Life in Elizabethan England

• The poor: There was no welfare system or support for anyone who fell on hard times. Poverty was mostly considered to be your own fault in Elizabethan times - the belief that you had a ‘divinely appointed’ position in society was reinforced every week at church and this attitude was widely held.
• Why did poverty increase: Rising population - 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 poverty increase: Inflation - Prices for goods rose, but wages fell as there were more people around to do the work.
• Why did poverty increase: Cloth trade collapse - Woollen cloth was the England’s main export. There was a decline in demand and this led to unemployment.
• Why did poverty increase: Wars - Taxes were increased to compensate for the price of waging war.
• Why did poverty increase: Bad harvests - Harvests were particularly bad in the 1590s leading to even higher demand and more rising prices.
• Why did poverty increase: Changes in farming - Many landlords decided to enclose their fields and keep sheep instead of growing crops which led to high unemployment.
• Why did attitudes to the poor start to change:

  • fears that the ‘social order’ might be threatened if the growing number of poor people ganged together and started a rebellion
  • the risk that vagabonds and beggars might turn to crime
  • fears that the poor might spread disease
• Action taken for the poor: Unpaid local officials (called Justices of the Peace) were made responsible for poverty related issues in their parish. They were allowed to collect taxes in order to help the poor and unemployed.
• Impotent poor: People unable to work due to age, disability or other infirmity. Limited relief was provided by the community in which they lived.
• Able-bodied poor: These were people who were physically able to work and were forced to, to prevent them from becoming vagrants, beggars or vagabonds. It was thought many able-bodied poor were lazy, idle and threatened the established social order. 
• The poor laws: The 1572 Vagabonds Act introduced severe action against vagrants who could now be whipped, bored through the ear and put to death if they were repeatedly caught begging.
• The poor laws: National level 1601 poor law -

  • they brought in a compulsory nationwide Poor Rate system
  • everyone had to contribute and those who refused would go to jail
  • begging was banned and anyone caught was whipped and sent back to their place of birth
  • Almshouses were established to look after the impotent poor
• Did Elizabeth look after the welfare of the people: The first 30 years of Elizabeth’s reign saw stability and prosperity but a rising population led to an increase in poverty and growing social problems, especially in towns.
• Did Elizabeth look after the welfare of the people: By the end of Elizabeth’s reign wide-ranging laws were passed to support the poor, which remained in place for the next 200 years. The Poor Laws can be seen as a major shift in English history, for the first time the government was responsible for the welfare of the weakest people in society however most of the relief still came from private individuals.
• Theatre: Elizabeth encouraged growth of the arts through her patronage of the theatre, music and art.
• Theatre: Before Elizabeth’s reign, drama mainly focused on religious plays that were performed in public, and Greek and Roman dramas performed in Oxford and Cambridge universities. 
• Theatre: During the 1570s permanent groups of actors were set up under the patronage of wealthy nobles and there was even a group called Queen Elizabeth’s Men set up in 1583.
• Theatre: Shakespeare began writing his plays during Elizabeth’s reign, and a number of them had themes connected to English history. His plays always supported the monarch and the Tudor dynasty
• Theatre: Purpose-built theatres were encouraged and had tiered seating with prices accessible for people from all ranks of society.
• Theatre: The queen went on tours of the country every summer, when she would stay at the homes of her wealthy nobles. These ‘royal progresses’ encouraged these nobles to build grand stately homes and organise lavish entertainments for the queen.
• Opposition to theatre: Puritans - believed theatres were the work of the devil, spreading rude and lewd ideas encouraging poor moral behaviour. They also associated the theatre with the Romans, who had persecuted Christians.
• Opposition to theatre: Authorities - an extract from a law passed in 1572 stated that: “All common players…who wander about and have not a license shall be taken, adjudged and deemed rogues, vagabonds and sturdy beggars.”
• Pastimes: Higher society - the invention of the printing press and spread of education meant that gentlemen were part of an elitist culture involved in intellectual pursuits, such as reading the classics, studying music, hunting and hawking
• Pastimes: Lower society - the vast majority were involved in popular cultural pursuits, which gave them a brief escape from their harsh living conditions. Inns and taverns were an important part of every social ritual. Drinking, gambling on bear-baiting, cockfighting, cards, dice and racing were popular. Ordinary people also took part in wrestling, running races and football.
• Sir Francis Drake: He grew up as a Puritan who hated Catholics and he was very anti-Spanish. His first voyage in 1566 was as a slave trader. He was attacked in 1568 by the Spanish at San Juan de Ulua in Mexico, losing four ships and over 300 men. He sought to take revenge on the Spanish after this.
• Sir Francis Drake: Drake was the first Englishman to sail around the world, circumnavigating the globe between 1577 and 1580. He went on to play a role in the Spanish Armada by attacking Cadiz in 1587 and delaying preparations. He was also vice-admiral during the Armada.
• Sir Francis Drake: Impact -

  • Launched successful attacks on the Spanish empire, bringing back gold, silver and jewels, making a huge profit.
  • Claimed new lands for England and made valuable trading contacts with the Spice Islands.
  • Knighted by Elizabeth and made an admiral.
• John Hawkins: He made three voyages during the 1560s, capturing Africans and selling them into slavery in Central America to Spanish settlers. After this he returned to England and designed and built ships for the navy. Elizabeth appointed him as a vice-admiral fighting against the Spanish Armada.
• John Hawkins: Impact -

  • Developed a new type of fighting galleon which was faster, lighter and better able to withstand harsh weather conditions than ships in the Spanish fleet.
  • His innovative designs were important in helping to lead England to victory.
• Walter Raleigh: He wanted to establish colonies for Elizabeth in North America. The area was thought to have an inexhaustible supply of wine, oil, sugar and flax and would reduce England’s trading dependence upon Europe. The queen invested in his privateering expeditions against the Spanish.
• Walter Raleigh: In 1584 he obtained a royal charter to establish a colony on Roanoke Island off the coast of North Carolina. He organised two expeditions to take settlers to the colony. The first group came home after a year; the second were left there but later disappeared
• Walter Raleigh: Impact - Raleigh was imprisoned in the Tower of London in June 1592 for marrying one of Elizabeth’s ladies-in-waiting, He was released in August 1592 to lead a very successful naval attack against the Spanish. Following the attack, Raleigh was sent back to the Tower but was released the following year and became a Member of Parliament.