Poverty in Elizabethan Society - Research Paper Example

From the beginning of time, poverty has been a big problem that brought depression to the history. Century’s pasts, the poor laws were promulgated in England to resolve issues of poverty and hunger within the Elizabethan society. These laws were established after the reformations of the church. The latter part of the poor laws amendments signifies the importance and responsibility of the families within their members. Elizabethan families believed to the importance of families as the smallest institution of the society and to the supports it could give as a responsibility among its members. My research will point out the importance of certain functions in the Elizabethan history of poverty and its relevance to present world. Introduction This paper presents back ground, history and analysis of poverty from the Elizabethan experience. Presence of poor people is evidently manifested around the globe. Changes in political and economic organizations result to re-distribution of wealth and in effect, the number of poor people increases, rate of poverty heightens, and in domino effect, crimes are manifested. Way back in the middle Ages in England, society has been defined into three categories, monarchy, nobility, and peasantry. These three elements of the society are considered to be interdependent between each other and in spite of the existing differences between the three when it comes to status and wealth, buffer have to be put on the side of the peasantry. Continuous trends of the monarchical policies led to the rise of unemployed people and subsequently heighten poverty and crime. With regard to resolving this issue, during the Elizabethan times, acts and laws were struggled and serve as the buffer between the monarchical and the peasant (Talbot, R. 2002). The population grows and as it grows, the pressure of sustenance to peoples needs is evidently manifested not only on the part of the government but as well as on the part of the general public. Acts have been promulgated and stretched that the poor people was belong to the community’s responsibility and every individual has a role to play in the society. What is Poverty? Poverty is a state of material and social deprivation. People who experience poverty feel the deprivation of well-being, having not enough income to support the needs of the family when it comes to basic necessities such as food, shelter, and clothing. Child malnutrition is considered the closest manifestation of poverty among the poor families in a certain society. In Elizabethan society, the definition of poverty is also the same with regard to the universal definition, however, Elizabethan treatment to poor people different compared to some other countries. Way back before the existence of the poor law, beggars are treated as criminals and beaten, punished, and even hanged to death. Poverty in Elizabethan Society Poverty has long been a part of the eventful history of humankind. For centuries before the modern technology came onward, moral expectations shifted to the understanding of poverty as a terrible conditions that the society have been trying to resolve. In the twenty-first centuries, with all the existing welfare programs, poverty has been a debate about its meaning and true sense, nevertheless, poor laws and social administration are given considerations (Encyclopedia.com). One of the biggest issues with regard to poverty is the capability of individuals to function in a certain society. Being poor means the lack of capabilities that would eventually resulted to less income, poor education, poor health, and lack of political freedom. Measuring poverty is very important on the side of the poor people to keep them and their issues on the government’s agenda, identifying poor people would lead to reducing and alleviate poverty, and evaluations by institutions would initiate help to poor people. In England, Elizabethan society evolves and as it is changing, manifestations of increasing poor people living in poverty is evidently increasing. Several reasons for poverty were presented in England. The breakdown of the feudal system is said to be one of the reasons of poverty. The feudal system is a hierarchal pyramid system and the lords of the manor are the one responsible on the peasant sector existing on his constituency. Way back 1536 and 1540, closure or termination of monasteries instigated by King Henry VIII put huge amount of money to royal coffers and leave all the religious people empty handed as well as the people and leave them without a place of refuge. All the people and religious groups that have been affected by the dissolution of the monasteries led to changing of religions due to decline of their moral and values. In effect of the decline of the moral values by the Christians, the Elizabethan government sees the possibility that these starving people might be driven to do desperate acts that would endanger the society in general. In agriculture, most of the agricultural lands that used to be farm by the people were farmed by only a few using modern farming units. A big number of unemployed people are manifested and in search for a job, the people leave their houses and the countryside and go to the town. In 1590’s, poor harvest occurred in the agricultural sector, the price of the food increases and many people suffered from starvation. Issues of poverty during Queen Elizabeth’s reign became serious. To be able to resolve the growing issues of starving homeless people, the government promulgated a law, Poor Law. . Three centuries of poverty were experienced by the Elizabethan society. Ancestors lived in chaos and hunger. Their faith was affected by the situations and survival of the fittest reigns in spite of the fact that there are only a few who owns huge property and lived wealthy (Briscoe, A. 2011). The Poor Laws Economic situations of the people in England sink them into more serious problems of hunger and a growing number of poor people living below poverty line. As the population grows, the rate of people suffering from hunger also grows and to ease the problems, the English parliament introduces series of laws before1601 Poor law. The poor law signifies that the caring for the poor must be shouldered by the church, and the poor must be those who are incapable of living out of themselves like children and the sick people (Hammack, D. 2008. p 9). Point of view towards poor people changes, from the bad treatment and