History

Sport

Gentlemen: Fencing, tennis, bowls, archery

Poorer people: Wrestling, running, football, poaching

Pastimes

Gentlemen: Smoking tobacco, hunting deer, horse-riding, playing music

Poorer people: Going to inns/taverns, gambling, bear-baiting, cards, dice, singing songs, telling stories

Theatre

The Theatre, the Curtain, The Rose, The Globe

Richer people sat on seats and even on stage.  Poor stood in the pit

Eductaion

Sons and daughters of the nobility were educated at home.

Sons of tradesmen would learn their trade from their fathers.

Petty schools for ages 4-7, mostly boys but also a few girls

Grammar schools for boys aged 7-15.  Had to pay but some scholarships were available.  They learnt Latin, Greek, Maths and Scriptures.

72 new grammar schools opened.  By 1600, 30% of men could read or write.

University degrees in grammar, rhetoric, logic, maths, music, theology.

1/3 of students were from nobility and gentry, rest from lower classes.

Vagabondage

Enclosure of common land for sheep – led to farmers losing jobs

Decline in the wool trade due to Spanish control of the Netherlands

Increasing population put pressure on resources

Inflation linked to Henry VIII’s debasement of the coinage

Closure of the monasteries meant poorest people had nowhere to go

The poor

Rich were expected to help the poor with jobs or charity, but increasing numbers meant that they could not cope. Fear of disease (plague), crime and disorder linked to the poor

Puritans believed that idleness was a sin and should be punished severely.

Vagabonds Act 1572 - harsh, whipping, burning through ear, execution

Act for Relief of Poor 1592 – more lenient, towns had to find work for able-bodied poor, Houses of Correction.

Factors

Rivalry with Spain in New World, new technology in ships, looking for new markets for wool trade, trade, spreading Protestant religion.

Technology

New sea charts showing parallels of latitude and longitude, astrolabe, improvements in compasses, new ships called galleons.

Drive to expand trade

Collapse of wool trade due to Spanish control of the Netherlands

Desire for new/precious items, eg spices, silver, gold, silk, tobacco

Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe 1577-80

Took 3 years, started with 5 ships, returned with only 1

England -> Brazil -> round S America to Nova Albion -> across Pacific -> Indonesia -> round Africa -> home

Reasons for Drake’s circumnavigation

To capture Spanish gold, silver and treasure, to find new trade routes, to find new lands for England, to weaken power of Spain.

Significance of Drake’s circumnavigation

He brought back treasure worth £140,000 which helped Elizabeth to pay off the national debt.  Challenged Spain, claimed new lands (Nova Albion)

Role of Raleigh in attempts to colonise Virgina

Planned, organised and raised finances for 2 attempts to colonise Virginia, but did not sail on the voyages himself.

Attempted colonisation of Virginia... 1585 voyage: 108 male settlers under Commander Ralph Lane.  Settlers wanted to rule but not do daily work.  Ran out of food, rescued by Drake.

1587 voyage: farming families who were willing to work, Lost Colony

Reasons for the failure of the colonisation of Virginia

Lack of food – seeds were destroyed, difficult to grow food in new place, colonists arrived at the wrong time.

Native Americans – poor relations, colonists dependent on them for food

Wrong mix of people – too many gentlemen, not enough labourers. Failure of supplies to arrive