Increase in poverty - and why

• What were the reasons for Poverty increasing?

  • Rising population 
  • Inflation 
  • Cloth trade collapse 
  • Costly foreign wars 
  • Bad harvests 
  • Changes in Farming
• Why did the rising population lead to an increase in poverty?

  • The population rose by a million during the Elizabethan period
  • More people meant there was more demand for goods, and so prices rose
• Why did Inflation lead to an increase in Poverty?

  Prices for goods rose, but wages fell as there were more people around to do the work.
• Why did the collapse of the cloth trade lead to an increase in poverty?

  • Woollen cloth was England’s main export 
  • There was a decline in demand and this led to unemployment
• Why did costly foreign wars lead to an increase in poverty?

  Taxes were increased to compensate for the price of waging war
• Why did bad harvests lead to an increase in poverty?

  Harvests were particularly bad in the 1590s leading to even higher demand and more rising prices
• Why did changes in farming lead to an increase in poverty?

  Many landlords decided to enclose their fields and keep sheep instead of growing crops which led to high unemployment