1. EDWARD III -- A TAXING SITUATION Introduction -- Three Traditions of Geography

2. 1. Spatial Tradition -- Emphasizes Origin in time and place (will define as Hearth Areas) Follows routes across time as theme diffuses ie. Early Expansion of Islam Process of acceptance or rejection important characteristic Measures the impact of the new introduction

3. 2. Area Studies Tradition Looks at the concept of culture & How things are being done Note that people transform similar landscapes in different manners based on: Customary beliefs Social Forms Material traits Tokyo

4. 3. Human--Environment Historically: Environment effects human activity -- Environmental Possibilism Modern era: Humans have a direct effect on environmental processes Geography Professor Boston University http://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-three-gorges-dam-really-will- slow-the-earths-rotation-2010-6#ixzz2gLFLVmuJ

5. Edward III, environment, and taxes "He was, in most ways, a conventional king, mainly interested in warfare." (1327-1377) http://www.glossary.com/reference.php?q=Edward%20III Background to 100 years war minute 1 through 3

6. Taxing In 1341 due to rising deficits the Parliament tried to reign in Edward's war machine, this didn't work instead: 1342 -- 1/9 th tax passed on the value of all important agricultural goods However, Results of tax collections very low

7. Government Investigation Investigation committee set-up Nonarum Inquisitiones compared collections with earlier 1291 Clerical Tithe collection unit local parish (note relationship to Rome) collections were down, question was why???

8. 1) Main discovery -- LAND ABANDONMENT end of frontier expansion of England

9. 2) Specific Causes of Abandonment 1. Climate Change (colder, shorter growing season) 2. Soil Exhaustion (had expanded to marginal lands) 3. Result -- abandonment of marginal land -- unable to support people's needs any longer 4. Labor Shortages -- insufficient help at harvest and planting time poor harvests leads to shrinking population (malnutrition -- more deaths) less seed and labor leads to shrinking of acres planted future harvests continue downward trend less population means fewer hands to plant and reap, food lost in fields at harvest time even cattle become weaker due to poorer diet

10. 3) Major precipitating factors Climatologically -- Mini-Ice Age Several dates ranging over 400 years may indicate the beginning of the Little Ice Age: 1250 Atlantic pack ice began to growAtlanticpack ice 1300 warm summers stopped being dependable in Northern Europe 1315 Great Famine of 1315-1317Great Famine of 1315-1317 1341 Nonarum Inquisitiones 1348 Black Plague arrives 1550 theorized beginning of worldwide glacial expansion 1650 first climatic minimum

11. Over Population compared to resources expansion beyond shrinking carrying capacity demographic critical point faced (Malthusian Crisis)

12. 4) Long term result population declines, return to balance with natural carrying capacity eventually climate improved and population growth resumed In addition, Weakened population heavily hit by Black Plague around 1348 In Medieval England, the Black Death was to kill 1.5 million people out of an estimated total of 4 million people between 1348 and 1350.

13. 5) Maps demonstrate Figure 4 -- Abandonment unaffected by soil type (more than simple soil exhaustion)

14. Figure 3 -- More Upland then Lowland abandonment (thinner soil, shorter growing season) -note although not that clear on the maps, little abandonment along River Thames, occurs more between river valleys on tops of hills

15. 6) Illustration of the Three Traditions of Geography Spatial Tradition Organization of rural areas based on Parishes – comes from Rome, empire, and the Church Area Studies Records kept of past and present harvests by region Human—Environment Our modern ability to explain how and why taxes fell short Relates to the Postan Thesis

17. Source: Geographical Interpretations of Historical Sources: Readings in Historical Geography. 1971. Alan R.H. Baker, John D. Hamshere, and John Langton editors.