Poverty

• • In the 16th century , England's birth rate rose and the death rate fell
  • This led to huge population growth - during Elizabeth's reign , the English population grew from around 3 million to 4 million
• • Food production didn't keep pace with the growth in population
  • As a result , food prices rose and sometimes there were food shortages
• • England also suffered several poor harvests in the 1550s and 1560s
  • This led to food shortages and made the problem of rising food prices even worse , causing serious hardship for the poor
• • Prices for food and other goods rose much more quickly than wages
  • Standards of living fell for many workers as they struggled to afford the necessities - many were forced into poverty
• • In 1563 , the government passed the Statute of Artificers which set a maximum daily wage for skilled workers e.g builders and carpenters
  • This made things even more difficult for workers , because it prevented wages from rising to match price increases
• • Because of this rapid population growth , there was rowing competition for land , and so rents increased
  • This trend was made worse by changes in farming practices
• • Henry VIII's financial problems were still having a knock-on effect early in Elizabeth's reign
  • Henry had debased the coinage - he issued coins that were not pure gold and silver , but had cheaper metals mixed in
  • Businessmen believed that the coinage was worth less than before , so they put their prices up
  • Elizabeth's government began to tackle the problem in 1560 , but it still contributed to rising prices at the start of her reign
• • Traditional farming methods involved many farmers renting strips of land in large open fields
  • This was subsistence-level farming - each farmer only grew enough crops to supply himself and his own family
• • Traditional , subsistence-level farming was very inefficient , and in the 16th century landowners began changing their farming techniques to try and make more money from their land
  • Instead of sharing open fields among many farmers they enclosed these fields to create a few large farms
• • These new , enclosed farms required fewer labourers , so farmers who rented land were evicted , leaving them unemployed and homeless
• • These enclosures of farm land forced many people to leave their villages and migrate to towns or cities in search of work
  • The government viewed these migrant workers as 'vagabonds'
  • They feared that the growth of vagabondage would encourage riots and rebellions
• • Between 1536 and 1541 , Henry VIII had closed down England's monasteries and sold off most of their land - this was called the 'dissolution of the monasteries'
• • The monasteries had performed important social functions , including providing support for many poor , ill and disabled people
  • The dissolution of the monasteries removed a valuable source of assistance for people in times of need