c1500-c1700: Crime & Punishment in Early Modern England (Edexcel GCSE History)

The creation of Protestantism.

The English Reformation.

The Gunpowder Plot, 1605.

Matthew Hopkins and the Witch-Hunts.

Law enforcement still relied upon ordinary people in the local community.

Ordinary people still had a large amount of power to deal with crimes themselves.

Wealthier households continued to join together to hire armed guards.

Victims of theft continued to hire professional thief-takers.

The ‘Bloody Code’ made serious crimes punishable by death and increased the number of corporal offences.

The ‘Bloody Code’ introduced a new category of crimes called capital offences to England.

The ‘Bloody Code’ made minor crimes punishable by death and increased the number of capital offences.

The ‘Bloody Code’ decreased the number of capital offences and increased the number of corporal offences.

James I became a self-proclaimed ‘Witchfinder General’ and started to prosecute women for being witches.

James I started the English Civil War in an attempt to remove witches from England.

James I argued that witchcraft was a crime against both the monarch and God, his fear caused panic throughout England.

James I wrote a book called The Demon Witches which described the horrors of witchcraft and encouraged witch trials.

Approximately 500 people.

 Approximately 2,000 people.

 Approximately 1,500 people.

Approximately 1,000 people.

As land enclosure increased it drove people away from the countryside into the towns resulting in overcrowding, high levels of unemployment and vagrancy.

Land enclosure forced people to poach sheep from the enclosed land to survive.

Land enclosure forced food prices to decrease as there was more land for people to grow crops on, resulting in a saturated market and causing unemployment and vagrancy.

Land enclosure caused more people to move to the countryside to seek employment, which caused the countryside to be overcrowded and an increase in poaching.

In the early modern period, witchcraft was no longer seen as a crime.

In the early modern period, witchcraft became a crime.

In the early modern period, witchcraft became a serious crime and was tried in secular courts.

In the early modern period, witchcraft became a minor crime and was tried in Church courts.

The Civil War was significant as it encouraged witch-hunts as the religious divide between Catholics and Protestants became stronger and Puritans accused Royalist Catholics of witchcraft.

The Civil War was not significant as royal judges were able to deal with any witchcraft accusations quickly as they travelled with the army around the country.

 The Civil War was significant as women took an active role in the Civil War and their competent fighting abilities were seen as witchcraft.

The Civil War was not significant as it discouraged witch-hunts as men were needed to fight, not sit on the jury of a trial.

Smuggling decreased as it became easier for the authorities to enforce tax and duty on the goods that they brought to England.

Smuggling increased as it became known as a ‘social crime’, this created an increase in demand for smuggling.

Smuggling increased as English explorers started to discover the New World. They returned with luxury goods which they wanted to sell without having to pay taxes to increase their profits.

Smuggling decreased due to the increase in religion at this time. People wanted to make an honest living and explorers had a reputation for making an honest living.

Urbanisation led to an increase in crimes against the person because towns became less busy and trade began to drop. Local people became desperate and started to steal food to survive.

Urbanisation led to an increase in crimes against the person as the towns became overpopulated people started to commit petty theft and poached to survive.

Urbanisation led to an increase in crimes against the person. The overpopulation in the towns made religious differences between the population more visible and increased religious tension, which increased heresy and treason.

Urbanisation led to an increase in crimes against the person a vagabonds started to move to towns and cities. Many committed crimes like assault and murder.