Pre-industrial Britain (pre 1780) Flashcards
What was life like in pre-industrial Britain?
- communications & transport were limited
- widespread illiteracy
- social class divisions
- limited free time as work was based on the land
- rural living/countryside
Explain ‘limited communications & transport’
- villages were very individual/connected within themselves
Explain ‘widespread illiteracy’
- lower classes were uneducated, with limited ability to read and write
Explain ‘social class divide’
- lower class = cruel & violent lives
- higher class = comfort & luxurious lives
feudal system
what is the feudal system?
= a way of structuring society around a relationship derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour
Explain ‘limited free time as work was based on the land’
- life was dictated by agricultural calander/season
- lower classes worked long hours (only had holidays off)
Characteristics of popular recreation
- occasional
- local & specific to communities
- natural resources used
- basic rules
- rules specific to communities
- aggressive & male dominated
- wagers were placed by higher classes
- lower class activities were ‘functional’/linked to their work
explain ‘occasional’ characteristics
- lower class worked long hours, so could only participate on breaks in agricultural calender
explain ‘local & specific to communities’ characteristics
- limited transport and rural living
explain ‘natural resources’ characteristics
- lower class used their working fields
explain ‘rule’ characteristics
- rules were basic because of low literacy rate
- rules were specific to communities, becasue of the limited transport/communications
explain ‘aggressive & male dominated’ characteristics
- reflected the harsh society
explain ‘wagers’ characteristics
- wagers were placed by higher classes
explain ‘functional/linked to work’ characteristics
- lower class workers used this for fitness to help working
What are the two sporting examples in pre-1780
- Mob football
- Real tennis
What is mob football?
= an UNRULY from of football played by lower classes
who played mob football
the lower class
What are some features of mob football?
- locallised activity
- rural in nature (lower class live rurally)
- played with what was availible (lower class in their fields)
- played on holidays (long working hours)
- male dominated
- highly violent
- few/no rules or regulations due to low literacy rate
Why was mob football banned?
- violent & unruly
- injury, and death
- damage of property
- gambling/wagering from the rich
- excessive alcohol consumption/ drunken behaviour
What is real tennis
= upper-class activity of the time, with STRICT RULES and MORAL CODE
what was another name for real tennis
‘royal tennis’
‘the sport of Kings’
who played real tennis
The upper class
- Henry VIII, had a real tennis court in Hampton court
What are some features of real tennis?
- exclusive/courtly/royal in nature
- complex rules
- high moral code, meant violence
- cordial manner, and opponents respected eachother
- regularly played (higher class had lots of leisure time)
- purpose-built facilities
- expensive/specialist equipment
- upper class had ability to travel
- skillfull and diffiducult game (upper class showed supiroirty to lower class)
why were rules complex in real tennis
- they had better education
- complex rules are written down, so they can be understood and applied
