Reasons For Poverty In Elizabethan England - Early Elizabethan England 1558-88 Flashcards
Why was poverty a problem in Elizabethan England?
- ‘Poor’ - those who spent 80% of income on bread
- Itinerants - people who moved from their parishes looking for work
- Vagabonds - homeless people without jobs who roamed the countryside looking for money
- Economic recession - Fall in demand, Falling prices, businesses lose money and unemployment rises
- Rural depopulation - population of countryside fall as people move away
What was another problem with poverty?
Women were often more vulnerable to poverty - eg widows paid a lot less than men
What are the causes of Elizabethan poverty?
- Population growth
- Rising prices
- Sheep farming
- Enclosure
- Rural depopulation
- International problems
- Law and order problems
Why did population growth cause poverty?
Population grew 35% during Elizabeths reign, food production did not keep up with this
Why did rising prices cause poverty?
Bad harvests combined with population growth lead to prices rising (eg grain). Labour was cheaper so wages did not rise as fast and the demand for land meant that rents were also higher
Why did sheep farming cause poverty?
Wool prices increased so sheep farming became very profitable. Landowners used this as a way to make money which meant that less land was used for crops and less people were needed to farm, the land for sheep farming grew.
Why did enclosure cause poverty?
Farming techniques were improved and many of these techniques worked better if enclosed land was used. Enclosure involved merging smaller farms, evicting tenant farmers and higher unemployment.
Why did rural depopulation cause poverty?
People moving away from the countryside to look for a better life lead to more poor people working the cities
Why did international problems cause poverty?
Poor relations between England and Spain led to trade embarks with the Netherlands which caused more unemployment
Why did law and order problems cause poverty?
Many people who had left the countryside were forced to live in shacks outside the city walls and were forced into crime or disorder
