elizabethan- part 2, life in elizabethan times Flashcards
chapters 4-6 (the poor, english sailors, religious matters)
what were the main causes of poverty in the Elizabethan era
- growing population,
- inflation
- exploration of the new world
- Henry VIII reduced coinage,
- increased Tax
- decreased International Trade
- agricultural crisis and innovations, -Rack Renting
- increased closures,
- land taken away from the poor,
- monasteries being dissolved
how did the growing population cause poverty
population rose by 43% (2.8million to 4)- placed huge pressure on resources, particularly food and jobs were hard to find
how did inflation cause poverty
- prices of food rose whilst the wages of workers stayed the same
- people started to no afford it, causing major famine
how did exploration of the new world cause poverty
there was more silver circulation throughout Europe, decreasing it’s value- less valuable items
how did Henry VIII reducing coinage cause poverty
- reduced the value of coins in the 1540s to pay for wars against France and Scotland
- made the problem of inflation worse
how did increased tax cause poverty
due to many wars being fought- many left unemployed due to being soldiers and sailors- widespread unemployment
how did decreased international trade cause poverty
wars had a harmful effect on England’s International Trade- Antwerp’s cloth trade (British biggest trade partner) collapsed due to the Spanish invasion in the 1550s
how did agricultural crisis and innovations cause poverty
- poor harvests led to food shortages and increased famine as demand was even higher, coincided with the plague-due to poor diets
how did rack renting and increased rate of enclosures cause poverty
- greedy landlords led to many evictions- traditional open fields were combined and enclosed with hedges to allow farmers arable land to be turned into profitable sheep farms
- more people lost their jobs
how did land being taken away cause poverty
- peoples way of feeding their families by growing their own crops was taken away- now couldn’t also afford to buy produce
how did monasteries being dissolved cause poverty
- key source of charity for the poor which provided food, shelter and medical care was now taken away.
- so more people flocked to towns for help when brought the poverty issue to public attention
how did the public react to the poor
they categorised them into groups based on if they deserved help or not
who were the impotent poor
- these were people unable to provide for themselves because they were too ill, young or old to do so.
- so they were not to blame, so the government were sympathetic and thought they deserved help
who were the idle poor
- they were seen as a major threat to society and social order
- they were dishonest and vagabonds and were often referred to as “sturdy beggars”
- they were believed to be perfectly fit to work, but were too lazy and instead were criminals and beggars
how did the public react to the idle poor
- people were very worried about them
-there seemed to be too many of them and they started attacking people on the streets - many pretended to be sick or hurt (clapperdudgeons) and they started their own code
how were the lifestyles of the idle poor viewed as
- sinful by puritans
- government started to be threatened of them as they were worried about a rebellion
what are some different examples of idle poor
- anglers
- ruffler
- clapperdudgeons
- doxy
- counterfeit cranks
- abraham men
how were ‘anglers’ spotted, what did they do
- part of the idle poor
- spotted by the long stick they carried which would be used to steal clothes from people’s washing lines at night
how were the ‘rufflers’ spotted, and what did they do
- part of the idle poor
- looked like an army officer, but actually robbed people at sword point
how were the ‘clapperdudgeons’ spotted, and what did they do
- part of the idle poor
- pretended to be badly wounded by using arsenic to make their skin bleed and wrapping their arms and legs in bloody rags
how were the ‘doxys’ spotted, and what did they do
- part of the idle poor
- wore a needle in her hat and carried a large pack on her back in which stolen goods were kept
how were ‘counterfeit cranks’ spotted, and what did they do
- part of the idle poor
- dressed in old, dirty clothes and pretended to have epileptic fits, using soap to make themselves foam at the mouth
how were the ‘abraham men’ spotted, and what did they do
- part of the idle poor
- pretended to be mad, walking around half naked and making strange wailing noises
when were there major outbreaks of the plague, on top of other illnesses like smallpox and influenza, and who were seen as part of the problem
- 1563, 1583-86, 1590-93
- the poor were seen as part of the problem, helping spread illness across the country
how did the government respond to poverty
- at first they believed that there were more important issues so were reluctant to act on it
- then they introduced measures to deal with it indirectly
what indirect measures (before the poor laws) did the government introduce to help poverty?
