Elizabethan society in the Age of Exploration, 1558–88 Flashcards
What became more significant during Elizabeth’s reign?
during Elizabeth’s reign, education slowly became more important
Describe attitudes towards education in the Elizabethan era
- Elizabethan England had no national system of education; the purpose of education was to help people prepare for their expected roles in life, so it was focused on practical skills & possibly basic literacy: only an estimated 15-20% of the population could read & write
- very few children actually went to school & all schools had fees; the view was that only the rich needed to attend
- people saw no need to provide a formal education for the vast majority of the population, especially the labouring classes
Describe the changing influences on education during the Elizabethan era
- by the early 1500s, philosophers called Humanists were arguing that education was valuable & not merely a way of preparing people for a role in life; this meant educational opportunities gradually improved during Elizabeth’s reign
- Protestants argued that people ought to be able to study the scriptures; this required people to be able to read, boosting literacy
- the growth of the printing press meant books became less expensive, giving people more opportunities to read
- the growth of trade in the Elizabethan era required ordinary people to be able to read, write & understand mathematics so they could record transactions properly; this encouraged more people to become literate
List the features of Elizabethan education
- parish schools (up to age 10)
- grammar schools (for boys aged 10 to 14)
- petty schools (up to age 10)
- universities (ages 14 to 15 onwards)
- private tutors
Describe the features of parish schools
- set up locally by the Church
- run by the clergy
- taught basic literacy to the children of yeoman farmers & craftsmen
Describe the features of grammar schools
- provided an education independently of the Church & charged fees, although scholarships were available for poorer families
- attended by the children of gentry, merchants, yeoman farmers & craftsmen
- boys where taught the Bible, debating, Latin, French, Greek & philosophy
- the sons of yeoman farmers & craftsmen were taught reading, writing & mathematics
Describe the features of petty schools
- run privately from people’s homes
- attended by children of the gentry, merchants, yeoman farmers & craftsmen
Describe the features of universities
- in Elizabethan England there were two universities: Oxford & Cambridge
- there you studied geometry, music, astronomy, philosophy, logic & rhetoric (persuasive writing used in law), medicine, law & divinity
- the highest possible university qualification was the doctorate
Describe the features of private tuition
delivered education privately to members of the nobility, who often finished their education in the household of another noble family
How were girls educated in the Elizabethan era?
- many girls received no formal education at all as it was felt that they would not need it
- girls from better off families attended Dame Schools run by wealthy women in their homes
- wealthy girls had private tutors
Describe the changes in education, 1558-88
- new grammar schools meant children were now educated independently of the Church; scholarships allowed people from poorer backgrounds to receive an education
- literacy improved, especially in the towns; this was the combined result of the printing press, parish schools & the need to read the scriptures
What type of activities were based on social class?
there were a number of leisure pursuits in Elizabethan England that were based on social class
What leisure pursuits were typically carried out by the nobility?
- hunting
- fishing
- real tennis
- bowls
- fencing
Describe the features of hunting during the Elizabethan era
- took place on horseback with hounds or with birds (hawking)
- involved men & women
Describe the features of fishing during the Elizabethan era
done by men & women
Describe the features of ‘real’ tennis during the Elizabethan era
- played indoors
- men only
- a cross between modern tennis & squash that was increasingly popular
Describe the features of bowls during the Elizabethan era
- similar to the modern game
- men only
Describe the features of fencing during the Elizabethan era
- undertaken with blunted swords
- men only
What leisure pursuits were typically carried out by farmers, craftsmen & the lower classes?
- football
- wrestling
Describe the features of football during the Elizabethan era
- men only
- the aim was to get the ball into the other side’s goal, although the rules varied
- no limit on the numbers involved or the size of the pitch
- could be very violent
- men were often killed during matches
Describe the features of wrestling during the Elizabethan era
men of all classes took part in public wrestling matches with people gambling on the outcome
What were the ‘spectator sports’ in Elizabethan England?
