1625-1688 (theme 3) Flashcards
1
Q
population figures london
A
1600: 200,000
1650: 375,000
1700: 500,000
2
Q
power of the nobility
A
- population went from 200,000 in london in 1600 to 500,000 in 1700
- nobility gained more central power and more of the crown’s power was devolved to the nobles
- down to such regional authorities to implement laws and in many cases this would be the nobility
- they would follow even what they didn’t agree with as they didn’t want to give the idea of disobedience
- nobility had sold their lands and weren’t as wealthy as they had been in the past
- the towns became more tempting to the nobility as they became centres of wealth and administrative power
3
Q
changing gentry class
A
- made up of land owners such as knights and wealthy merchants
- riches available from increase in trade as well as opportunities from growing towns in this period increased the members of the gentry
- by 1690, england had an elite class more based on wealth than on traditional status
- more of the gentry lived in towns in this period, drawn by the services and the fact that towns were the center of power
- newfound power and wealth made the traditional nobility unhappy as they disliked of what they considered commoners to positions of influence
- some of the power the nobility held, the gentry did as well
4
Q
urbanisation and growth of professional + merchant classes
A
- development of towns this period created many new opportunities
- many english towns shifted from industry to services and leisure for the local gentry
- merchants had some sort of control of the running of towns
- the development of towns allowed more professions such as doctors and lawyers to arise due to the higher concentration of people
- tradesmen and craftsmen were also able to do well, catering to the increasing needs of cities
5
Q
growth of london and its impact on economic development
A
- by 1640, 10% of the population of the whole country resided in the city
- by 1690, the richest 100 people in london made upmost of the richest in the whole country
- london grew at the expense of other towns, many were drawn to it rather than smaller towns with fewer opportunities
- many migrated to the city from all over the country
- london was the largest financial institutions in the city and was the center of trade
-various markets were tied in with london and foreign traders would also come into the capital - more markets, more people would come to the city which would again attract more merchants
- local trade drew growth of city and in turn spurred further economic development
6
Q
reasons for increase in population- migration
A
- by 1600, migrants made up 35% of the population of norwich
- as people moved in order to find work, they would invariably find themselves living in towns. more job security would lead to more children being born
- the kentish towns that attracted migrants were the center of the cloth trade
- foreign migrants arrived in large numbers in 1651, notably sephardic jews, when religious toleration appeared to be an established policy
- only 5% of the population outside london in towns with over 5,000 inhabitants in 1700
- slaves who were brought back from imperial possessions to work in england
- skilled weavers from low countries
7
Q
population overview
A
- population doubled 1520-1680, from 2.5 million to 5 million
- average population growth was 0.5%
- london was the largest city in western europe
- from the 1650s the population of england and wales contracted until the end of the century, falling from 5.3 million to 5.06 million
8
Q
limitation to migration’s impact
A
- some 330,000 left for the west indies, virginia, maryland and new england
- the widespread poverty that existed both town and country contributed to large numbers of the poor leaving for a better life elsewhere
- during the 17th century it is likely that more people emigrated from, than came to, britain
9
Q
mortality and fertility
A
- mortality rates were lower than in the previous 300 years
- bubonic plague= a decline in incidences of plague caused mortality rates to lower
- the population had become adapt at isolating individuals and containing the spread of diseases
- common for theatres of london to be shut for months when an epidemic hit
- 1665 great plague= parish records show that the children who died were replaced within 10 years
- when elder members of a family died, the younger members would gain more of an opportunity to marry and if they married younger, the marriage was more likely to result in a large number of children
10
Q
was population growth significant?
