1. KT3 – Elizabethan Society in the Age of Exploration, 1558-88
Key Topic 3 - Revision
KT3 – Elizabethan Society in the Age of Exploration,
Education and Leisure
The Problem of the Poor
Exploration and Voyages of Discovery
Raleigh and Virginia

2. Elizabethan Education Attitudes to Education:
During Elizabeth’s reign, education slowly became more important.
Elizabethan England had no national system of education.
The purpose of education was to prepare people for their expected roles in life.
Education focussed mainly on practical skills and possibly basic literacy.
Only 15-20% of population could read and write.
Very few children went to school and all schools had fees.
Elizabethan views were that only the rich needed to attend school.
Educating the labouring classes seemed unnecessary to the Elizabethans.

3. Elizabethan Education Changing Influences on Education:
By 1500s, philosophers began to argue that education was valuable and was not only a way to prepare people for their ‘life roles’.
As a result, educational opportunities began to improve under Elizabeth.
Protestants argued that people ought to be able to study scripture in their own language and would therefore have to be taught to read.
The growth of the printing press meant books became less expensive and much more common.
Growth in trade required ordinary people to be able to read, write and understand basic arithmetic.

4. Elizabethan Education Key Features of Education
Parish Schools – (up to age 10) – Set up by church and run by clergy. Taught basic numeracy/ literacy to children of yeomen farmers and craftsmen.
Petty Schools – (up to age 10) – Run privately from people’s homes. Attended by children of the gentry.
Grammar Schools – (boys aged 10-14) – Education independent of the church, charged fees but scholarships available for poorer families, attended by children of gentry, yeomen, craftsmen, taught Bible studies, Latin, philosophy and maths.
Universities (ages 14/15 onwards) – Oxford & Cambridge, studied geometry, music, philosophy, languages, medicine and law, it was possible to get a doctorate.

5. Elizabethan Education
Educating Girls
Many girls received no formal education at all.
Elizabethans felt that girls did not require an education.
Girls from wealthier families sometimes attended Dame Schools run by wealthy women from their homes.
Daughters of the gentry would have had private tutors.

6. Elizabethan Education
Changes in Education
New Grammar Schools meant children were educated independently from the church.
Scholarships meant that families who had previously not been able to afford an education, no could attend Grammar Schools etc.
Literacy in Elizabethan England improved drastically, especially in towns.

7. KT3 – Elizabethan Society in the Age of Exploration, 1558-88
Key Topic 3 - Revision
KT3 – Elizabethan Society in the Age of Exploration,
Education and Leisure
The Problem of the Poor
Exploration and Voyages of Discovery
Raleigh and Virginia

8. Leisure for the different Social Classes:
Elizabethan Leisure
Leisure for the different Social Classes:
There was a number of leisure pursuits in Elizabethan England that were all based on Social Class.
Nobility – Hunting, Fishing, Real Tennis, Bowls, Fencing
Farmers, craftsmen & lower classes – Football, Wrestling

9. Elizabethan Leisure Spectator Sports
Baiting – involved watching animals fight to the death. Typically, dogs were encouraged to attacked chained bears and bets were made on the outcome of these fights.
Cock-fighting – Cockerels attacked each other using metal spurs and their beaks. In some towns special arenas were built.

10. Literature and Theatre
Elizabethan Leisure
Literature and Theatre
A lot of new literature was written during Elizabeth’s reign and much Medieval literature still remained popular.
Religious plays such as Mystery Tales were replaced with new non-religious plays shown in purpose built theatres such as The Globe.
Comedies were performed and were often sponsored by the wealthy including the Queen and her courtiers.
All social classes attended, but would be seated in different areas within the theatre.

11. Elizabethan Leisure Music and Dancing:
Many Elizabethans played instruments (lutes, spinets)
Musical performances were popular.
Music was also played at fairs and markets or at official functions and public events.
Wealthy families would employ their own musicians.
Music was also written to accompany plays within theatres.
Dancing remained a popular pastime, as it brought men and women together.

12. KT3 – Elizabethan Society in the Age of Exploration, 1558-88
Key Topic 3 - Revision
KT3 – Elizabethan Society in the Age of Exploration,
Education and Leisure
The Problem of the Poor
Exploration and Voyages of Discovery
Raleigh and Virginia

13. Definition of Poverty in Elizabethan England:
The Problem of the Poor
Definition of Poverty in Elizabethan England:
Spending 80%+ of your income on food.
Being unemployed or ill so that you could no longer provide for yourself/ family.
Being unable to afford the rising cost of food.
Need financial help (poor relief) or charity (alms)

14. What types of people were poor?
The Problem of the Poor
What types of people were poor?
Studies of Parish records suggest that poor people fell into the following groupings:
Widows/ women abandoned by their husbands/ families
The sick/ elderly who were incapable of work
Orphaned children – 40% of poor were under 16
People on low wages
Vagrants/ vagabonds – homeless people who moved around looking for work, often involved in crime.

15. Reasons for Growth in Poverty
The Problem of the Poor
Reasons for Growth in Poverty
Population Growth – increased the demand for food/ increasing labour supply which decreased wages.
Growth of Towns – London, Norwich – drove up the cost of rents at the same time food prices increased.
Bad Harvests – especially bad impact on subsistence farmers (those who ate what they grew), reduced food supply, drove up prices.
Economic recessions – caused by trade embargos involving Spain/ Netherlands, created unemployment and poverty.

16. Reasons for Growth in Poverty
The Problem of the Poor
Reasons for Growth in Poverty
Enclosure – land divided into fields and given to farmers who farmed for profit, denied peasants the use of common land.
Sheep farming – growth of wool trade meant farmers preferred to farm sheep instead of food
Increasing demand for land – population increased, more people needed land, rents became more expensive, entry fees introduced, many could not afford.

