3 Explain one way in which attitudes towards the crime of poaching during the medieval period were similar to attitudes towards the crime of poaching in the years c1700–c1900. - Edexcel - GCSE History - Question 3 - 2022 - Paper 1

One significant similarity between the attitudes towards poaching in the medieval period and the years c1700–c1900 is the perception of poaching as a serious crime that threatened social order.

In the medieval period, poaching was viewed as not just an infringement of property rights but also as a crime that challenged the authority of feudal lords who controlled hunting grounds. Similarly, during the late 17th to the 19th century, the ruling classes and landowners maintained strong views against poaching, perceiving it as a threat to their economic interests and social hierarchy.

Both periods saw the enactment of strict laws aimed at deterring poaching, such as the introduction of the Black Acts in the early 19th century which imposed severe penalties for poaching. This indicates a continuous trend in both historical contexts where poaching was addressed with harsh measures, demonstrating the long-standing belief that it destabilized society and undermined the rights of landowners.