impact of Economic, social & Religious Change

Socioeconomic changes had been accelerating throughout the 1500s. The impact of these changes was considerable for ordinary people under Elizabeth I.

• Elizabeth I inherited the problem of inflation from her predecessors.
• Elizabeth I tried to tackle this. She did this by seizing revenue from the Church to Rome, which Mary I had reintroduced

• Attempts had been made to reduce poverty by Edward VI in 1552. For example, beggars had to register to be allowed to beg.
• In 1563, Elizabeth I's government tried to reduce the number of roaming paupers. It passed the Statute of Artificers which intended to make apprentices stay for seven years.
• The Poor Law was rudimentary and many people did not believe there was much of a difference between the impotent poor (those unable to work) and idle poor (those able to work).

• Most commoners were subsistence farmers. This meant that they produced enough food to look after their own family, but little more.
• Small-scale farmers were still being threatened by enclosure. The government was trying to limit enclosure.

• Taxation had been a major grievance which triggered rebellion during the reigns of Elizabeth I's predecessors.
• To avoid such conflict, Elizabeth I avoided reforming the taxation system.

Elizabeth I tried to find a middle ground between Catholicism and radical Protestantism. Inevitably, not everyone would be happy with her settlement

• Many hardline Protestants were dissatisfied with the Elizabethan settlement and wanted her to pursue further reform.
• Protestant reformers tried to pressure Elizabeth I.
  • Margaret Aston has analysed a painting called 'Edward VI and the Pope' which used Edward VI's reputation as a strong Protestant to pressure Elizabeth I to further her own reforms.

• But the opposition to Elizabeth's settlement was relatively minimal and non-violent.
• Elizabeth's settlement was also accepted internationally. Arguably, this is because figures such as the Pope and King Philip II believed Elizabeth I could be eventually persuaded back to Catholicism.

• Elizabeth was trying to find a compromise between Catholicism and radical Protestantism.
• Through the Act of Supremacy, Elizabeth was the head of the Church.
• But many aspects of religious worship contained the traditional rituals of the Catholic Church

• Almost all the Catholic bishops that were installed by Mary refused to accept Elizabeth's settlement and were dismissed from their positions.
• Some ministers refused to use the new Prayer Book and continued to use the Catholic Prayer Book