Study Guides

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils assess the extent to which Elizabethan England represented a 'Golden Age' for the poor. They examine the causes of poverty in this period and learn about contemporary responses to this growing problem before evaluating whether things improved for this group.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain why poverty became a 'problem' in Elizabethan England.

Key Notes

• The Tudor period saw great advances which were not equally enjoyed by the rich and poor.
• Poverty became a greater political issue in the late 16th century.
• The 1590s saw a series of bad harvests which accelerated levels of poverty.
• The Elizabethan elite were worried that rebellions fuelled by poverty might spring up.

Vocabulary To Learn

• poverty: poverty is the state of being extremely poor
• monasteries: monasteries are buildings occupied by a community of monks living under religious vows
• rebellion: a rebellion is an act of armed resistance against a government or leader

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• The government is there to help people when they are in need.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Growing population in Elizabethan England Study Guide
• Social life for the poor in Tudor England Study Guide
• The impact of the Elizabethan Poor Law Study Guide
• Tudor attitudes to poverty and the Elizabethan Poor Law (1601) Study Guide
• Was there a 'Golden Age' for the poor in Elizabethan England? Study Guide