- baiting
- cock-fighting
Describe the features of baiting during the Elizabethan era
- involved watching animals fight to the death
- typically, dogs were encouraged to attack chained bears & bulls
- bets were made on the outcomes of fights
Describe the features of cock-fighting during the Elizabethan era
- cockerels attacked each other using metal spurs & their beaks
- in many small towns, special arenas were built for cock-fighting
- money was bet on the outcomes of these fights
Describe the features of literature & theatre during the Elizabethan era
- a lot of new literature was written during Elizabeth’s reign, although medieval literature, such as Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, remained popular
- Mystery Plays, popular with many Catholics, were replaced with new non-religious (secular) plays; these were shown in purpose-built theatres, such as the Red Lion, the Globe & the Rose
- comedies, performed by teams of professional players funded by wealthy noblemen, were very popular; sponsors included the queen & the Earl of Leicester, & their performers were known as the Queen’s Men & Leicester’s Men
- all social classes attended the theatre, so purpose-built theatres had to be built to accommodate growing audiences
Describe the features of music & dancing during the Elizabethan era
- many Elizabethans played instruments, including lutes (similar to guitars), spinets & harpsichords (similar to pianos)
- musical performances were popular; musicians were paid to play at official functions or public events; music was also played at fairs & markets, or on public occasions, in churches, taverns, barbers’ shops & on the streets; wealthy families employed their own musicians (always men) to play during meals & feasts; books of songs were also popular
- music was also written to accompany plays performed in public theatres
- dancing remained a popular pastime, as it brought together men & women, although the upper & lower classes did not dance together
Why did poverty and vagabondage increase in Elizabethan England?
- Population growth
- Bad harvests
- Sheep farming
- Enclosure
What spending was poverty during Elizabeth’s reign?
- Spending more than 80% of your income on bread
What employment was considered poverty during Elizabeth’s reign?
Being unemployed or ill, so you could no longer provide for yourself or your family
What was poor relief?
Financial relief
Who were vagrants?
Homeless People that moved away from their parish without a settled home or regular work
What were many vagrants seen as?
Vagabonds
Who were vagabonds?
Idle and dishonest people who wondered from place to place, committing crimes
Which group of women were seen as poor?
- Widows
- Women abandoned
Which group of children were seen as poor?
- Orphaned children
What percentage of poor were under 60 years old?
40%
Why was population growth a reason for poverty?
- Population of England grew
- Increased demand for food
- Increased labour supply
- Ordinary people could not provide for themselves or their families
By how much did the population grow?
3 million in 1551 to 4.2 million by 1601
What did demand for food cause?
Prices driving up
What did increased labour supply cause?
Prices driving down
Why was increasing demand for land a reason for poverty?
- As population increased, more people needed land
- Drove up entry fees
- People could not afford these
What are entry fees?
Up-front sums paid at the start of land rental
Why were growth of towns a reason for poverty?
- Towns such as London and Norwich drove up rents
- Food prices rose
Why did food prices rise?
Food had to be brought in from rural areas to be sold
Why were bad harvests a reason for poverty?
- Hit subsistence farmers
- Reduced food supply
- Drove up prices
Who were subsistence farmers?
Those who ate what they grew
Why were economic recessions a reason for poverty?
- Caused by trade embargos
- Eg Spain over the Netherlands
- Created unemployment and poverty
Why was sheep farming a reason for poverty?
Growth of wool trade meant farmers preferred to rear sheep rather than grow food
Why was enclosure a reason for poverty?
- Land divided into fields
- given to farmers for profit
- Denied use of land for everyone
- Therefore people unable to provide for families
Why did monasteries stopping support cause problems for the poor?
- They had provided help for the poor until their dissolution under Henry VIII in the 1530s
- Now those struggling had no support
What did enclosure cause people to become?