- full recoinage to help slow down inflation
- Statue of Artificers- wage limitations placed on workers to help slow down inflation
- tried to stop the trend of enclosures through the law Act on Husbandry and Tillage
from 1495 what happened to beggars
were punished in the stocks or sent back to their home towns
from 1531 what happened to beggars
- beggars were publicly whipped
- those caught a second time would have a hole burned in their ear
- a third offense would mean they’re hanged
what were the local measures taken to help stop poverty
- ALMs were made, census were carried out to make registers of the poor, work was provided for the unemployed in workhouses and efforts were made to control begging by rules
what was the poor law of 1563, what did it state
- classifications of the poor
- Deserving poor- included the old, young or sick and could not work- they were provided some relief e.g almhouses
- deserving unemployed- included fit and able who could not find work- found apprenticeships for the young
- undeserving poor- criminals and beggars- face harsh punishments such as being beaten through the streets until they reached their own parish
what did the poor law act of 1572 state
- firstly, compulsory poor law tax imposed at a local level- each parish was responsible for handing out the Poor Rate weekly to the deserving poor
- those found begging (over age of 14) would be whipped, then have a hole bored through their ear, and eventually executed- under 14s would only be whipped
what did the poor law act of 1576 state- Act of setting the poor on work
- each town required to provide work for the unemployed.
- workhouses were set up for this purpose.
- each town had to supply materials such as wool for the unemployed to work on
- poor given practical assistance whilst helping out the community
how did London deal with poverty after the 1576 Act
- Bridewell Palace was used as a shelter for the homeless
- Bedlam hospital was built to house the mentally ill
- other hospitals were opened for the sick and for orphans
- conditions in all these institutions were poor and could not cope with the growing numbers coming to the city
how did York deal with poverty after the 1576 Act
- in 1515 the city authority issued beggar licenses with a badge to identify holders
- from 1528 a Master Beggar was appointed to keep the others in order
- if beggars refused to work they were sent to the House of Correction
how did Ipswich deal with poverty after the 1576 Act
- introduced a licensing system for beggars from 1569
- opened a hospital specifically to help the old and the sick
- a youth training scheme was introduced to help children learn a trade and escape poverty
how did Norwich deal with poverty after the 1576 Act
- after a survey showed that 80% of the population was in poverty in 1570, the city authorities seperated the poor into the ‘idle poor’ and the ‘unfortunate poor’
- the idle poor were given work such as knitting or sewing, the unfortunate poor were given food and other forms of care
- rich citizens were taxed to pay for the care of the vulnerable
what did the poor law act of 1601 state
- the wealthy should be taxed to pay for the care of the sick and vulnerable
- fit and healthy paupers should be given work
- those who refused work were still dealt with harshly: could be whipped or placed in a house of correction
what were the three groups the poor were categorised in
- helpless poor (sick and old)- given food and accommodation
- able bodied poor (those considered fit)- had to work in exchange for food
- idle poor- punished and sent to a house of correction
reasons why the government took action to help reduce poverty
- it was more political than selfless
- no rebellion occurred
- social order was preserved
- may have led to more people supporting Elizabeth
how serious was the issue of poverty in the 1500s
- some people argue that poverty was heavily exaggerated and give the poor laws more credit than it really deserves
- whilst some argue that the poor laws didn’t go far enough
- as poverty continued to increase after the laws were introduced and some argue that it was unnecessarily harsh, focusing too much on punishment rather than supporting those in need
how effective was the Poor Law (1601)
- although it did make a difference to some, it was not properly enforced in many areas
- begging seemed to decrease but this may have been due to the threat of the House of Correction rather than the extra help available
as well as a ‘golden age’, what else was Elizabeth’s reign called
an age of discovery
when did Sir Francis Drake complete the first circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition
between 1577 and 1580
how many ships does Drake leave with, and how many does he return with during his circumnavigation
- 5
- returns with just his own ship, the Golden Hind
when and where was Drake knighted
on board his ship, the Golden Hind upon his return on the 26th September 1580
exploration expanded during the Elizabethan era, what event happened in the 1560’s which includes John Hawkins?
he made 3 voyages to the Caribbean, trading slaves that he captured in West Africa- made lots of money and returned to England with silver, gold and animals skins
in 1572, what event did Drake achieve?
he captured £40,000 of Spanish silver and captured their ports
in 1577, what event did Drake achieve?
