colonists' demands for food
53
why was the war with Spain a reason for the failure of the colonisation?
- from 1585, ENG was practically at war with SPA
- the threat from the Armada meant that few ships were available to visit or resupply the colonists
- the colonists were isolated and vulnerable to attack
54
what was the significance of the attempted colonisation of Virginia?
- despite its failure, it served as a template for future settlements
- by the end of the 17th century, 13 colonies had been established along the eastern seaboard of the New World