- Itinerants
- Vagrants
What was a key point of change during the Elizabethan era?
the Elizabethan government responded to the problem of poverty in different ways &, over time, attitudes towards the poor changed
Why did attitudes change towards the poor during Elizabethan times?
- the fear that poverty led to disorder & was a potential cause of rebellion
- the cost of dealing with the poor, especially the poor rates
- population changes & enclosure meant the poor were an increasingly visible presence in Elizabethan England
- changing economic circumstances, including problems with the wool trade, bad harvests & enclosure, forced the authorities (Crown, parliament & Justices of the Peace) to develop a more constructive attitude towards poverty
Explain Elizabethan attitudes towards the poor & poverty
many Elizabethans distinguished between:
- the deserving or impotent poor (the old & the sick) who could not help themselves
- the idle poor (those who could work but chose not to do so)
it was felt the poor should be given every opportunity to better themselves; those who refused to do so should be punished; many Elizabethans remained suspicious of the poor & demonised them as counterfeits & criminals; vagrants & vagabonds who deceived or threatened the public were dealt with severely: they could be whipped, imprisoned, enslaved or even hanged if caught begging
List the policies towards the poor in Elizabethan times
- poor rate
- charity
- Statute of Artificers, 1563
- 1576 Poor Relief Act
- 1572 Vagabonds Act
What is ‘continuity’?
- a type of change
- these measures existed before Elizabeth’s reign & continued throughout Tudor times
What is ‘progressive’?
- a type of change
- government’s response to increased unemployment caused by fails in the wool trade
What is ‘repressive’?
- a type of change
- change that targeted vagrants
- parliament felt vagrants posed a threat to public order & had to be deterred through harsh punishment
- yet, the Act also recognised the need to help the poor by providing them with work
What actions (policies) are examples of ‘continuity’?
- poor rate
- charity
What actions (policies) are examples of ‘progressive’?
- Statute of Artificers, 1563
- 1576 Poor Relief Act
What actions (policies) are examples of ‘repressive’?
1572 Vagabonds Act
Describe the features of poor rate
- a local tax organised by Justices of the Peace (JPs), with the proceeds spent on improving the lives of the poor
- the poor were given money or things to make & sell
Describe the features of charity
often funded by local wealthy people, who gave their name to the charitable foundation e.g. Lady Cecil’s Bequest of Poor Tradesmen, Romford
Describe the features of the Statute of Artificers, 1563
- those refusing to pay the poor rates could be put in prison
- officials who failed to organise poor relief could pay a penalty of up to £20
Describe the features of the 1576 Poor Relief Act
- JPs were required to provide the poor with wool & raw materials, to enable them to make & sell things
- the poor who refused to do so were sent to a special prison known as the house of correction
Describe the features of the 1572 Vagabonds Act
vagrants were:
- whipped & a hole drilled through each ear as a mark of shame, to warn others of their vagrancy
- imprisoned if arrested again for vagrancy
- given the death penalty for a third offence
the Act introduced a national poor rate, to provide support, including money & work, for the impotent poor; Justices of the Peace had to keep a register of the poor; those in authority (JPs, parish councils, etc.) were tasked with finding work for the able bodied poor
What occurred globally during Elizabeth’s reign?
