reasons for poverty in elizabethan england

• Actions of previous monarchs

  • Henry VII limited the right of nobles to hold private armies, fearing they might be a threat to his throne. This left many soldiers without work.
  • The Reformation under Henry VIll led to the closure of the monasteries. Monks, nuns and other Church employees were left with nowhere to live or work.
  • The closure of the monasteries also left the sick and poor with no one to care for them.
  • Economic problems under Henry VIII and Edward VI led to the collapse of the cloth trade and the loss of many jobs.
• Changes in agriculture

  • Bad harvests between 1594 and 1598 led to food shortages and starvation in parts of England. The food shortage also increased prices - which led to inflation.
  • Increasing numbers of landlords began to keep sheep on their land rather than grow crops.This system, known as enclosure, meant that fewer workers were needed.
  • Many unemployed farm workers headed to towns and cities in search of employment.There were not enough jobs to go around.
• Flu outbreak

  • A terrible outbreak of flu in 1556 killed 200,000 people, including many farm workers.
• Population increase

  • During Elizabeth's reign, England's population went from 2.8 million to 4 million.
  • A shortage of places to live gave power to landlords who increased rents (rack renting).