Henry VIII & Economic Development

Question 1

What happened to trade under Henry VIII?

Answer 1

It increased;
- Exports of woollen items increased by 100%.
- London became the centre of trade.

Question 2

Who was England’s key trading partner?

Answer 2

Netherlands

Question 3

How was trade disrupted?

Answer 3

• By war and foreign policy.
• England was damaged by a trade embargo (block) in the late 1520s against Spain.
• This led to a fall in exports and contributed to unemployment in England.

Question 4

How did Henry feel about exploration?

Answer 4

• Henry VIII did not think it was worthwhile to invest time and effort in the ‘New World’.
• The government did not encourage exploration.

Question 5

What economic problems were there during Henry VIII’s reign?

Answer 5

• Inflation
• Poverty
• Poor Harvests
• Enclosure

Question 6

What caused inflation under Henry VIII?

Answer 6

• The population increased throughout the Tudor era.
• This lead to increased demand for food, land and goods, in turn leading to increased prices and rents.
• Henry VIII had debased the currency in the 1540s. Reducing the amount of silver in coins made them less valuable and so more were needed to purchase things.

Question 7

What caused poverty under Henry VIII?

Answer 7

• The population was quickly growing under Henry VIII.
• Many were unemployed and this led to people moving to urban areas.
• Many who moved to towns and cities lived in poverty.

Question 8

When were the poor harvests under Henry VIII?

Answer 8

• England was impacted by poor harvests between 1520-1521 and 1527-1529.
• The cost of some foodstuffs doubled.

Question 9

What efforts were made to stop enclosure?

Answer 9

• The state was anxious to prevent enclosure.
• The Muddled Acts were passed in 1489 and 1515 to prevent enclosure.
• Cromwell passed an act in 1534 designed to limit how many sheep an individual could own.
• But it was very difficult to stop the enclosure.