c and p early modern period(1500-1800) Flashcards
New crimes against property – trespass
Trespass – entering another person’s land
Landowners had increasing power as Parliament developed. They made laws to protect their interests.
New crimes against authority – heresy and treason
Heresy – following the wrong religion Treason – disobeying the King
Henry VIII made himself Head of the Church during the Protestant Reformation. Heresy became a crime against the king, therefore treason.
Religious and political changes led to an increase in crimes against authority
Heresy:
Increased after the English Reformation. Involved having the wrong religious beliefs at the wrong time. Important clergymen played a role in charging and judging cases
Treason:
Increased due to there being more disputes about who should rule. Involved not accepting the monarch’s authority (political or religious). The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 is an example of treason
Gunpowder plotters 1605, crimes and punishment
Robert Catesby led the plot Guy Fawkes planted the gunpowder They wanted to blow up Parliament but they got caught, hanged, drawn and quartered
James I’s mother (Mary Queen of Scots) had been Catholic. Plotters hoped he would support Catholics but he did not. Extreme punishment used to deter.
In 1605, Robert Catesby led a group of Catholics in a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament
The Catholic plotters had two main aims:
-To kill the king and other leading Protestants
-To replace the king with a Catholic monarch
They wanted to make James’s daughter, Elizabeth, queen
New crimes against authority - witchcraft
Witches were accused of worshipping the devil and using magic. They were often old women who lived on the edge of the village.
Reformation led to confusion over religion. Poverty, bad harvests and inflation meant that villagers looked for scapegoats. Lack of scientific understanding.
Matthew Hopkins
Offered to hunt out witches in poor villages in return for a fee. Operated in East Anglia Linked to death of approx 300 women
During Civil War authorities had little control, so nobody could stop him. Civil War led to increased insecurity, Hopkins took advantage of this.
Matthew Hopkins:
A lawyer and self-proclaimed ‘Witchfinder General’
Stirred up mass panic and fear of witches through
his writings
his prosecutions
Without Hopkins, witchcraft accusations may not have increased
New social crimes – vagabondage
Vagabonds were healthy people who refused to work. They went from village to village and were linked to crime and disease
Inflation, bad harvests and decline of wool trade meant fewer jobs for people Puritan religion emphasised the importance of hard work and avoiding laziness.
Changes in law enforcement
Night watchmen – volunteers who patrolled towns at night Sergeant at arms – ensured market weights and measures were correct
Hue and cry was less effective in larger towns and cities, but there were no alternatives. But law enforcement was still largely community based.
Continuity and change in punishments
Stocks, pillory, flogging Public hanging. New punishment – House of Correction. The church lost power at this time
Most punishments were public and designed to deter. House of Correction was designed to reform
Introduction of transportation
Criminals were sent as slaves to the Caribbean or Americas.
This was mainly to remove criminals, but also to deter and reform.
Start of the Bloody Code
Benefit of clergy was abolished. Number of capital crimes increased to 215 by 1800s. Capital crimes included poaching, forgery and theft > 1 shilling Hangings were done in public
Bloody Code was designed to deter High crime rates in larger towns and cities. Hue and Cry was no longer effective Print media spread fear of criminals Landowners in Parliament made harsh laws to protect themselves.
