Why was there an increase in poverty in early Elizabethan England?

Why was there an increase in poverty in early Elizabethan England?

The population rose by a million during the Elizabethan period. More people meant there was more demand for goods, and so prices rose. Prices for goods rose, but wages fell as there were more people around to do the work.

Why did the number of vagabonds increase?

Vagabondage itself was the product of an increasing number of unemployed people (especially from the countryside) moving to urban areas. There were many causes for this: recession, trade embargoes, bad harvests, a general population increase and changes to farming which led to higher levels of rural unemployment.

What did poor people do in Tudor times?

Tudor people who were poor had little time for entertainment, but during their holidays and religious festivals they enjoyed singing, dancing, drinking and eating, as well as playing games and watching plays. Morris dancing was usually performed by a group of men dressed in white.

What caused inflation in Tudor England?

In her quest to find the cause of this inflation, Rowena probes into farm enclosures, drunkenness, piracy, monopolistic middlemen, and militarism. She concludes that the most plausible cause was population growth and in so doing lays bare the continued relevance of economic history.

How did Elizabethans deal with poverty?

They were allowed to collect taxes in order to help the poor and unemployed. For much of the century the authorities grouped people into either the ‘impotent poor’ or the able-bodied poor’: It was thought many able-bodied poor were lazy, idle and threatened the established social order.

How did enclosure increase poverty in Elizabethan England?

Enclosure leads to an increase in poverty. Whilst, the owners of the land benefited from the increased profits as a result of enclosure, farm workers suffered as they could no longer afford the higher rents. With farmers no longer being able to afford rent, this meant they entered a life of poverty.

Why did increased sheep farming in the 16th century lead to unemployment?

This meant that ordinary people had less land upon which they could grow crops that they used to feed themselves. Sheep farming also led to a rise in unemployment as sheep farming required less labour (less people) to do the job, compared to growing crops.

Why did authorities take vagabonds so seriously?

Vagabonds became the main criminal stereotype of the 16th and 17th centuries. The very existence of such people made the ruling classes angry – as can be seen in some of the language used in these Sources. With no police force, governments were worried about disorder, even, sometimes, rebellion.

What was it like to be rich in Tudor times?

Life for the wealthy became increasingly luxurious and flamboyant during Tudor times. They dined, dressed and lived well. Diet – meals in Tudor times consisted almost wholly of meat. People ate very few vegetables.

Why was there an increase in crime during the Tudor period?

Vagrancy came to be seen as a serious crime in Tudor times. In response the Elizabethan Poor Laws of 1598 and 1601 made each parish responsible for looking after its poor, and punished vagabonds. However, there were several economic pressures in this century that explain the rise of poverty and the crime of vagrancy.

What caused the mid Tudor crisis?

The Mid-Tudor Crisis denotes the period of English history between 1547 (the death of Henry VIII) and 1558 (the death of Mary Tudor), when, it has been argued by Whitney Jones and others, English government and society were in imminent danger of collapse in the face of a combination of weak rulers, economic pressures.