Elizabethan society Flashcards
Was the social structure of Elizabethan times equal?
No. Society, government and law and order were based on inequality.
Who was at the top of the social scale and the most important member of the nobility?
The monarch.
After the monarch, who was at the top of the social scale?
The nobility.
On the social scale who came after the nobility?
The gentry.
On the social scale who came after the gentry?
Yeomen.
On the social scale who came after yeomen?
Tenant farmers.
On the social scale who came after tenant farmers?
The landless or labouring poor.
On the social scale who came after the landless or labouring poor?
Vagrants or the homeless.
What were the nobility?
Merchants. They often owned a lot of property.
What were the gentry?
Professionals. Lawyers, clergy, doctors, teachers…
What were yeomen?
Business owners. Usually highly skilled craftsmen. They employed others.
What were tenant farmers?
Skilled craftsmen. People who had learned a skill or trade.
What were the landless, labouring poor, vagrants and homeless?
Unskilled workers and the unemployed.
How did people treat those above them in society?
They owed respect and obedience.
How did people treat those below them in society?
They had a duty of care.
