Impact of Enclosures and Population Flashcards
When did enclosures begin to exist?
in the fifteenth century
When were 2 laws passed against enclosures?
1489 and 1515
What book did Thomas More publish in 1516 which highlighted the harmful social effects of enclosures?
Utopia
In response to Thomas More’s book Utopia published in 1516 what did Wolsey do the following year?
he launched an enclosure commission in the following year to ascertain the scale of the problem
How may defendants were found to have enclosed illegally after Wolsey’s launch of the enclosure commission in 1517?
188
Where were enclosures most commonly found?
in east Midlands villages
What was the main underlying cause of economic distress?
the increase in population
What did the increase in population put strain on?
the supply of food
Who were the beneficiaries of population increase?
wealthier farmers and landowners
What was there a growing class of due to population increase?
a growing class of substantial farmers who were able or fortunate enough to respond effectively to changing market conditions
What did society become which undermined traditional ideals of good lordship and social responsibility?
society became more polarised
