7. Social And Economic Developments In Edwards Reign Flashcards
What had happened for the first time since the Black Death?
The English population was rising
How much did the English population rise?
From 2.3 million in 1525 to 3 million in 1551
What wasn’t able to keep up with the pace of the rising population?
Agricultural productivity so the price of food rose
How many periods of bad harvest were there in the 1540s?
6 major ones in the 1540s
What was happening to prices?
They dramatically rose in the 1540s
How much higher were prices in the mid 1540s than those at the start of the century?
They were 2 and a half times higher
How were price rises made worse?
The governments policy of debasement to fund Henry’s wars with France and Edward’s wars with Scotland
Who ended the policy of debasement?
Northumberland
What happened to wages?
Wages failed to keep up with price rises, leading to a falling standard of living, especially among the labouring poor
What happened to grain prices?
They rose faster than meat, dairy or wool, which hit the most vulnerable in society the most as it was their stable diet
Why was increasing agricultural production hard?
Due to the absence of scientific measures such as fertilisers and crop rotation
What happened as the demand for cloth grew?
There was more incentive to turn arable land into land for sheep farming
What did turning land into sheep farms cause?
-Problems of unemployment as fewer workers were needed to look after sheep than grow crops
-introduction of enclosure
Who was Somerset influenced by?
John Hales who argued enclosures were the cause of many of the country’s problems
What did Somerset do to tackle enclosure?
Agreed to set up a commission to investigate the problem and issued a proclamation against them
