5 - Economic Development: Trade, Exploration, Prosperity + Depression Flashcards
What was the estimated population at the start of Henry VII’s reign?
2.2 million
How was the population distributed between urban and rural areas?
- 90% rural
- 10% urban
How big were urban areas?
- Most small: only 20 had population over 3000
- Largest urban area: London had population 50,000
What groups existed in urban areas? What did they control? How many were there in London?
Urban guilds (66 in London)
- Entry to industry
- Apprenticeships
- Wages + prices
- Quality control
What was the biggest sector of the economy?
Agriculture
When did agriculture decline and when did it recover?
- Decline in 1300s-1400s (Black Death)
- Recovery in the reigns of Henry VII + Henry VII, as population began to regrow (Tudor population explosion)
What was the Tudor population explosion?
Growth of the English population after the Black Death, under the reigns of Henry VII + Henry VIII
- 1522: pop 2.3 mill
- 1545: pop 2.7 mill
How did agriculture type differ regionally?
- SE: Mixed (exceptions: pastoral in the Fens + High Weald)
- NW: Pastoral
- Welsh border/Herefordshire: Grain + fruit
What were the main changes in agriculture during Henry VII’s reign?
- Mixed farming starting to shift to more pastoral farming (for wool/cloth trade)
- Open-field husbandry starting to shift to enclosure
(Changes were JUST STARTING, more significant under later monarchs)
What is open-field husbandry?
Manor estate with tenants farming strips of land in open fields, all having common rights (legal rights of all tenants to use common land + keep animals there)
What is enclosure?
Land becoming owned by one individual and being fenced off
Why was enclosure becoming more common?
Farming becoming more profitable
How was enclosure affecting peasants?
Negative effect
- Lost land
- Lost common rights
- Caused a slight rural population decline
BUT - Some historians argue negative effect has been exaggerated
- Midlands (most enclosure at time) had less than 3% land enclosed
- Negative effects often confused with effects of engrossment (multiple farms joining)
Was most English trade internal or external?
Internal (between specialised regions)
What were the main imports to England?
Products for the wealthy
- Wine
- Raisins
- Dye
- Glass
What were the main exports from England?
- Cloth (growing)(increased by 60% under Henry VII - Lander)
- Wool (shrinking)
What percentage of England’s export value was from cloth?
90%