17. Changing Attitudes to the Poor:
The Problem of the Poor
Changing Attitudes to the Poor:
During Elizabethan times, attitudes towards the poor changed there was various reasons for this:
Elizabethans feared that poverty could lead to disorder and cause rebellion.
Unhappy about the cost of dealing with the poor.
Population increase had meant that the poor were more ‘visible’ to Elizabethans.
Changing economic circumstances (harvests, wool trade, enclosure) meant the crown had no choice but to intervene

18. Elizabethans and Poverty:
The Problem of the Poor
Elizabethans and Poverty:
Many Elizabethans distinguished between:
The Deserving Poor – old/ sick – those who could not help themselves.
The Idle Poor – fit to work – chose not to do so.
Elizabethans believed that the poor should be given the opportunity to better themselves and those who refused to help themselves should be punished.

19. Policies towards the Poor:
The Problem of the Poor
Policies towards the Poor:
Poor Rate – a local tax, proceeds spent on improving the lives of the poor.
Charity – often funded by local wealthy people who gave their names to charitable foundations!
[Both of these measures existed before Elizabethan times and continued under her reign]

20. Policies towards the Poor:
The Problem of the Poor
Policies towards the Poor:
Statute of Artificers Those refusing to pay poor rates could be sent to prison/ fined.
2. Poor Relief Act 1576 – Poor would be provided by wool/ raw materials which would enable them to make and sell things.
[These measures were introduced by the government in response to the increasing levels of poverty in Elizabethan England.]

21. Policies towards the Poor:
The Problem of the Poor
Policies towards the Poor:
1572 – Vagabonds Act –
Vagrants were whipped, and a hole drilled through their ear to shame them.
Imprisoned if arrested x 2 for vagrancy
Given death penalty for x 3 offences
[This act is repressive, meaning it punishes and targets the poor to discipline them out of their poverty]

22. KT3 – Elizabethan Society in the Age of Exploration, 1558-88
Key Topic 3 - Revision
KT3 – Elizabethan Society in the Age of Exploration,
Education and Leisure
The Problem of the Poor
Exploration and Voyages of Discovery
Raleigh and Virginia

23. Exploration in Elizabethan England Factors promoting exploration:
Expanding Trade –
Trade was expanding quickly in the New World.
English merchants needed new trading opportunities as war with Spain/ Netherlands damaged wool/ cloth trades.
Vital to find new markets/ new products to sell.

24. Exploration in Elizabethan England Factors promoting exploration:
Adventure–
Young men such as Drake undertook voyages of discovery.
Many published accounts of their voyages and although they were sometimes inaccurate, it encouraged others to go.
Many believed they would find their fortunes/ vast treasures.

25. Exploration in Elizabethan England Factors promoting exploration:
Private Investment–
Private investors (including Elizabeth I) funded these voyages of discovery.
Although risky, rewards could be enormous.
Increased incomes of Crown and nobility.

26. Exploration in Elizabethan England Factors promoting exploration:
Improvements of Ship Design–
Ships/ galleons had bigger sails, were faster and more manoeuvrable and had greater fire power to defend themselves against pirates.
Also more stable and could take on more supplies.

27. Exploration in Elizabethan England Factors promoting exploration:
New Technology–
Navigation was becoming increasingly precise.
Development in technology made voyages safer, faster and more direct.

28. Exploration in Elizabethan England Factors promoting exploration:
Standardised Maps
This gave sailors and traders the confidence that they were going in the right direction.
Encouraged more voyages.

29. Exploration in Elizabethan England Factors promoting exploration:
Triangular Trade
John Hawkins discovered that iron good such as guns could be sold in West Africa to buy slaves.
Slaves could be sold in New World in exchange for rum, spices and tobacco which could then be sold in Europe

30. Drake’s Circumnavigation: Why did Drake circumnavigate the globe?
He was attacking Spain – he wanted to raid Spanish colonies due to the decline in Anglo-Spanish relations at the time.
Revenge – Spanish attacked Drake’s fleet at St Juan de Ulua and most of his men had been killed.
Profit – Loot, booty and trade meant there were huge profits to be made so people were willing to invest.

31. Drake’s Circumnavigation:
Why was Drake’s circumnavigation significant?
England’s reputation as a sea faring power incrased.
England began to see her Navt as her best means of defence.
Presence in North America meant England’s relations worsened with Spain and the Pope.
England’s ships began to trade elsewhere such as China and West Africa.
Nova Albion was claimed as English territory.

32. KT3 – Elizabethan Society in the Age of Exploration, 1558-88
Key Topic 3 - Revision
KT3 – Elizabethan Society in the Age of Exploration,
Education and Leisure
The Problem of the Poor
Exploration and Voyages of Discovery
Raleigh and Virginia

33. Why was Virginia colonised?
Raleigh and Virginia:
Why was Virginia colonised?
Trade – Virginia would provide crops such as sugar cane and tobacco that could be brought back to England.
England would be less dependant on Spain/ France and Italy for imported goods.
Welcoming and friendly natives.
Raleigh persuaded investors that trip would be profitable
A successful colony in Virginia would make it easier to fund other ventures

34. Raleigh and Virginia: Why did Raleigh fail?
Lack of food [left England too late to reach Virginia in time to plant crops, 1 in 5 ships let in sea water which ruined food supplies]
Poor leadership [leaders did not get along with each other, second leader, White, abandoned colony]
Lack of skills/ experience [colonists did not have required skills to make life in Virginia work]
Native American attack [1586 Wingina led an attack on colonists and other tribes were angered by demands for food etc]
War with Spain [1585 – England and Spain were at war which meant that the threat of the Armada meant there were few ships available to visit/ resupply colonists]