CCEA A-Level History 4010
England 1509–58AS Unit 1
England 1603–49AS Unit 1
Britain in the Age of Reform 1830–80AS Unit 1
Italy and Germany 1815–71AS Unit 1
Germany 1919–45AS Unit 1
Spain and Europe 1556–98AS Unit 2
The Ascendancy of France in Europe 1660–1714AS Unit 2
Ireland 1823–67AS Unit 2
France 1815–70AS Unit 2
Russia 1914–41AS Unit 2
Italy's Quest for Great Power Status 1871–1943AS Unit 2
Crown and Parliament in England 1625–1714A2 Unit 1
Ireland Under the Union 1800–1900A2 Unit 1
The Causes and Consequences of Great Power Conflict 1848–1945A2 Unit 1
The American Presidency 1901–2000A2 Unit 1
Clash of Ideologies in Europe 1900–2000A2 Unit 1
England 1558–1603A2 Unit 2
Ireland 1685–1714A2 Unit 2
Ireland 1778–1803A2 Unit 2
Partition of Ireland 1900–25A2 Unit 2
England 1558–1603
Population, prices and the Elizabethan economy
- 3 things to know
- A2 Unit 2
Overview
Three causes of the Tudor price rise, new draperies and three industries that expanded in Elizabethan England.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
What did the recoinage of 1560–61 do?
Name three industries that expanded in Elizabethan England.
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
How did England's population change during the sixteenth century?
Model answer
England's population rose from roughly three million in the 1550s to over four million by 1600, recovering ground lost since the Black Death.
- 2
What happened to prices and real wages under Elizabeth I?
Model answer
Food prices rose far faster than money wages, so the real earnings of a labourer fell sharply and the poorest households spent almost everything they had on bread.
- 3
Name three causes of the Tudor price rise.
Model answer
The price rise was driven by population growth outrunning food supply, by the legacy of the debasement of the coinage, and by harvest failure, with an inflow of American silver adding to the pressure.
- 4
What did the recoinage of 1560–61 do?
Model answer
The Crown called in the debased coin and reissued money of proper fineness under the direction of Sir Thomas Gresham, which restored confidence in English currency and helped foreign trade, though it did not stop prices rising.
- 5
What was enclosure, and why was it resented?
Model answer
Enclosure was the hedging of open fields or common land into separate holdings, often to convert arable land to sheep pasture, and it was resented because it took away common rights and needed fewer workers.
- 6
What happened to the harvests in the mid-1590s?
Model answer
Four successive harvests failed between 1594 and 1597, grain prices reached the highest levels of the century, and there was real famine in parts of the north as well as widespread disorder.
Other ways to work this
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What is inside Levo
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Every question in England 1558–1603, on a schedule.
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