Reasons for the increase in poverty (AQA GCSE History): Revision Notes
Reasons for the increase in poverty in Elizabethan England
What was poverty like during Elizabeth's reign?
During Elizabeth I's reign (1558-1603), poverty became a serious social problem that affected a growing number of people across England. Understanding poverty in this period meant looking at people's ability to afford basic necessities and maintain stable living conditions.
Poverty in Elizabethan England was measured differently than today. Rather than using modern income thresholds, contemporaries looked at people's ability to afford basic survival needs and their reliance on charity or poor relief systems.
People were considered poor if they experienced any of the following situations:
- They had to spend over 80% of their income just on bread (the most basic food)
- They became unemployed or fell ill, making it impossible to support themselves or their families
- They couldn't afford food when prices rose dramatically
- They required financial assistance through poor relief or charity donations (known as alms)
The problem became so widespread that authorities had to distinguish between different types of poor people and develop new ways to deal with the growing crisis.
Types of people who were poor
Research from parish records shows that poor people in Elizabethan England came from various backgrounds, but certain groups were particularly vulnerable:
Widows and abandoned women formed a significant portion of the poor because women received very little payment for work and had limited opportunities to earn money independently.
The sick and elderly often couldn't work and had no way to support themselves when they became too weak or ill to continue their trades.
Orphaned children made up about 40% of all poor people, with many being under 16 years old and having no family support.
Low-wage workers struggled to make ends meet even when they had employment, as wages often didn't keep up with rising prices.
Vagrants and vagabonds were perhaps the most visible poor people. These were homeless individuals who travelled from place to place looking for work or opportunities. Many people viewed them with suspicion, believing they were lazy troublemakers who chose to wander rather than settle down and work honestly.
It's important to understand that many people who became vagrants were not lazy or unwilling to work. Most were displaced by economic changes beyond their control, such as enclosure or the shift to sheep farming, and were desperately seeking employment and stable living conditions.
Main reasons for the increase in poverty
Population growth and its effects
England's population grew dramatically during this period, rising from 3 million people in 1551 to 4.2 million by 1601. This rapid growth created several serious problems that increased poverty levels.
With more people needing food, the demand for basic necessities increased faster than the supply could keep up. This drove up food prices, making it harder for ordinary people to afford adequate nutrition. At the same time, more people were competing for available jobs, which allowed employers to pay lower wages since workers were easily replaceable.
This population growth of nearly 40% in just 50 years was unprecedented in English history and created intense pressure on resources that had previously been adequate for a smaller population.
The growing population also meant that more people needed places to live, but there wasn't enough housing or land available. This housing shortage drove up rents and made it difficult for many families to find affordable accommodation.
Bad harvests and food shortages
Several devastating harvest failures hit England during Elizabeth's reign, particularly in 1562, 1565, 1573, 1586, and the 1590s. These bad harvests were often caused by extreme weather conditions that destroyed crops.
When harvests failed, the food supply dropped dramatically while demand remained high. This combination caused food prices to soar, pushing many people who were already struggling into desperate poverty. Subsistence farmers, who grew just enough food for their own families, were particularly badly affected since they had no surplus to sell and couldn't afford to buy food at the higher prices.
The frequency of harvest failures during Elizabeth's reign was partly due to the "Little Ice Age" - a period of cooler temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns that made farming more difficult and unreliable across Europe.
Economic recessions and trade problems
The 1590s brought severe economic difficulties that increased unemployment and poverty across England. Trade restrictions and conflicts with other countries, particularly involving Spain and the Netherlands, disrupted England's important wool and cloth exports.
When international trade suffered, many people working in textile production lost their jobs. Since the wool trade was one of England's most important industries, these disruptions had widespread effects on employment and economic stability throughout the country.
Increasing demand for land and rising rents
As the population grew, people needed more land for housing and farming. However, the amount of available land remained the same, creating intense competition. Landowners took advantage of this situation by raising rents significantly.
Many people found they could no longer afford to rent the land they needed for farming or housing. Some had to pay large sums of money upfront (called entry fines) just to secure a rental agreement, which many poor families simply couldn't manage.
Entry fines were lump-sum payments required before someone could rent land or property. These could be equivalent to several years' wages for ordinary workers, making them impossible for most poor people to afford.
The shift to sheep farming
After 1500, many landowners discovered that raising sheep for wool was more profitable than growing food crops. The growing wool trade meant that farmers could make more money from a single sheep than from producing grain or vegetables.
This economic shift had serious consequences for food production and employment. Sheep farming required far fewer workers than crop farming, so many agricultural labourers lost their jobs. Additionally, less land was used for growing food, which contributed to food shortages and higher prices.
The shift to sheep farming was economically rational for individual landowners but created significant social problems. It reduced both food production and employment opportunities, contributing directly to the increase in poverty and homelessness.
Enclosure and land privatisation
From 1500 onwards, a process called enclosure transformed how land was used across England. Previously, much land had been held in common, meaning local people could use it for farming or grazing their animals. Enclosure meant dividing this common land into private fields for individual owners to use exclusively.
While enclosure could make farming more efficient, it also displaced many people who had depended on common land for their livelihood. Families who had grazed animals or grown crops on common land suddenly found themselves with nowhere to farm and no way to support themselves. Many of these displaced people became vagrants, wandering the countryside looking for work or new places to settle.
Enclosure was one of the most significant causes of increased vagrancy and homelessness. When people lost access to common land that their families had used for generations, they often had no choice but to leave their home communities and search for new opportunities elsewhere.
Dissolution of the monasteries
Before the 1530s, monasteries had played an important role in supporting poor people through charity and alms-giving. However, when Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries during the 1530s as part of his break from the Catholic Church, this traditional source of help for the poor disappeared.
People who had previously relied on monastic charity found themselves with no support system. The government and local communities were slow to develop alternative ways of helping the poor, leaving many people without assistance during times of hardship.
The dissolution of the monasteries not only removed charity for the poor but also displaced many people who had worked for monastic institutions. Monks, servants, and workers at monasteries suddenly found themselves unemployed and without support.
Timeline of key events
- 1500 onwards: Enclosure process begins, displacing many from common land
- 1500 onwards: Sheep farming becomes more profitable, reducing food production
- 1530s: Henry VIII dissolves monasteries, removing traditional poor relief
- 1551: English population recorded at 3 million
- 1562: Major harvest failure causes food shortages
- 1565: Another bad harvest increases poverty
- 1573: Harvest failure affects food supplies
- 1586: Poor harvest contributes to rising poverty
- 1590s: Economic recession and multiple bad harvests create severe hardship
- 1601: Population reaches 4.2 million, showing dramatic growth
Key Points to Remember:
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Population growth was a major factor - England's population increased from 3 million to 4.2 million between 1551-1601, creating competition for jobs, housing, and food
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Bad harvests in 1562, 1565, 1573, 1586, and the 1590s caused food shortages and price increases that pushed many into poverty
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Economic changes like the shift to sheep farming and enclosure displaced traditional workers and reduced food production
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Loss of traditional support when Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in the 1530s removed an important source of charity for the poor
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Multiple causes combined - it wasn't just one factor but several interconnected problems that created the poverty crisis in Elizabethan England