18 - Impact Of Developments In Elizabeths Early Rule Flashcards
What was the economy like when Elizabeth inherited the throne
Difficult time for the economy
The combination of bad harvests, high mortality rates, high taxation and for many people a significant cut in real wages meant there was considerable fear of social instability
How did the council of the north try to deal with economic/ social issues
Tried to get the corporations of York and Hull to enforce a schedule of wage rates which had applied in 1514, and 113 labourers were charged with unlawfully high rates
What was the Statue of artificers
A national attempt to try and deal with economic and social issues
What rules did the statue of artificers establish
Compulsory labour, especially at harvest time
A minimum period on one year that workmen couldn’t leave work or be dismissed without good cause.
JP’s Setting maximum wage rates in every county
Why was the statue of artificers not succesful
The government lacked powers of enforcement
It was difficult for even JP’s to manage their counties
What were the causes of poverty at the time
Result of the increase in population
Real wages for the labouring poor were lower than they had been a century earlier
Harvest failures created food shortages
How did contemporaries differentiate the poor
The ‘deserving’ and the ‘undeserving’.
The deserving were to receive some limited assistant ace (this included widows and those with disabilities that prevented them from receiving employment)
The undeserving were to be punished
How did the reformation negatively impact the poor
Destroyed most institutions that offered poor relief
Did government intervention help the poor in Elizabeth’s early rule
Acts passed in —— and 1555. A further ineffective act passed in 1563 but its impact was haphazard.
Not until the 1570’s that parliamentary legislation began seriously to get to grips with the problem
Was Elizabeth succesful in stabilising the currency
Yes, restored confidence in teh currency which was something that both Northumberland and mary couldn’t do
How did Elizabeth stabilise the currency
Early in her reign announced a scheme that withdrew debased coins and replaced them with soundly minted coins.
This ensured only sound coins were in circulation and the government didnt resort to debasement for the rest of the century
Prices continued to rise but the government could no longer be blamed for the problem
How can the protestant emphasis under Elizabeth’s rule be seen
The appointment of new bishops
Example of a moderate appointment by Elizabeth
The appointment of Matthew Parker as Archbishop of Canterbury who had not been in exile during Mary’s reign.
Traditional views of Elizabeth religiously
Disapproved of clergy marrying, distrusted preaching and ensured the preservation of the musical culture of the cathedrals and university colleges.
What was the queens view of the settlement
Essentially that the settlement was merely an act of state which defined the relationship between crown and church, and it established the church’s doctrinal position conclusively