during Elizabeth’s reign, English sailors & traders began to explore & develop trading links across the globe
List the reasons for exploration during the Elizabethan Age
- expanding trade
- adventure
- new technology
- the development of standardised maps
- improvements in ship design
- private investment
Explain the significance of expanding trade
- trade was expanding quickly in the New World
- English merchants needed new trading opportunities, as war with Spain & in the Netherlands had severely damaged the wool & cloth trades
- it was vital to find new markets & new products to sell
Explain the significance of adventure
- some young Elizabethan men, such as Francis Drake, undertook voyages of discovery & exploration
- the published accounts of these voyages, though often inaccurate, persuaded others to venture into the unknown in the belief that treasure & riches could be found & fortunes made
Explain the significance of new technology
- navigation was becoming increasingly more precise
- the development of nautical devices, such as quadrants & astrolabes, made voyages safer, direct & faster, leading to more exploration & trade
Explain the significance of the development of standardised maps
the development of standardised maps, such as the Mercator Map of 1569, gave sailors & traders greater confidence that they were going in the right direction, reducing risk & encouraging further voyages
Explain the significance of improvements in ship design
- ships or galleons had bigger sails, were faster & more manoeuverable, as well as possessing greater firepower to protect themselves from attack by pirates
- they also were more stable & could take on more supplies, encouraging longer voyages & exploration
Explain the significance of private investment
- private investors, including Elizabeth I & her courtiers, funded many of the voyages of discovery
- although it was risky, the rewards could be enormous
- this increased the incomes of both the Crown & the nobility
Where in the world did the triangular trade involve?
the triangular trade was between West Africa, the New World & Europe
Describe the features of the triangular trade
- the trader & explorer John Hawkins discovered that iron goods & guns could be sold in West Africa to buy slaves, which could be sold in the New World in exchange for rum, spices & tobacco, which would then be sold in Europe
- other merchants & traders across England copied this lucrative triangular trade
When did Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe take place?
between December 1577 & September 1580, after which the queen knighted him
Why did Drake circumnavigate the globe?
- he was attacking Spain; Drake did not aim to sail around the world; his main purpose was to raid Spanish colonies in the Pacific, as relations with Spain were declining at this time
- revenge; the Spanish had attacked Drake’s fleet as St Juan de Ulua & most of his men had been killed
- profit; loot, booty & trade meant there were huge profits to be made from Drake’s proposed journey to the Americas & beyond, so people were willing to invest in the expedition, including Elizabeth I
List (the significance) features of Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe
- England’s reputation as sea faring power increased
- English ships began to trade elsewhere: in China, West Africa & India
- declining relations with Spain
Explain England’s reputation as a sea faring power
- in spite of the fact that only one of Drake’s five ships, the Golden Hind, survived the voyage, England’s reputation as a sea faring power increased
- England increasingly saw her navy as her best means of defence, protecting & extending her trading interests
- Drake’s expedition had resulted in Nova Albion, an area near San Francisco, being claimed as English territory with Elizabeth as its queen; this encouraged further trade & exploration, especially to the New World, where colonies were established in New England
Explain the declining relations with Spain, spurred on by Drake’s circumnavigation
- Drake’s voyage meant that England claimed the right to rule much of North America
- this brought England into conflict with the Pope, who had awarded North America to Spain, & with Spain itself, which had already conquered Mexico & Peru, & had established trading posts along the Eastern Pacific coast
- for Philip II, the knighting of Drake on the Golden Hind by Elizabeth I was the final insult that made war between the two countries inevitable
What is the significance of Sir Walter Raleigh?
in 1584-85, Sir Walter Raleigh organised, but did not participate in, a failed expedition to colonise Virginia on the east coast of North America
Who was Sir Walter Raleigh?
- a noblemen & a courtier, he became an explorer during Elizabeth’s reign
- in 1584, Elizabeth gave Raleigh a grant to explore & settle lands in North America
- Raleigh needed to raise huge amounts of money & encourage potential English colonists to leave their homes & settle in a land many knew little about
- Raleigh did not lead the colonists, but he was significant because he raised funds for the project & persuaded people to leave England & settle in Virginia
Narrate the colonisation of Virgina
1) 1584: Raleigh plans new colonisation of North America & sends a team to explore Virginia & report back to him
2) 1585: English colonisation of Virginia begins; 107 men set out for Roanoke, Virginia
3) 1586: the surviving colonists abandon the colony, after struggling to feed themselves & facing hostile Native Americans, & go back to England
4) 1587: new English colonists return to Virginia & set up a colony at Roanoke
5) 1590: English sailors arrive at Roanoke & discover that it has been abandoned & all of its colonists have disappeared
Why was Virginia colonised?