- he circumnavigated the world- 2nd person ever in the world
- brought back £400,000 worth of Spanish silver and Queen got half
What achievement did Walter Raleigh do?
- established a colony in North America called “Virginia” (named after Elizabeth- the Virgin Queen)
- introduced tobacco and potatoes
- rich in oil, wine, sugar and flax
what were the short term impacts of increased exploration for the British?
- increased hostility between Britain and Spain
- brought great wealth for merchants and nobles who sponsored more voyages
- built a great image for Elizabeth
what were the long term impacts of increased exploration for Britain?
- was the foundation for England’s later position as a global super power
- England became enormously rich through establishing trade links
- made a powerful navy
- built an establishment of colonies- became the British Empire which covered 1/4 of the worlds surface
what links did exploration build with the East?
strong trade links- of silks, spices and cotton
what were the issues with British Exploration from other countries?
Spain and Portugal became jealous and weakened links
what were the main causes for the expansion of British exploration?
- needed to have a larger navy- as England was an island
- jealousy of Spanish and Portugese achievements
- England’s markets were in crisis- needed to form new trade links
- new developments in ships
- Renaissance era- encouraged learning and adventure
- growing belief that the world was not flat
how was exploration possible
- due to
- technology
- defences
- navigation
how did technology make exploration possible
- better designed ships were much faster
- due to the triangular lateen sail
how did defences make exploration possible
better weapons like canons made it easier to explore hostile territory
how did navigation make exploration possible
- the astrolabe allowed sailors to judge their position
- more accurate compasses made navigation easier
describe what happened with Sir Walter Raleigh and the New World
- he was given royal permission to explore the Americas (New World) in 1584
- he was allowed to colonise any land that was not ruled by a Christian
- in return he had to give the queen 1/5 of all the gold and silver he found there
- he did not sail himself, but sent others to explore and establish colonies
- one was established at Roanoke on the east coast but did not last
- a second was created in 1587 and seemed it was going to succeed- but when the colony’s leader returned from a trip to England, he found all the colonies gone and the word ‘Croatoan’ (name of a local tribe) carved into a tree
give some names of sailors who helped increase England’s wealth and power with their voyages
- Sir Francis Drake
- Sir Walter Raleigh
- John Hawkins
what were the impacts of voyages
- John Hawkins and the slave trade
- wealth
- power
- territory
describe ‘John Hawkins and the slave trade’ as an impact of voyages
- he was a respected sailor and courtier
- was responsible for building up the navy and commanding it against the Spanish Armada
- in 1564 he kidnapped several hundred West Africans and sold them in South America (was not the first example of slave trade but was the first time the whole process had been carried out by an Englishman)
- he was a successful privateer and is thought to have bought back tobacco to England
describe ‘wealth’ as an impact of voyages
- exploration allowed England to gain wealth in several ways:
- raiding Spanish ships and ports allowed riches to be stolen and bought back to England
- trading systems were established from which England’s wealth grew over the following centuries and new products like spices, silks and porcelain were bought to England for the first time
- trade in African slaves brought significant wealth to individuals and to England as a whole, other Englishmen saw how Hawkins had profited so became involved too- slave trade enabled raw materials to be produced cheaply in the Americas
describe trading systems as a result of voyages
- trade with the East in spices and other goods grew as middlemen could now be cut out- English sailors could deal directly with merchants in Asia
- new companies were created to deal with trade in a particular area, e.g. the Levant Company dealt exclusively with trade in Turkey and the Middle East
- the East India Company was established in 1600 to oversee trade in India and the Far East
describe ‘power’ as an impact of voyages
- naval power had been growing under Elizabeth and was able to hold its own in any sea battle
- improved weapons and tactics, and the skilled command of men like Francis Drake played a key role in this
- the English victory over the Spanish Armada showed the dominant position that England held
describe ‘territory’ as an impact of voyages
