Pre industrial Britain - Mr Jerwood Flashcards
How many years ago was pre industrial Britain?
239 years ago
What was life like in pre-industrial Britain? (6 features)
Communication and transport was limited.
Class division clearly existed.
People lived in rural areas.
There was limited free time as work based on land.
Cruel or violent existences were the norm for the lower class. Upper class lived in comfort and luxury.
Widespread illiteracy- lower classes were uneducated.
Define feudal system.
It was a way of structuring society around a relationship derived from the holding of land in exchange for service of labour.
Define popular recreations.
The sport and pastimes of people in pre industrial Britain.
What were there (lower class) activities like? (5 features)
Activities were aggressive Male dominated Lots of injuries Lots of damage to property Reflected a harsh society
What are 3 popular recreational characteristics of pre-industrial Britain?
Sport was localised -
- Sports were violent/aggressive
- Limited organisation/simple rules/uncodified
What are the 4c’s
Cruel
Clear class division
Countryside
Communications
What were activities like in pre-industrial Britain?
Activities were aggressive Male dominated Reflected a harsh society Lots of damage to property Lots of injuries Localised No rules
Who played real tennis?
The upper class, for example Henry 8th had a court made specially for him.
How was real tennis played?
Played to a high moral code so it lacked violence and was instead played in a civilised manner, with opponents mutually respectful of one another.
When was real tennis played?
With plenty of leisure time the upper class were able to play real tennis on a regular basis, in expensive purpose built facilities using expensive specialised equipment.
Where was real tennis played?
The upper class had the ability to travel to play tennis so it was non-local in nature.
What was real tennis like?
It was a skilful game with technical demands, which enabled the upper class to show their superiority over the lower class.
Who played mob football?
It was played by the peasants, reflecting the clear division of society into two tiers.
Where was mob football played?
It was a localised form of activity due to limited transport being available As well as very little development in way of communications.
How was mob football played?
Played by the lower class in fields using natural resources available to them. E.g. a pigs bladder for a ball.
When did they play mob football?
Long working hours meant that the lower class only played mob football occasionally e.g. holidays and festivals.
What was mob football like?
It was male dominant and very violent and often unruly in nature which reflected conditions in society
What was Athletics also known as?
Foot racing.
Who took part in Athletics?
Footmen (I.e. hired servants) competed as messengers for the upper class for their speed of movement across open land.
What was athletics like? (Foot racing)
A form of competitive running/walking in 17/18 century involving feats of endurance. As time went on racing developed with some ‘challenge rules’. The foot racers/pedestrians were allowed to compete against one another, with a wagering on how many miles they could over in a specific time period.
What impact would success have for the upper class and the performer?
Success in athletics meant increased social status for a ‘gentleman’. So the upper class were very happy to act as patrons.
Define patron
Member of the gentry who looked after the lower class performer e.g arranging competitions for them to participate in putting up prize money and generally looking after the welfare of the performer.
Characteristics of popular recreation linked to pre-1780 festivals included. (5 features)
It was set in a rural area Rules were simple/unwritten They occurred annually(once a year) Events were local with people from neighbouring villages joining in with festivities and competitions Betting occurred.
Why were popular recreation activities eventually banned in 19th century?
They were violent and unruly in nature They led to ensure sometimes even death They damaged property They were linked to alcohol consumption/ drunken behaviour They involved gambling/ wagering
State 3 characteristics of pre-industrial Britain.
There was a clear 2 tiered society and class system.
Transport and communication was limited especially for the poor.
The poor lived in rural areas. In villages or small towns
Define Patron.
A member of the gentry who looked after the lower-class performer e.g. By organising events/competitions, putting up prize money and generally looking after the welfare of the performer.
Assess why mob football was violent and unruly in nature.
Mob football was violent and unruly in nature due to the way the poor lived in society at the time. They were bought up with little to no education, and worked from a young age. There were no rules in mob football meaning you could do what you liked to win. Also it had been this way for years so growing up the kids would see the violence and just think this was the way the game was played. There was no respect between the 2 teams.
Define the term foot racing?
A form of competitive running/walking that involved feats of endurance.
characteristics of pre industrial football.
Violent which reflected society at the time: Little to no communication No rules Localised in nature Male dominated.
