Social And Intellectual Challenege 1625-88 Flashcards
Reasons for population growth
- Migration
- high fertility rates
- low mortality rates- due to population becoming more good at containing and isolating spread of diseases
Growth of population from 1520-1680
2.5 mil to 5 mil
Impact on development on towns
London became the largest city in Western Europe, boosted the start economy and empire.
Other towns saw an increase in trade activity and creation of merchant class.
Impact on rural life
London helped the rural economy have a huge amount of agriculture goods (needed to feed the city)
How much did the demands increase for agricultural goods?
400% from 1600-1680
How many people were in poverty
2/3 of the urban population lived near the poverty line
1/3 of the whole population were poor
Poor relief Act 1601
Basis of treatment of the poor until 1662, provided for those relief disable and unable to work, punishment for vagrants begging was allowed but only for food
What were attiques towards the poor
Unsympathetic e.g owners of large estates would demolish their empty houses to prevent the poor from squatting
Who passed the poor relief act
The cavalier parliament
What did the poor relief act allow to happen
Gave more powers to local administrators to restrict the movements of individuals on poor relief, act was often manipulated by overseers to send people to different parish knowing they would deny relief
Settled poor
Established in one parish land and did not move around and beg to find work
Vagrant poor
Traditionally those who travelled in order to sustain themselves and treated as criminals under the law.
Life for women in the 17th century
Few rights and under the law were property of father or husband
Expected to do traditional housewife role
Religious changes for women
Puritain groups did see value in women’s education - saw family as the heart of worship but only wanted women to be educated enough to teach their male led region
What did puritan woman do
6000 women petitioned for peace during the civil war
Leveller leader john Lisburn was arrested and his wife Katherine chindley got over 10,000 women to sign a petition for his release and made demands for women’s emancipation, parliament told the women to go continue with house work
Legal changes to womens life
Toleration act 1650- allowed groups like quakers to flourish, quakers allowed women to hold separate meetings and speak in mixed meetings
Marriage act 1650- permitted civil marries giving husbands fewer rights over the wife (ignored)
Adultry act 1650 sentenced bot men and women to death (mainly used for woman)
Nobility
2% of population
15% countries wealth
Held land property and titles
HOL members
Gentry
Increased by 300%
1/2 countries wealth
Grew in political status
Merchants
New class due to urbanisation
Similar wealth to gentry but not as educated or time for leisure
Professionals
Usually sons of nobility/ gentry class
Demand for legal services , healthcare, education increased
Levellers
Mixed success
Leaders imprisoned short lived but inspired reform
Radicalised the army
Universal male sufferage
HOL abolished equality before the law
Ranters
Limited success
Banned after Blasphemy act 1650
Small group of preachers in London, good time people, organised religion is a form of oppression, belief in predestination, embraced sin and breakdown of social order during civil war
Diggers
Limited success
Less support due to their revolutionary ideas
Quakers/ seekers
Very successful despite persecution
35,000 quakers
God should be understood from the individual
George fox founder the voice of God within
