Elizabethan society in the age of exploration (1558-88)

very few children went to school, mainly rich as there was no need to formally educate the population

• girls- no formal education, attended Dame schools or had private tutors (rich)

Changes:

• new grammar schools- kids educated independantly from the church
• litracy improved (especially in towns) due to the printing press- made books cheaper, Parish schools and the need to read scriptures

• Nobility- hunting and fishing, just men- real tennis, bowls and fencing
• lower classes- just men-football and wrestlin

• music- many played instruments and performances were popular, wealthy families emplyed men to play during meals
• dancing- very popular as bought men and women together but different classes never danced together
• literature- medieval lit remained popular but a lot of new books were written 

types: widows, sick or elderly, orphans, low wages, vagrants, vagabonds

reasons- bad harvest reduced the food supply and increased food supplies, population growth (3million to 4.2) which increased demand for land leading to increased rents which many couldn't afford, economic recession

Changing attitudes- poverty was thought to lead to rebelion and disaster, poor should be given every opportunity to better themselves

• idle poor- could work but chose not to 
• deserving impotent poor- could not help themselves 

Policies for the poor:

• poor rate- local tax- money used for improving lives of the poor
• charity- funded by wealthy
• 1576 poor act- JOP required to provide poor with raw materials so they could make and sell- those who didn't were imprisoned
• 1572 vagabond act- national poor rate to provide money/work to impotent poor

reasons- traingular trade, ship design improvements so they were faster and more stable, private investment (Liz and her courtiers funded voyages), expanding trade, adventure

Drake's circumnavigation of the globe- wanted to attack Spanish as revenge for them attacking his fleet and due to the profits made o his last voyage many invested, this increased England's reputation as a sea faring power and got English ships to trade elsewhere e.g. China

Raleigh and Virginia

• colonised to increase trade and make England less dependant on other countries for imports. also Raliegh was able to persuade investors that it would be profitable and it would provide a base to attack Spanish settlements 
• reasons for failure
  • left to late to plant crops so lack of food
  • native American attack- angered by disease they brought Chief Wiginia led an attack on Roanoke
  • war with Spain- few ships able to visit due to armada leaving the colonists isolated