history elizabethan england Flashcards
great chain of being
god is on top followed by his angels and other residents from heaven
human beings beneath then animals and plants
how did elizabethan broke down the great chain of being
subdivision of humans
monarch at the top followed by the nobility , gentry and peasants
how did wealthier members of elizabethan society make money
trade or buying land (source of income —> grow crops to eat or wool trade —> raised social status
explain nobility
2nd to the queen herself
highest noble title = duke
average income = £6000 per year (14% country income)
member of the group = born or awarded by the queen
special privileges eg protection from torture, committed treason —> beheaded instead of hanged to avoid public humiliation
large amount of lands were inherited
actions of previous monarchs towards the poor
henry VII limited the right of nobles to hold private armies, fearing they might be a threat to his throne. this left many soldiers without work
the reformation (1536-40) under Henry VIII led to closure of the monasteries. Monks ,nuns and other church employees were left with nowhere to live or work.
closure of the monasteries also left the sick and poor with no one to care for them
economic problems under henry VIII and Edward VI led to debase of coins (mixture of less valuable metals with gold and silver to produce more coins cheaply) led to collapse of the cloth trade and the loss of many jobs
reason for poverty with changes in bad agriculture
bad harvests between 1594 and 1598 led to food shortages and starvation in parts of england. the food shortage also increased prices - led to inflation
increasing number of landlords began to keep sheep on their land rather than grow crops . this system known as enclosure meant that fewer workers were needed
many unemployed farm workers headed to towns and cities in search of employment. there were not enough jobs to go around
reason for poverty population increase
During Elizabeth’s reign, England’s population went from 2.8 million to 4 million. = increase of birth rate and decrease of death rate
A shortage of places to live gave power to landlords who increased rents (rack renting).
flu outbreak led to poverty in england
a terrible outbreak of flu in 1556 killed 200,000 people including many farm workers
impact of voyages by john hawkins + the slave trade
John Hawkins was a respected sailor and courtier.
He was responsible for building up the navy and commanding it against the Spanish Armada.
In 1564, he kidnapped several hundred West Africans and taken by ship to south american coast and sold as slaves. This was not the first example of the European slave trade, but it was the first time the whole process had been carried out by an Englishman.
He was also a successful privateer and is thought to have brought tobacco to England.
england’s involvement in slave trade grew and demands grew for slaves to work in land in the americas and produce materials to be returned to England
impact of voyages by wealth
Exploration allowed England to gain wealth in several ways:
Raiding Spanish ships and ports allowed riches to be
stolen and brought 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 brought to England for the first time.
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, for example, the Levant Company dealt exclusively with trade in Turkey and the Middle East.
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The East India Company was established in 1600 to oversee trade in India and the Far East.
- The trade in African slaves brought significant wealth to individuals and to England as a whole.
Other Englishmen saw how Hawkins had profited and so became involved in the slave trade over the following years. Slave labour enabled raw materials to be produced cheaply in the Americas.
impact of voyages by power
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
impact of voyages by territory
england was not the first country to build colonies in newly discovered lands and there were several failed attempt
perseverance led to increasing numbers of colonies particularly in North America being established in the name of queen elizabeth and her successors
why was religion a big issue for elizabeth
reformation =england is protestant
