Option B4: Key topic 3: Elizabethan society in the Age of Exploration, 1558–88 - 2 The ‘problem’ of the poor — Edexcel GCSE History
Test yourself on Option B4: Key topic 3: Elizabethan society in the Age of Exploration, 1558–88 - 2 The ‘problem’ of the poor with PEARSON EDEXCEL GCSE practice questions.
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Option B4: Key topic 3: Elizabethan society in the Age of Exploration, 1558–88 - 2 The ‘problem’ of the poor explained
During the Elizabethan era, poverty and vagabondage increased significantly due to a combination of economic and social factors.
Read the full explanation
The population grew from roughly three million to four million, increasing demand for food and driving up prices. This inflation was worsened by poor harvests and the debasement of the coinage. Changes in agriculture, particularly the enclosure of land and the shift from arable to sheep farming, required fewer labourers, leading to widespread rural unemployment. Consequently, many people migrated to towns seeking work, becoming vagabonds. Furthermore, the earlier dissolution of the monasteries had removed a traditional source of charity, leaving the vulnerable without support and exacerbating the crisis.
The changing attitudes and policies towards the poor.
Elizabethan attitudes towards the poor shifted from viewing all poverty as a result of idleness to distinguishing between the 'deserving' poor (unable to work due to age or illness) and the 'undeserving' poor (deemed lazy). A third category, the able-bodied unemployed who wanted to work, also emerged. Fear of vagabonds spreading disease and inciting rebellion drove policy changes. Initially, poor relief was left to local authorities, with cities like Norwich and York pioneering taxes to help the vulnerable. These local initiatives influenced national policies, such as the 1572 Vagabonds Act, which introduced severe punishments for vagrancy while establishing a compulsory local poor rate. The 1576 Poor Relief Act furthered this by requiring towns to provide raw materials to set the able-bodied unemployed to work.
Your focus
- Identify the main economic and demographic causes of poverty in Elizabethan England.
- Explain how changes in agriculture contributed to rural unemployment and vagabondage.
- Analyse the interconnected nature of the factors leading to the poverty crisis.
Show all 6 objectives
- Categorise the different types of poor as understood by Elizabethan society.
- Explain the reasons why the government felt compelled to introduce national poor laws.
- Evaluate the effectiveness and severity of the policies implemented to deal with vagabondage and unemployment.
Option B4: Key topic 3: Elizabethan society in the Age of Exploration, 1558–88 - 2 The ‘problem’ of the poor exam tips
Marking Points
- Identify population growth as a key driver of inflation and increased demand for resources.
- Explain how the enclosure of land and the shift to sheep farming reduced the need for agricultural labourers.
- Describe the impact of bad harvests on food prices and the resulting economic hardship for the lower classes.
- Link the dissolution of the monasteries to the removal of traditional charitable support for the vulnerable.
- Connect rural unemployment to the rise in vagabondage as people migrated to towns in search of work.
- Differentiate between the Elizabethan classifications of the 'deserving' poor, the 'undeserving' poor, and the able-bodied unemployed.
- Explain the motivations behind changing attitudes, including the fear of disease, crime, and social rebellion.
- Describe the role of local initiatives, such as those in Norwich, in shaping national poor relief policies.
- Outline the key provisions of the 1572 Vagabonds Act, including punishments for vagrancy and the introduction of a local poor rate.
- Detail the impact of the 1576 Poor Relief Act in providing raw materials to set the able-bodied unemployed to work.
Examiner Tips
- 💡When explaining the increase in poverty, ensure you link multiple causes together, such as how population growth worsened the impact of bad harvests.
- 💡Use specific examples of agricultural changes, like the shift from arable to sheep farming, to demonstrate subject knowledge.
- 💡Clearly distinguish between the general increase in poverty and the specific rise in vagabondage, which refers to the movement of the poor.
- 💡Use the specific terms 'deserving poor', 'undeserving poor', and 'able-bodied unemployed' to demonstrate an understanding of Elizabethan social attitudes.
- 💡When discussing policies, explicitly mention the 1572 Vagabonds Act and the 1576 Poor Relief Act to support your points.
Common Mistakes
- Stating that the monasteries were closed by Elizabeth I; correct by noting they were dissolved earlier by Henry VIII, but the long-term effects were felt in Elizabeth's reign.
- Confusing enclosure with the physical destruction of villages; correct by explaining enclosure meant fencing off common land, which deprived poor farmers of grazing rights.
- Assuming vagabonds were simply lazy people; correct by explaining that many were desperate, unemployed labourers forced to travel to find work.
- Claiming that the Elizabethan government provided welfare for all poor people; correct by specifying that help was strictly limited to the 'deserving' poor and able-bodied unemployed, while the 'undeserving' were punished.
- Confusing the 1572 and 1576 Acts; correct by remembering 1572 introduced the poor rate and severe punishments, whereas 1576 focused on providing work materials for the able-bodied unemployed.
- Stating that the 1576 Act provided work for the 'deserving' poor; correct by noting that the deserving poor were unable to work, and the materials were for the able-bodied unemployed.