CHAPTER 2 Flashcards
Define treason
Treason was to challenge the authority of the ruler
Define heresy
Heresy was seem as a crime against church and an offence to god
Describe what vagabondage was
Vagabond was a person who wandered from place to place without a job. A common view was that vagabonds were lazy, or had brought their troubles upon themselves.
The Vagrancy act 1547 stated that a able bodied vagabond, who was without work for more than 3 days was, would be branded with the letter V and be sold as a slave for two years.
Describe the crime of Witchcraft
Describe the rise of smuggling
In the 17th century the government introduced import duties, in a range of goods. This meant that there was more profit to be earned when smuggling items and people were willing to do that.
Describe the duty of the town constable
The town constable was: employed by town authorities
Had some power to arrest
Helps to collect payments and for road cleaning
Expected to turn in serious crimes to the courts
Describe the duty of the Night watchman
All householders are expected to serve as night watchman,
Night watchmen take turns to patrol the local area between 10pm an dawn,
They carry a lamp to help them see,
They ring a bell at night to warn people to go, home or to risk being viewed as possible criminals,
They are unpaid.
Describe the continued use of corporal and capital punishment
During the 17th century the number of crimes that carried the death penalty increased. There was 50 capital crimes by 1688. There was still a considerable amount of continuity from the middle ages to the early modern ages in corporal punishments.
Describe what transportation was, why it was used and why it stopped
Transportation was the shipping of people to new English colonies in North America to punish people, it was favored by the authorities because it was an effective deterrent. It stopped because many people died on the boats.
Describe what the Bloody Code was, why it was used and why it stopped
The bloody code was a series of capital punishments for minor crimes. There was 5 capital crimes by 1688. But the system was flawed and ineffective, many crimes were committed out of desperation and penalties were so severe executions were not always carried out.
Describe the causes for the gunpowder plot and goal.
Protestantism had been the official religion in England since the act of uniformity was passed. Catholics in England were more actively prevented from practicing their faith to a large extent. The goal of the plot was to blow up the Parliament.
Describe the events of the Gunpowder plot.
Guy Fawkes pretended to be a servant who was looking after the house while his employer was away. They then rented a cellar directly under the house of lords it was estimated 36 barrels of gunpowder was planted in the cellar.
Describe the outcomes of the plot
on 1605 Lord Monteagle received a letter warning him not to attend the ceremonial opening of the parliament. Westminster was then searched and the gunpowder was discovered. Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators were then tortured until confession
Describe the law on witchcraft
In 1542 Henry VIII changed the law and witchcraft became a very serious crime that could be punished by death. Witchcraft was seem as a serious crime because during the late 16th century their was economic problems, including failing wages and rising unemployment and failing crops, people blamed this on witches
Explain James I’s Demonologie
James I was an enthusiastic witch hunter and shared his ides through a book called the Demonologie published in 1597
