causes poverty

what were the main characteristics of the poor?

illiterate, didn’t own land, 80% of income spent on food/drink

what were the causes of poverty?

• population increase

• bad harvests

• enclosure

• flu epidemic

• war

• dissolution of monasteries

how did population increase lead to more poverty in england?

unemployment due to less available jobs for the population

how much did the population increase by?

43% between 1550-1600

how did bad harvests lead to more poverty in england?

4 consecutive bad harvests drove up the price of food, and poor couldn’t afford this. there were food shortages.

when were the 4 consecutive bad harvests?

1594-1597

how did enclosure lead to more poverty in england?

new farming system - less land needed to grow crops, and so less workers - more unemployment

how did the flu epidemic lead to more poverty in england?

number of people growing good decreased, exacerbating food shortages

how many died from the flu epidemic?

200,000

how did war lead to more poverty in england?

some people were injured and oculdn’t work. conflict with spain affected the cloth trade, which collapsed and people lost their jobs

also increased tax that people couldn’t afford

when was trade with the spanish netherlands banned?

1560s-1580s

how did dissolution of monasteries lead to more poverty in england?

• many people relied on monasteries to give out money and food