A
population growth didn’t fundamentally alter the social structure of stuart britain or encourage significant social mobility
11
Q
impact of population- london
A
- between 400,000 - 500,000 more than 10x bigger than the next largest english towns of norwich and bristol
- around 7% of the english population lived in london increasing to over 9% in 1700, this compares with 2.25% in 1520
- nearly 400% of more grain between 1600 and 1800 were needed to feed the city
- london was ideally placed to power the stuart economy, as it was the heart of the trade and shipping network
12
Q
impact of population growth- other towns
A
- towns that did expand in the period, such as bristol, were generally parts of industrial centres
- in the first quarter of the 17th century, norwich was the most populace town outside london with 30,000 inhibitants
- the north dominated as it was by cattle and sheep farms, contained fewer large towns
- ten of these smaller towns were on the coast and were involved in fishing
- main reason for expansion of towns was an increase in trading
13
Q
impact of population growth
A
- caused a shortage of work in both town and countryside, although government policy blamed vagrants for not being able to find work
- towns were the most obvious place to look for work, 2/3 of the population lived near the poverty line
- number of poor rose as the population increased, e.g. in norwich, inhabitant’s such as tailors, lived below the poverty line suggesting that there wasn’t enough work to go round
14
Q
impact of population growth on rural life
A
- 1608 census for glousteshire showed that half of the population was engaged in other professions
- around 900,000 areas of english land were devoted to the growing of crops
- after 1650, inflation meant that many small land owners were unable to invest in farms and had no choice but to sell their lands
- large landowners and some town councils invested in improving the conditions of rivers in order to make them navigates and roads
15
Q
growth of poverty
A
- contemporary writers were convinced that the numbers if poor were huge. taxation records show these were exaggerated but still at least 1/3
the increased enclosure of common land, leading to a lack of space for the poor to graze animals and shortage of food - settled poor= 1/4 of population, vagrant poor= 0.5% of population, treated as criminals and seen as a threat to a stable society
- around 2/5 of the workforce took jobs as servants
- 1/3 of the population of each village would leave to find work
16
Q
poor laws and actions against beggars + vagrants
A
- oversees of the poor became the chief local officials in charge of the collection of poor relief taxes
- overseers were appointed in all parishes and were responsible for deciding who would receive relief
- in 1631 charles issued a book of orders to all JPs in the countries, which included provision for the relief of the poor and treatment of vagrants
- charitable gifts and endorsements from members of the gentry
- poor relief act (settlement act of 1662)- the settlement certificates that for the first time a poor person could actually prove where they lived; a definition of what constituted poor had been given for the first time
- only people renting property worth less than £10 were considered worthy of help
- act was manipulated by local officials, they would send the poor to other parishes and stay hidden until they are eligible
17
Q
how successful were the poor laws in the years 1625-88?
A
- 3/4 of the money was alloted by overseers by 1660 came from rural parishes, and in 1650 state relief stood at £188,000 compared with £30,000 in 1614
- charles issued a book of orders in 1631 to all JPs in the counties which included provisions for the relief of the poor and treatment of vagrants
- poor relief system helped to ensure that england didn’t suffer famine during these years of climate crisis; scotland which lacked a poor relief system, experienced periods of famine
18
Q
nobility: key changes
A
- economic power of nobility also declined due to attempts to maintain, ‘aristocratic lifestyle’- high costs of servants, horses, hospitality, visits to royal court etc
- those supporting the royalist had land confiscated and sold
- before 1640 there had been a substantial growth in the numbers and wealth of large landowners who had been the main beneficiaries of the expanding population
- the political power of the nobility was extended under the later stuarts who used aristocratic titles, to reward supporters and ensure lord’s majorities, 104 noble families in 1635, 157 by 1688
19
Q
nobility- how did revolutionary events affect this group?
A
- inflation cause a decline in the significance of the nobility
- some landowners suffered quite severe short term damage from the civil war, as their tenant were plundered by armies of both sides
- they continued to wield significant power, living comfortably with vast reserved of wealth
- throughout the 17th century nobility remained the ruling class in partnership with monarchy and the church
20
Q
gentry: key changes
A
- at a county level could become JPs, constables or judges whereas higher gentry could become MPs
- total gentry= 15,000 (3000 higher and 12,000 lower)
- growing importance in stuart periods numbers increasing approximately 300% between tudor periods
- across the country half all wealth and property belonged to the gentry with 15% controlled by nobility and the rest mostly in the hands of the monarch or church
- large landowners could borrow money o tide them over in difficult times
- by 1690, 50% of the cultivated land was in the bands of the big landowners
- they could also marry their to wealthy heiresses
21
Q
gentry- how did revolutionary events affect this group?
A
- height of importance was in the interregnum, although many remained significant as MPs after the restoration
- most gentry didn’t take part in national or regional politics
22
Q
merchants: key changes
A
- some could buy land with wealth gained
- become more influential due to urbanisation the post 1650 consumer boom and the development of overseas trade
- held positions of power in towns which were equal to the gentry in the countryside, aldermann and mayors
- growth domestic and overseas trade
- 1688= 64,000 merchants, grown by at least 30,000 from 1580
- london was centre of trade so merchant group expanded experienced consumer boom after 1650s due to improved trading
23
Q
merchants- how did revolutionary events affect this group?
