Increase in poverty - reasons why
Factors contributing to the increase in poverty
| Reason | Explanation |
| Rising population | The population rose by a million during the Elizabethan period. More people meant there was more demand for goods, and so prices rose. |
| Inflation | Prices for goods rose, but wages fell as there were more people around to do the work. |
| Cloth trade collapse | Woollen cloth was England’s main export. There was a decline in demand and this led to unemployment. |
| Wars | Taxes increased to compensate for the price of waging war. |
| Bad harvests | Harvests were particularly bad in the 1590s leading to even higher demand and more rising prices. |
| Changes in farming | Many landlords decided to enclose their fields and keep sheep instead of crops which led to unemployment. |
| Reason | Rising population |
|---|---|
| Explanation | The population rose by a million during the Elizabethan period. More people meant there was more demand for goods, and so prices rose. |
| Reason | Inflation |
|---|---|
| Explanation | Prices for goods rose, but wages fell as there were more people around to do the work. |
| Reason | Cloth trade collapse |
|---|---|
| Explanation | Woollen cloth was England’s main export. There was a decline in demand and this led to unemployment. |
| Reason | Wars |
|---|---|
| Explanation | Taxes increased to compensate for the price of waging war. |
| Reason | Bad harvests |
|---|---|
| Explanation | Harvests were particularly bad in the 1590s leading to even higher demand and more rising prices. |
| Reason | Changes in farming |
|---|---|
| Explanation | Many landlords decided to enclose their fields and keep sheep instead of crops which led to unemployment. |