16th century societuy

SOCIETY IN 16SOCIETY IN 16 THTH CENTURY CENTURY ENGLANDENGLAND

SOCIETY IN 16SOCIETY IN 16 TH (1501 – TH (1501 – 1600)1600)

1.Hierarchy in society1.Hierarchy in society

NOBILITYNOBILITY

-55 noble families-55 noble families-duke, baron or earl-duke, baron or earl-noble either by birth or -noble either by birth or

by grant from the by grant from the Queen or KingQueen or King

-huge -amounts of land

GENTRY AND RICH GENTRY AND RICH MERCHANTSMERCHANTS

- the most important the most important social class in Tudor social class in Tudor timestimes

- large amounts of land- education- never did any manual

work. - famous exoponents: famous exoponents:

Francis Drake, Francis Francis Drake, Francis BaconBacon

YEOMEN AND CRAFTSMENYEOMEN AND CRAFTSMEN

- characteristic for English characteristic for English societysociety

- owned their own land. - They could be as wealthy

as gentlemen but they worked alongside their men.

- often able to read and write

THE TENANT FARMERS THE TENANT FARMERS – – THE POORTHE POOR

- unable to work and unable to work and labourerslabourers

- submitted to their rich submitted to their rich lordslords

- who leased their land from the rich

- were also wage laborers

- were often illiterate and very poor.

Rich vs. Poor :Rich vs. Poor : Houses Houses

RichRich- huge, half-timbered mansions huge, half-timbered mansions

with chimneys and glass with chimneys and glass windows; profound furniturewindows; profound furniture

PoorPoor- simple huts, floors made of

clay, very basic furniture

clothes, foodclothes, food- elaborate clothes, elaborate clothes,

embroidered with silk, embroidered with silk, gold or silver threadgold or silver thread

- fat meals, with little fat meals, with little vegetables, vegetables, fish instead of meat

- milk

- hardwearing, practical clothes made of coarse wool

- mainly ate bread, cheese and onion,s trips of meat

- beer

Pastimes and workPastimes and work

RICHRICH- sspenpentt most of time on most of time on

pastimespastimes- ffalconry, hunting, billards, alconry, hunting, billards,

bowls, attending bowls, attending perfomances in theatre, perfomances in theatre, reading booksreading books

POORPOOR- sspenpentt most of time most of time

working ( 6 working days)working ( 6 working days)- ggambling, playing ambling, playing

draughtsdraughts- wwatching public atching public

executionsexecutions

Education and languageEducation and language

RICHRICH wide access to the education wide access to the education

( grammar schools, ( grammar schools, universities)universities)

"correct“ London pronunciation"correct“ London pronunciation read and write

As for girls, taught them at home

POORPOOR learning a trade, or expected learning a trade, or expected

to workto work Continuation of using the local Continuation of using the local

dialectdialect girls: girls: their mother might teach

them

In the beginning of the Tudor period

English was spoken in a number of ways

asremiders of Saxon,

Angle, Jute and Viking invasion

After Chaucer London English becomes ‘correct’ English

TownTown

7, 000 thieves hanged by Henry 7, 000 thieves hanged by Henry VIIIVIII

Only a small part of the population At night the streets were dark and

dangerous. Henry VIII dissolved the

monasteries The River Thames was a major

transport route

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d) Enclosures, Poor Law, Laws against Povertyd) Enclosures, Poor Law, Laws against Poverty

- Enclosures- Enclosures – resulting in – resulting in massive unemploymentmassive unemployment and poverty and poverty among labourersamong labourers

- Dissolution of the Monasteries – the church institutions lose Dissolution of the Monasteries – the church institutions lose their significancetheir significance

- „„Pilgrimage of Grace“ ( 1536 ) as a protest against Pilgrimage of Grace“ ( 1536 ) as a protest against dissolution of the monasteriesdissolution of the monasteries

- Poor Law ( 1601) – introduced by Queen Elisabeth I to cope Poor Law ( 1601) – introduced by Queen Elisabeth I to cope with the poverty and unemployment. First government-with the poverty and unemployment. First government-sponsored welfare program. Three goals of Poor Law:sponsored welfare program. Three goals of Poor Law:

a)a) tto put those unable to care for themselves in hospitals and o put those unable to care for themselves in hospitals and orphanagesorphanages

b)b) tto find the work for able-bodied in the workhouses o find the work for able-bodied in the workhouses established in the townsestablished in the towns

c)c) tto punish permanently unemployed in order to discourage o punish permanently unemployed in order to discourage them from commiting the crimesthem from commiting the crimes

PUNISHMENTS physical punishment. Minor crimes = the pillory or

the stocks. More serious crimes = by

death. Rich = Beheading Ordinary = hanged.

Transport, theatrer and Transport, theatrer and medicinemedicine

People traveled by horse some rich people rode in carriages

comedies and tragedies. many people died in epidemics of

sweating sickness Tudor doctors were very expensive wise woman if they were ill.

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

- during Tudor times England became richer place to live- during Tudor times England became richer place to live - increase of the prices of goods, fall of wages by half- increase of the prices of goods, fall of wages by half - increasing population- increasing population ( from 2,2 to 4 million) ( from 2,2 to 4 million) - England as the most comfortable place to live in Europe - England as the most comfortable place to live in Europe

in 16th centuryin 16th century - England became a more comercial country- England became a more comercial country