Elizabethan Society, 1558-1588 (Edexcel GCSE History: British Depth Study (Paper 2, Booklet B))

They were expected to become scholars.

They were educated at home for domestic roles.

They were only allowed to be educated in Petty Schools.

They were too expensive for their families.

 The Spanish Armada.

Food shortages and land demand.

The Reformation.

Exploration in the Americas.

Many Elizabethans were experiencing poverty. They understood that poverty was not the fault of the person. They provided charity for the poor.

People had no respect for anyone poor. They did not believe that it was their responsibility to help people out of poverty.

Whilst many Elizabethans did not like the poor, they did not believe in punishing them through whipping and imprisonment.

Elizabethans classified the poor into ‘Deserving Poor’ and ‘Idle Poor.’ The public thought that there were too many ‘Idle Poor’ in towns and villages.

Privateers began to claim land in the Americas without Elizabeth’s knowledge or permission.

England wanted to rival Spain's supremacy in the Americas. An English colony in the Americas would increase England's trade and influence with the Indigenous people.

Due to enclosure, Elizabethans wanted land in the Americas to grow similar crops that they could grow in England. This would allow them to trade with people back in England.

Elizabethans wanted colonies in the Americas so they could attack Spain from there. This would allow them to have more power over Spain.

Raleigh and Drake helped to uncover and prevent Catholic plots.

Raleigh and Drake implemented the Religious Settlement.

Raleigh and Drake created the Poor Laws.

Raleigh and Drake were privateers and explorers.

Drake claimed New Albion as territory for Elizabeth. This encouraged more exploration as Elizabeth wanted her explorers to claim land not owned by another Christian leader.

Drake’s journey was incredibly dangerous as he arrived back with only the Golden Hind. This discouraged other explorers from undertaking any more expeditions.

Drake’s achievements impressed Philip II of Spain. This eased Anglo-Spanish tensions as Philip respected and feared England’s power.

Drake’s achievements damaged his reputation. He had lost lots of money from his sponsors because he only returned with his ship, the Golden Hind.

Galleons were smaller than previous trading ships. This made them faster on their longer voyages to the Americas.

16th-century galleons had a higher bow and stern than in previous designs. This improved the galleon's stability in stormy conditions.

Elizabethans started to use square and triangular (or Lateen) sails. Square sails improved speed and triangular sails improved the ability to manoeuvre the ship.

Designers placed cannons in the centre of the galleon. This allowed sailors to protect themselves better from pirates or Spanish privateers.

Education changed a lot. In particular, education for women improved dramatically in Elizabethan England.

Education changed a lot. In particular, more and more of the lower classes received formal education.

Education experienced some change. 30% of all men were literate by 1603. This had increased from 20% in the 1530s.

Education experienced no change. There were no improvements in the education of men and women during this period.

The Poor Laws had a significant impact on poverty. The laws dealt with the causes of poverty which reduced the number of unemployed people in Elizabethan England.

The Poor Laws had some impact on the attitudes towards the poor. The Poor Laws provided the unemployed with a way to work out of poverty with independence and pride.

The Poor Laws had some impact on the attitudes towards the poor. People were less scared of vagrants which improved how they were treated in society.

The Poor Laws had no impact on the issue of poverty. More vagrants received punishment than before, pushing the unemployed further out of society

The colonists did not have the right balance of skills and experience. They had too many farmers and not enough craftsmen. They could not make the items needed to survive.

The English arrived too late to plant crafts. They relied on the Algonquians for food. This created resentment between the colonists and the Indigenous people.

Different classes of colonists worked well together. However, there were just not enough resources to make the colony in Virginia work.

The Golden Hind became damaged on their voyage to America. Seawater ruined the colonists’ food supplies and crops.