A
- growth of london and major towns led to increasing merchant class and influence
- some as wealthy as gentry
- unable to pursue higher education due to limited leisure time
24
Q
professionals: key changes
A
- 90% were younger sons of gentry and nobility, reflecting lack of educational opportunities for the lower orders
- 12 barristers in one chamber 1574 to over 200 in 1669
- most professional people considered themselves to be gentlemen and once sufficiently wealthy bought landed estates and other trappings of the gentry
- the growth of the professional and merchant classes did little to challenge the social status and economic power of the nobility who (together with the gentry) owned a fifth the land in england
25
professionals- how did revolutionary events affect this group?
- between 1680- 1730s there waws a 70% increase in the number of professional people. this was due to two factors: a general rise in standards of living, the expansion of government.
- there was an increase in demand for the services of lawyers, doctors, architects and teachers
- expansion of the royal bureaucracy. this marked the beginning of the civil service
- most professional, driven partly by the complexity of landowning law, made SB a more litigious society
26
women: key changes
- purtian women participated in social and political campaigns during the civil war, e.g. 10,000 women signed a 1649 petition calling for the releases of john lilburne and greater freedom for women
- the toleration act of 1650 introduced some change by enabling quaker women to hold separate meetings and speak at mixed gatherings
- charles II removed the legal restrictions on women performing in stage plays; the law on witchcraft new rarely applied
- marriage act of 1653 permitted civil marriages under the supervision of a JP; this form of marriage reduced a husband's rights over his wife
27
women- how revolutionary events affect this group?
- the spread of puritanism led to some limited improvements for women
- there was no change in the law on witchcraft, which mostly affected females
28
demise of regime
- traditional churched establishment had been removed and religious toleration introduced, an end to the confessional state
- the rump unwittingly called into debate the future of the country
- parliament technically gained its authority from the monarch
29
scientific revolution
- break through in science led to influence in society greatly
- the advancement of the physical sciences hit at a traditionally superstitious people
- science explained many natural phenomena and movement of the heavens
- astrology and accusations of witchcraft soon lost their previous importance
- witchcraft accusations would be dismissed by judges
- francis bacon's principles of observation, measurement of inductive reasoning allowed may or advances in classification and study of plant and animal life
- william harvey discovered the circulation of blood, which led to advances in physiology and anatomy
30
royal society
- mid 1640s a group of natural philosophers came together to discuss learning about the world through observing it and carrying out experiments
- charles II was very supportive and provided grants and lodgings for the society
- the first time scientific study had gained royal approval
- study of science became more accepted and approved pursuit
31
thomas hobbes
- tutored charles II while in paris
- state of nature, humans are driven by itself- interest and are in constant conflict with one another which leads to a war of all against all
- he believed that individuals must surrender some of their freedom to a sovereign authority which he called the leviathan, in exchange for a security and order
- influenced political thought by challenging the divine right of kings
- his ideas contributed to debates about governance and the nature of power and they laid the groundwork for later philosophers
32
john locke
- released a number of important works about political philosophy
- influential views on government, human nature and individual rights
- locke believed that humans are inherently rational and capable of self governance
- "two treaties of government" argues that individuals have natural rights to life, liberty and property
- challenged the absolute power of the monarchy
- locke's ideas provided a foundation for the argument against tyranny and divine right of kings
33
frances bacon
- he believed that scientific discovery is best aided by accumulating as much data about the subject as possible
- his methods involved rejecting any preconceived theories or conclusions about the subject matter
- he thought methodical and meticulous conservation facts was the best way to understand natural phenomena
- his ideas were revisited due to the change in social attitudes
- didn't make as single scientific discovery
34
isaac newton
- concerned his research into the spectrum of light and was soon invited to present his new invention (reflective telescope)
- built on the advance's in astronomy, maths and physics that had been made before him
- most influential scientist in history
- his most respected work philosophia naturalis principa mathematica
35
how influential was the royal society?
- the royal society was boated by a royal charter and charles II's interest in science, which made it a high profile forum for scientific investigation
- royal society attracted ground breaking scientists such as robert hooke and isaac newton; the institutions reputation ensured that many of the best scientific scholars preferred it to oxford
- the royal society produced the first scientific journal, philosophical disseminating scientific discoveries and information
- royal society attracted a wide membership drawn from the landed and professional classes which helped to popularise scientific knowledge is fashionable society in restoration england
36
limitations to importance of royal society
- royal society only dedicated itself exclusively to scientific research after 1684; before then it focused on all areas of intellectual study
- did not always give them assistance to develop their work
- royal society spent too much time on pointless 'scientific' pursuits, e.g. trying to turn lead into gold
