Pre industrial Britain (PE) Flashcards
What influence did the peasants have on pre-industrial Britain?
Peasants- manual labour, born into a lower social class and could not move up the classes, played Mob football, Dog fighting, Cock fighting, bare knuckle fighting, often cruel and violent-very few rules
What influence did the Gentry have on pre-industrial Britain?
Hereditary landowners, played real tennis and fox hunting, complex rules and required money to participate to play their sports
What activities did both take part in?
pedestrianism-lower class compete in race whilst upper class would bet on them
Cricket-lower class played in less desirable positions on the field
Availability of time for the peasants
Peasants worked long and exhausting hours
Did not want physical activity due to the long hours
Many activities only held once a year at festivals or holy days
Short lasting, drinking comps, e.g bare knuckle fighting
No complex rules
Availability of time for the upper class
loads of time on their hands
involved in activities longer lasting e.g fox hunting, horse riding
Availability of money for Peasants?
Couldn’t afford specialist equipment for sports
could not afford to leave rural communities cities as loss of animals or crops would be devastating
Availability of money for Upper class?
Afford to bet on peasant events
afford specialist clothing needed for fox hunting
Activities seen as exclusive for upper class because of money needed to play
Real tennis played indoors in Stately home
Availability of Transport for Peasants
Roads in terrible state, had to rely on walking for travel so often did not leave their village
this leads to different villages having different rules for their game
Availability of transport for the upper class
Travel further via horse and cart
Could get to different facilities
Law and order for peasants
Very little formal order
Peasants would partake in cruel and violent activities
e.g Mob football very few rules
Law and Order Upper Class
Interested in ‘keeping up their appearances’ in front of other members of the gentry
Only partake in activities seen as ‘respectable’ for upper classes
Education and Literacy Peasants
Majority illiterate and uneducated
Meant activities had to be simple
Little rules for games
Education and literacy for upper class
Educated and literate
Rules therefore more sophisticated e.g real tennis
Gender Peasants and Upper class
Women participated in very different activities to men
Seen as the ‘weaker sex’ and did activities to suit this, very few rights, or choices in society on what they could do
Upper class women may have been involved in activities such as Archery