- England was not the first country to build colonies in the newly discovered lands, and there was several failed attempts
- but perseverance led to increasing numbers of colonies, particularly in North America, being established in the name of Queen Elizabeth and her successors
what were Elizabeth’s aims with religion
- heal divisions between Catholics and protestants to prevent another rebellion or unrest
- bring the North-West Catholics and the South-East protestants together
- maximise her power and wealth by taking as much control over the church as possible
why did Elizabeth need to compromise with religion
- as by 1558 England had undergone many years of dramatic religious change- the country had swung between Catholic and Protestant with each new monarch
- compromising would bring stability and peace
what were Catholic beliefs and practices
- the Pope is the head of the Church
- Bible and church services in Latin
- Priests should not marry
- highly decorated churches
- bread and wine transform into the body and blood of Jesus (transubstantiation)
- priests are ordinary people’s link with God
what are protestant beliefs and practices
- the monarch is the head of the Church
- bible and church services in English
- priests can marry
- plain churches
- bread and wine represent the body and blood
- ordinary people connect to God through prayer
what did both Catholics and Protestants believe
- God created the world
- Jesus was God;s son
- those who challenge the true faith must be punished
what was the religious settlement
- Elizabeth’s compromise with religion, 1559
- made up of the Act of Uniformity, Act of Supremacy and royal injunctions
what was the Act of Supremacy, 1559
- re-established the break from Rome and independent church of England
- compromised with Catholic’s by not making herself Supreme Head and instead Supreme Governor- in hope’s to pacify catholic’s
- stated the church would keep existing Pre-reformation episcopal structure (2 archbishops and others below)
what was the Act of Uniformity, 1559
- aimed to end quarrels between Catholic’s and protestants by making it clear what the Anglican Church believed in
- Protestant Church
- new book of Common Prayer was issued with protestant ideas
- traditional Catholic mass was abandoned
- Bible written in English +services held in English
- alter was replaced with a communion table and ornaments such as crosses to be placed on it- to pacify Catholic’s
in summary, what did the religious settlement state
- priests were allowed to marry
- services were all in English and followed the Protestant Book of Common Prayer
- Elizabeth declared herself ‘governor’ rather than ‘head’ of the Church
- Catholics could worship in their own way in private
- a moderate Protestant, Matthew Parker, was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
what were the challenges to Elizabeth’s religious settlement
- the Northern Rebellion, 1569
- the Papal bull, 1570
- the Ridolfi plot, 1571
describe the Northern Rebellion, 1569
- inspired by Elizabeth’s refusal to allow the Duke of Norfolk to marry her Catholic cousin MQS, two northern nobles led a rebellion against Elizabeth
- the Earl of Westmorland and the Earl of Northumberland took control of Durham Cathedral and held an illegal Catholic mass
- they marched south with 4600 men, but the rebels disbanded when the loyal Earl of Sussex raised an army against them
- Northumberland was executed, Westmorland escaped to France and the Duke of Norfolk was imprisoned
describe the papal bull, 1570
- 27th April 1570, Pope Pius V issued a special message (papal bull) in which he stated that Elizabeth was not the true queen and called on the people of England not to obey her laws
- it also excommunicated her from the Church
- the Pope’s aim was to stir up a rebellion by forcing English Catholics to choose between their queen or their religion
what was the Treason Act, 1571
- stated that denying Elizabeth’s supremacy and bringing the Pope’s PAPAL BULL of excommunication into England could be punished by death
- anyone who left the country for more than six months had their land confiscated- an attempt to prevent English Catholics from going abroad to train as missionaries
describe the Ridolfi Plot, 1571
- people involved- Mary, Pope Pius V, Philip King of Spain and Duke of Norfolk
- plan was to assassinate Elizabeth and put Mary on the throne.
- 6000 Spanish troops to land in Essex
- Mary to marry the Duke of Norfolk
what were the consequences of the Ridolfi plot, 1571
- plot was discovered by Walsingham’s spies
- Norfolk found guilty for treason and executed
- Mary was imprisoned
describe the Throckmorton Plot, 1583
- French catholic force, backed by Spanish and the Pope’s money to invade England.
