Elizabethan Society Flashcards
True/False: Elizabethan Society was equal
False
Who was at the top of the Elizabethan hierarchy?
Queen Elizabeth
Who was below Queen Elizabeth in the Elizabethan hierarchy?
The rest of the nobility and gentry
What is another way of referring to the nobility and gentry?
Aristocracy
What did the nobility and gentry own?
Most of England’s land
The more/less land a lord owned, the higher his status
more
Who were below the nobility in the Elizabethan hierarchy?
Yeomen
Who owned small amounts of land in Elizabethan England?
Yeomen
Who were below the yeomen in the Elizabethan hierarchy?
Tenant farmers
Who did tenant farmers rent land from?
The nobility, gentry or yeomen
Who was at the bottom of the Elizabethan hierarchy?
Landless labourers
What was people’s attitude towards landless labourers?
They were considered the lowest of everyone because they didn’t own or rent any land
Did towns have a hierarchy in Elizabethan England?
Yes
What was towns’ hierarchy based on in Elizabethan England?
Wealth and property
True/False: Lots of people in Elizabethan England lived in towns
False, only 10% of people lived in towns
Who was at the top of the hierarchy in towns in Elizabethan England?
Merchants
Merchants owned most/little property
Most
Who were below merchants in the hierarchy in towns in Elizabethan England?
Wealthy professionals
What kind of jobs did wealthy professionals have in Elizabethan England?
Lawyers and doctors
Who were below wealthy professionals in the hierarchy in towns in Elizabethan England?
Artisans
Who were artisans?
Craftsmen such as carpenters and tailors
What were artisans a part of?
Guilds
What did guilds give artisans?
A licence to practise their trade and stopped others from competing against them
True/False: Craftsmen could choose whether to be a part of a guild or not
False, craftsmen had to be a part of a guild
Who were below artisans in the hierarchy in towns in Elizabethan England?
Unskilled labourers
Who did unskilled labourers work for?
Merchants, professionals and artisans
True/False: Unskilled labourers tended to own lots of property
False, they tended to own no property as they were the poorest
True/False: Women had a very high status in Elizabethan England
False, women did not have status on their own
What did women’s status depend on?
Their father if they were unmarried or their husband if they were married
What would happen to a woman’s property if she married?
It became the property of her husband
True/False: Men were expected to be in charge of the family and finances
False, women were expected to be in charge of the family and finances
