Reasons for increasing poverty Flashcards
What was poor relief?
Financial help collected in local areas from people’s taxes
What were alms?
Money given to the poor by the Church
Give three reasons why the increase in sheep farming increased poverty
It meant less land was available for growing crops
Sheep farming required less labour than growing crops
Some crops were grown only for animals to eat
What was enclosure?
The process of replacing large, open fields farmed by villagers with individual fields belonging to one person
What happened to tenant farmers who were working on fields that became enclosed?
They were evicted
What did tenant farmers who had lost their jobs in the countryside do?
Left the countryside and moved to towns (rural depopulation)
What new farming techniques were used to produce more crops?
Improved land drainage and better use of fertiliser
What did more efficient techniques for growing crops mean for the number of labourers needed in the countryside?
Fewer labourers were needed
What happened to the wages of labourers as a result of new farming techniques and why?
They went down - there were more labourers than were needed
Why did the enclosure of common land cause anger in the countryside?
It meant that the firewood, rivers etc. were now only able to be accessed by one person
How much of land in England was enclosed by 1600?
2-3%
Why did the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII lead to increased poverty?
The monasteries had provided food and shelter for the homeless and unemployed - now they were left to wander the roads in search of work
What impact did poor harvests have in the 1570s?
They caused food shortages and higher bread prices
What happened to the population of England under Elizabeth?
It increased from 2.8 million to 4 million
Why did Henry VIII’s debasement of the coinage lead to increased poverty?
Coins contained less gold and silver, so merchants raised prices to get the value of what they sold
Why did people with spare food do well during bad harvests?
They could sell it for more money
What percentage of the Elizabethan population lived in the countryside?
85%
What name was given to landlords increasing rent on the lands they rented out to farmers?
Rack-renting