- plan was to assassinate Elizabeth and replace her with Mary
- Mary was to be freed from house arrest and then have an uprising from all the catholic population
consequences of the Throckmorton plot, 1583
- never happened as Walsingham discovered it and Throckmorton was put under surveillance for 6 months, captured and tortured
- Mary escaped without any harm
describe the Babington Plot, 1586
- Mary was moved to moated Manor called Chartley Hall in 1585
- idea was to push Mary into another plot
- plan was to kill Elizabeth and place Mary on the throne
- Walsingham knew about the plan and her letters
- 17 July 1586- Mary approved of the plan
consequences of the Babington plot, 1586
- Babington arrested and executed with 6 others
- Mary was placed on trial for treason - found guilty and sentenced to death
what happened to the important Catholics who refused to accept the new terms of the Church
had their positions taken away
what did the Pope order English Catholics to do in order to oppose against the new church, what happened to these people
- not attend the Anglican church services
- fined one shilling a week
- could face the death penalty if performed their own Catholic mass
in 1568 what building got discovered in the Netherlands and why
a school that trained English Catholic’s as missionaries and send them back to England to keep Catholicism alive
when Elizbeth got excommunicated by the Pope, what did this mean to Catholics
it meant they no longer had to obey Elizabeth or be loyal and directly ordered them to disobey her laws
what was the Counter Reformation
- an attempt by the Catholic church to bring many Protestants back to their old faith
- 1568 William Allen established a seminary at Douai in the Netherlands to train catholic priests, where he then aimed to send them back to England as missionaries
- he had full backing of the Pope
who were the Jesuits
- they were strong catholic’s who were dedicated to serving the Pope
- became a new group in the 1580s
- was a key movement within the Counter Reformation
what were the main aims of the Jesuits
- to gain influence over rich and powerful families and to turn them against the Queen and The Anglican Church
- to overrule Elizabeth and restore Catholicism
were the Jesuits really a threat
- claimed to not want a rebellion, just spread their ideas
- but Elizabeth saw them as a genuine threat even if they were not directly involved in plots against her
how serious was the Catholic threat to Elizabeth
- the Pope had made it very clear with his papal bull that he wanted Elizabeth’s rule to end- said it was the duty of Catholics to challenge her rule
- European Catholic rulers like Phillip were encouraged by the Pope to challenge her authority
- Jesuits and other missionaries were another serious threat as they could undermine the stability of her religious settlement
- English Catholics were encouraged by the papal bull to rebel
what were the key points of the 1571 anti-Catholic law
- recusancy fines for Catholics who didn’t take part in Protestant services
- could be fined or have property taken away
- however the rich could afford to pay and Elizabeth did not enforce the law too harshly; when parliament tried to increase the fines she resisted
- it became illegal to own any Catholic items such as rosary beards
what were the key points of the 1581 anti-Catholic law
- recusancy fines were increased to £20- more than most could afford
- law was strictly enforced
- it became high treason to convert to Catholicism
what were the key points of the 1585 anti-Catholic law
- any Catholic priest who had been ordained (made priest) after 1559 was considered a traitor and he, and anyone protecting him, faced death
- it became legal to kill anyone who attempted to assassinate the queen
what were the key points of the 1593 anti-Catholic law
- the ‘statue of confinement’
- Catholics could not travel more than 5 miles from home without permission from the authorities
- large gatherings of Catholics was made illegal
how did Elizabeth deal with the Jesuit threat
- Edmund Campion (missionary) made speeches and encouraged people to convert
- Elizabeth saw him as a threat and arrested him, even though he maintained the fact he had no plans to overthrow her
- he was brutally tortured and dragged through London before being hanged, drawn and quartered
- was clear Elizabeth was not going to take any threat lightly
once Jesuits became a part of the Treason Act, what were they ordered to do
leave England within 40 days or go to prison or be sentenced to death
why did Elizabeth’s religious policy change
- threat from abroad
- powerful Catholics
- the Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington plots
- Jesuit missionaries
why did the threat from abroad change Elizabeth’s religious policy
- both Spain and France were powerful Catholic countries and invasion was a real concern for Elizabeth
- Spanish Armada 1588 shoed the fear was justified
- the threat declined towards the end of the reign, following the Armada’s defeat
why did powerful Catholics change Elizabeth’s religious policy
