history - paper 1 key questions

THEME 3, KEY QUESTION 1: give specific evidence for the increase in population

• between 1620 and 1680, the population of England doubled from around 2.5 million to over 5 million (however this was not consistent and varied depending on time and place).

• the average rate of population growth during the Stuart period was around 0.5%/year, which was higher than it had been previously.

• it was not widespread - around ¾ of the entire population lived in the south east

• after the first civil war, population growth slowed significantly

THEME 3, KEY QUESTION 1: give specific evidence for the increase in population (MIGRATION)

• the commonwealth was established in 1649 and by 1651, this was strong and there was relative toleration, which led to large numbers of foreign migrants.

• this was most noticeable in towns and therefore not widespread.

• there was a growth in economic migrants, e.g., skilled weavers from the Low Countries.

• migration within Britain was taking place as people moved to find work.

• Kent towns such as Maidstone, Cranbrook and Tenterden were attractive to migrants because they were established centres of the cloth trade which had already seen migration from skilled Dutch weavers, so English migrants were happy to follow suit because the Dutch migrants (who were already skilled) would take on apprentices.

• this greater job security means that there will be more children being born.

• migration was not that profound: in1700, only 5% of the population outside of London lived in towns with over 5000.

THEME 3, KEY QUESTION 1: give specific evidence for the increase in population (MORTALITY AND FERTILITY)

• mortality was lower than it had been the previous three centuries because there was a decline in the plague, and when outbreaks of infectious diseases did occur, the population knew to isolate, meaning that mortality was reduced by 1625.

• the population was also able to recover faster when deaths did occur from epidemics, e.g., in Eyam, Derbyshire, after the 1665 plague, records show that the children who did die were replaced within 10 years.

THEME 3, KEY QUESTION 1: give specific evidence for the impact of population growth on the development of towns

• in around 1650, London became the largest city in Western Europe, with a population of around 400,000, 10x the size of the next largest English towns (Norwich and Bristol).

• around 7% of the English population lived in London.

• many historians believe that the success of the British empire and the growth of the British economy was to do with the growth of London.

• the growth of London also had an impact on the rural economy, e.g., 400% more grain was needed between 1600 and 1680 to power the Stuart economy.

• London was good for the economy because it was at the heart of the road and shipping network.

• in 1600, there were 8 towns with a population of over 5,00, compared with 30 in 1700.

• towns that did expand were usually industrial ports (e.g., Bristol). Bristol had 20,000 inhabitants and York and Newcastle had around 12,000 each - not widespread.

• the importance of towns such as Newcastle was seen when the Scots invaded in 1640, which caused massive shortages in London, particularly of coal.

• outside of the major population centres, there were around 600/750 small provincial towns, at least 500 of which had a population of less than 200.

• these were more common in the south east and midlands because they could be used to trade crops (link to the growth of specialised farming) whereas the north was dominated by pastoral farming and therefore had little need for large towns.

THEME 3, KEY QUESTION 1: give specific evidence for the impact of population growth on the development of towns

• the main impact was a growth in the number of people classified as vagrants as the growth in population caused a shortage of jobs in the countryside.

• 2/3 of the urban population lived near the poverty line. proportionally, this did not increase but since the population grew, so did the number of people in poverty. migration also contributed to this because it meant that many people had now served apprenticeships under the Dutch and there was not enough work for them all (e.g., in Norwich, many tailors lived below the poverty line).

• Cecelia Fiennes describes abundant wealth in Colchester during her travels of England (1685-98).

THEME 3, KEY QUESTION 1: give specific evidence for the impact of population growth on rural life

• agriculture was at the centre of Britain’s economy - e.g., a million acres of British land was dedicated to growing crops.

• when the population was growing at a normal rate, it was easy for farmers to make a profit, however, after 1650, inflation meant that small landowners were unable to invest in their farms and were forced to sell, which left the wealthy aristocracy and higher gentry as the only landowners able to continually increase their yield with the help of the new agricultural techniques.

• as the population increased, farms were amalgamated and enclosed to make one large farm, which could focus on the production of a single crop or on rearing animals, which led to the owners of smaller farms being pushed out. as a result, they often became eligible for poor relief, and some even became vagrants.

• the growth of towns meant that the countryside had to provide more supplies, making employment in agriculture more reliable than employment in the cloth industry . this led to the growth of markets and the improvement of transport infrastructure.

• large landowners and some town councils invested in improving the conditions of the rivers to make them navigable, including the first toll roads after 1662.

THEME 3, KEY QUESTION 1: give specific evidence for the impact of population growth on the growth of poverty

• greater competition for work as a result of population growth led to an increase in poverty.

• population growth meant rising prices and falling wages.

• taxation records for the 1670’s show that 1/3 of the population was living in poverty . this is similar to the number of poor people in Tudor times, however the increase in enclosure meant less space for the poor to graze animals and a shortage of food meant that their living conditions were worse.

• there were two types of poor: the settled poor and the vagrant poor. the settled poor were established in one parish and did not leave. they made up ¼ of the population. there was also the vagrant poor, who traveled to sustain themselves and were treated as criminals under the law. around 26,000 (0.5% of the population) were arrested for vagrancy in the 1630s.

• the growth of poverty was exacerbated by price inflation, which was running at around 4%/year , which outstripped wages 2 to 1.

• around 2/5 of the workforce in villages took up jobs as servants, and in towns more than half of the population did this as it gave them free housing, clothing and food.

• however, there were also risks - e.g., Samuel Pepys recorded in his diary that he beat his maid on several occasions.

• another option for the poor was migration - 1/3 of the population of each village would leave to find work each decade, to neighbouring villages where the wealthy lived or to London.

THEME 3, KEY QUESTION 1: give specific evidence for the impact of population growth on the poor laws

• the Tudor Poor Relief Act (1601) was the basis for the treatment of the poor until 1662. it said that provisions should be made for those who could not work due to disability, and punishments presented to those who could work but didn't .

• in 1631, Charles issued a Book of Orders to all Justices of the Peace, which included provisions for poor relief as well as the treatment of vagrants