harsh attitudes to more compassionate and sympathizing approach (Slack, P. 1984). The Poor Law – 1552 Act This Act focuses in identifying poor people. The identification was held at the parish register, being the smallest unit within the church organization. The official records of the poor people include births, deaths and marriages. Each parish was run by a clergy man and there were 15000 parishes in England and Wales who facilitates the Act. Collectors have been assigned to take charged of the collection on the church weekly and also in the distribution to the identified poor people located in that parish. The Poor Law – 1563 Act In spite of the promulgation of the 1552 Act, the threat of civil disorder still remains and getting stronger. The English Parliament saw the need for the harnessing of the 1552 Act by creating the 1563 Act. According to this Act, the beneficiaries of the law shall be the following: Young and the old, they are entitled to receive clothes, food, and money. Those people who has the capacity and capability to work but has no job will be assisted in the workhouses and apprenticeship The sick people will be given free hospitalizations The Poor Law – 1572 Act Poor law tax was imposed to the owners of the lands to pay taxes which will be distributed to the poor and the needy at the local level. Each parish were given the duty to assist poor people at their level and be responsible to the aged, sick and the poor. The Poor Law - 1576 Act This law required each town to provide employment among the unemployed. The Poor Law – 1579 Act The overseer of the poor was created and given the task to detail the amount of the poor rate on each parish. They were also given the responsibility about the collection of the taxes from the property owners, distribution of the help to the poor people, and the supervision of the poor house or the workhouses. The Poor Law – 1601 Act This act made the provision to: Levy a compulsory poor rate in each parish Providing the working materials Apprenticeship for orphaned children Offering of relief to poor people Parents and children should be responsible for one another and poor elderly parents should live and be taken cared of by their children. The Acts of 1552, 1563, 1572, and 1579 are related to the provisions for the poor though the responsibility of the parishes whiles the 1601 is a national system in providing the poor (Elizabethan.era). The 1834 Poor Law amendment Act was one of the most remarkable pieces of legislation in the nineteenth Century. This law abolishes the old system existed since the passing of the Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601 in England. The establishment of workhouses throughout England and Wales were manifested until it was extended to Ireland in 1838. Before the promulgation of the 1834 Poor Law, relief was the form or the way in the implementation of the Poor Law and outdoor relief was one of the types of the relief. Poor people were given clothes and money, unemployed were brought to workhouses, hospitalizations were provided on the sick people. The implementation of the earlier Acts stop somewhere in the 1830’s the sick were not nursed, children were not educated and paupers starve to death. It was around these years where poverty was accepted and considered as a fact of life and an increasing number of people experiencing poverty were evidently seen everywhere. The outbreak of the French war added to the burden of the increasing number of people suffering from poverty (Poors in Tudor England). A commission was set to find out the operation and implementation of the Poor Law in 1832. A report was presented by the commission on 1834. Through the establishment of the National Health Service in 1948, the Last remnants of the Poor law were removed in the Statute Books (Bloy, M. 2002). Conclusion For many centuries, the responsibility of the church was extended caring for the poor. The history of poverty in Elizabethan society originated when King Henry VIII put all the wealth of the land to few hands and leave the church and the people empty handed and refuge. The church who is supposed to take care of the people left in vain was dissolute. It would just be relevant enough to conclude that the poor laws promulgated in the middle of chaos and hunger is just one way of giving back to people what the King has got from them. Food, shelter and clothing are basic commodities that the government must give to his people. Education for the youth and hospitalization for the sick are rights that people must enjoy. When the poor laws were stop somewhere in the eighteenth centuries, this means stopping of the governments obligation to his people to live with moral and dignity. It is true that poverty is a problem that must be shouldered by the community and that every individual has the task contributing to resolve the problem but the government has a big part to play in order for the every individual to contribute resolve the issue. Recommendations with regard to the issue is to giveback to the people of Elizabethan society what the king has got from their ancestors so that they could live according to the will of the creator, to live with moral and dignity. References Briscoe, A. (2011). Poverty in Elizabethan England. Retrieved on May 23, 2011 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/tudors/poverty_01.shtml Slack, P. (1984). Poverty in Elizabethan England. Retrieved on May 22, 2011 from http://www.historytoday.com/paul-slack/poverty-elizabethan-england Poors in Tudor England. Retrieved on May, 22, 2011 from http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/Documents/poors.htm Bloy, M. (2002). The Poor Law: Introduction. Retrieved on May 22, 2011 from http://www.victorianweb.org/history/poorlaw/plintro.html Elizabethan.era. The Poor Law. Retrieved on May 22, 2011 from http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/the-poor-law.htm Encyclopedia.com. Poverty. Retrieved on May 22, 2011 from http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Poverty.aspx Talbot, R. (2002). A Background to the Management of the Poor in England. Retrived on May 22, 2011 from http://www.stokecoll.ac.uk/penkhull/poverty_background.asp Zastrow, C. (2010). Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare: Empowering people. The Elizabethan Poor Law. Pre Press, Belmont: USA. Hammack, D. (1998). Making the Nonprofit Sector in the United States: A reader. The Elizabethan Poor Law 1601. Indiana University. Indiana: USA Read More