- several powerful Catholic families lived in the north of England
- they mostly remained loyal but there was growing concern that they might obey the Pope’s command and rebel
why did Jesuit missionaries change Elizabeth’s religious policy
- the popularity of people like Campion undermined Elizabeth’s authority
- she could not allow them to spread their message
why did the Ridolfi, Throckmorton and Babington plots change Elizabeth’s religious policy
as although they failed, they showed that Elizabeth had enemies who wanted to overthrow her and restore the Catholic Church
who were Puritans
- strict protestants who were influenced by extreme Protestants in Europe like John Calvin
- in some cases they lived in exile during Mary’s reign
- were keen to remove all Catholic elements from the Church
- studied the bible, wanted plain clothing and simple services
- some were appointed as bishops by Elizabeth, though some argued over their robes- by 1568 most had agreed to wear the white gown or surplice required during services
what was Elizabeth’s method of pleasing both Catholics and Protestants called
the middle way
how pleased were puritans with the middle way
very dissatisfied
why were puritans unhappy with the middle way
- found the Catholic’s part of the compromise offensive
- found the Catholic church corrupt
- too many parts of the Catholic Bible were based on superstitions
- found the existence of bishops and the vestments worn by them very offensive
what year did the puritans become a serious problem
1570s
what members of parliament were puritans
- Sir Francis Walsingham (kept his views to himself, aware they might make him unpopular)
- Robert Dudley
- Peter Wentworth and Anthony Cope
how did Puritans distribute their ideas
using pamphlets
in what year were puritan printing presses destroyed, why?
- 1572
- after 2 pamphlets criticising the structure and beliefs of the church were published
what year did Elizabeth ban parliament from talking about religious ideas without her permission
1576
who was John Whitgift
became Archbishop of Canterbury in the 1570s
what measures were passed against Puritans
- new rules (by Whitgift) banned unlicensed preaching and forced church attendance with recusancy fines
- new High Commission with the power to fine and imprison Puritans who refused to follow the rules
- dismissal or imprisonment of hundreds of clergymen
- punishment of printers for spreading the Puritan message
- crackdown on high profile Puritans like Anthony Cope who was imprisoned in the Tower of London
why did the Puritan influence decline after 1590
- Church of England had bought stability to religion and people were unwilling to risk losing it
- death of powerful Puritans removed its influence in the royal court (Dudley 1588 and Walsingham 1590)
- death of John Field in 1588 (important leader, strict puritan who inspired many and been very critical of the Church)
- Whitgift’s crackdown broke the organisation of Puritanism
overall, how effective was Elizabeth’s middle way idea
- it pleased most people
- helped bring more political stability and religious harmony to England
- helped prevent civil wars about religion from happening
throughout Elizabeth’s whole reign, how many Catholics were killed
200
throughout Elizabeth’s reign, how many missionaries and Jesuits tried to revive Catholicism to England?
300
what were the main two reasons for plots and rebellions against Elizabeth’s rule
- religion
- power and influence
why did plots against Elizabeth fail?
- spies
- unconvincing alternatives
- a skillful politician
- religious settlement
- punishment
why did spies cause plots against Elizabeth to fail
- her huge network of spies was able to quickly identify threats and deal with trouble makers
- Sir Francis Walsingham, one of her most trusted advisors was her spy master
why did unconvincing alternatives cause plots against Elizabeth to fail
- most people, even Catholics, preferred the idea of an English queen to a foreign ruler like MQS or Phillip
- MQS was not generally trusted having been widely blamed for her husband’s death and Phillip, who had been crowned King after marrying Mary had shown little interest in the country, and his wife had sent hundreds of Protestants to be burnt at the stake
- lack of a popular alternative monarch meant most rebellions could not gain wide support
why did punishment cause plots against Elizabeth to fail
- Elizabeth rarely showed mercy to those who betrayed her
- rebels were tortured and brutally executed
- Elizabeth even executed her own cousin MQS and her former favourite Earl of Essex
- for potential rebels, the consequences were clear to see
why did religious settlement cause plots against Elizabeth to fail
- kept the majority of people happy
- although there were crackdowns on Catholics and Puritans later in her reign, religious differences were mostly tolerated
why did being a skilled politician cause plots against Elizabeth to fail
- she was good at getting her way
- she dealt with Parliament with great skill, allowing MPs and lords to feel they had influence while still showing who had the final say
