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Elizabethan Rich vs Poor
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Elizabethan Rich vs Poor
🏰 Part 1: Rich vs Poor Lifestyles
1. Which materials were used to build rich people's homes in Elizabethan England?
Mud and straw
Stone and timber
Clay and reeds
Wattle and daub only
2. What were the main differences between rich and poor clothing? (Tick all that apply)
Rich wore silk and velvet, poor wore rough wool
Rich had multiple outfits, poor had one or two sets
Rich wore bright colours, poor wore dull browns and greys
Both groups wore exactly the same styles
3. Complete the sentence: Poor people's homes typically had _______ rooms, whilst rich people's homes had _______.
Poor: _____________ Rich: _____________
4. What was the main source of heat and light for poor families?
Candles and fireplaces in every room
A central fire and rushlight candles
Oil lamps and coal fires
No heating or lighting
💰 Part 2: Causes of Poverty and Government Response
5. What were the main causes of poverty in Elizabethan England? (Tick all that apply)
Bad harvests and food shortages
Enclosure of common land
Rising prices (inflation)
Too many job opportunities
6. What was a 'vagrant' in Elizabethan times?
7. The Poor Laws were introduced to deal with poverty. Match each type of poor person with the correct treatment:
Deserving poor (unable to work)
Undeserving poor (able-bodied but unemployed)
Vagrants and beggars
Given help and support
Put to work or sent to workhouse
Punished, whipped, or branded
8. Why did the government think it was important to control vagrancy?
🎭 Part 3: Historical Thinking
9. Imagine you are a wealthy Elizabethan landowner. Explain why you might support the Poor Laws.
10. Now imagine you are a poor person in Elizabethan England. How might you feel about the Poor Laws? Explain your answer.
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