1) trade: explorers & colonists would be able to barter ironware, woollen cloth & hunting knifes in return for animal skins, gold & other commodities that could be sold at a profit; the colony could also produce crops, sugar cane & tobacco that could be brought back to England
2) England would be less dependent on Spain, France & Italy for imported goods if it could produce them in Virginia
3) Welcoming & friendly natives, including two Algonquian Indians who travelled back to England, encouraged the English to go there
4) Raleigh was able to persuade investors that the trip would be profitable; people, including members of the nobility & the gentry, were prepared to invest in the expedition
5) colonising Virginia would provide a base to attack Spanish settlements & colonies; this would provide considerable loot & booty; it would also demonstrate to the Indian tribes that the English were a better alternative to the Spanish as rulers
6) a successful colony in Virginia would make it easier to fund other ventures, opening up the New World to English settlement
Who went to Virginia?
- Raleigh did not lead the expedition, but a party of 107 colonists, almost all men, did set out for Roanoke, Virginia in 1585
- the group, led by Richard Grenville, was mostly made up of soldiers & sailors, although there were some craftsmen, landowners, merchants & farmers
What did the colonists take along & why?
- food, & salt for preserving it; for the voyage & afterwards
- fresh water; for the voyage
- tools & equipment, including ploughs & seeds; to farm & build forts & homes
- weapons to protect themselves from attack
List the reasons why the colonisation of Virginia failed
- lack of food
- poor leadership
- lack of skills & experience
- Native American attack
- the war with Spain
Describe the severity of the lack of food
- first colonists left England too late to reach Virginia in time to plant crops
- one of their five ships let in seawater ruining the food it was carrying
Describe the poor leadership
- the leader of the first expedition, Richard Grenville was hot headed & did not get on with Ralph Lane, governor of the colony
- the leader of the second expedition, John White, abandoned the colony in 1587
Describe the lack of skills & experience
- both expeditions lacked the experience & skill sets needed to make the expedition a success
- this meant both expeditions were doomed from the start
Describe the Native American attack
- in 1586, angered by the diseases they had brought, Algonquien Chief Winginia led an attack on the colonists
- other Indian tribes, suspicious of the English & angered by their demands for food, also attacked between 1585 & 1586
Describe the war with Spain
from 1585, England was effectively at war with Spain
How did lack of food lead to the failure of the colony?
- unable to provide for themselves, those participating in the first expedition simply abandoned the colony in 1586
- the second “lost” colony may also have struggled to feed itself, making the colonists dependent on local Indian tribes
How did poor leadership lead to the failure of the colony?
- poor leadership meant that those involved in both expeditions had little direction or purpose
- this may explain the subsequent decision to abandon the first colony in 1586, as well as the fact the second colony was found abandoned in 1590
How did lack of skills & experience lead to the failure of the colony?
- merchants & landowners lacked physical capacity for manual work
- a lack of stonemasons meant that a stone fort was never built, leaving the colony vulnerable to Indian attack
- soldiers could defend the expedition but lacked the ability to farm the land
How did the Native American attack lead to the failure of the colony?
- Winginia’s attack was beaten off but led to a crisis within the first expedition, forcing the colonists to abandon Roanoke
- it is possible a second expedition was wiped out by an Indian attack led by Chief Powhtan
- alternatively, an attack may have led to some of the settlers becoming slaves or being assimilated into local Indian tribes
How did the war with Spain lead to the failure of the colony?
- the threat from the Armada meant that few ships were available to visit or resupply the colonists
- the colonists were increasingly isolated & vulnerable to attack
Explain the significance of the attempted colonisation of Virginia
- the colony was a failure but it did serve as a template for future settlements, including that at Jamestown in 1607
- by the end of the 17th century, 13 colonies, each with their own system of government, had been established along the eastern seaboard of the New World
