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Social/Political Hierarchy of the Elizabethan Era
83
Javaria, Hasan, and Ahmed
Social/Political Hierarchy of the Elizabethan Era
Gentry
The Monarch
Yeomanry
Basic Information
- Queen Elizabeth I
- Ruled from 1558-1603 (45 years)
- Sixth and last ruler of Tudor
- Considered to be the best monarch and her time of rule was called “The Golden Age”
- Government operated on three levels (National (Privy Council), Regional, and Local Levels)
- Government was run by ‘advisors’ of the Queen Elizabeth I
- Disobeying the queen resulted in a death penalty
- Knights, squires, gentlemen
- Gentlewomen who didn't use their hands for a living
- Wealth was key to become gentry
- Gentry was not granted by birth, but wealth and owning land
- Were solid citizens and considered the backbone of the Elizabethan Era
- The ‘middle’ class
- Saved enough to live comfortable but could be forced into poverty by illness or bad luck
- Farmers, tradesmen, and craft workers
- Very religious and could read and write (were literate)
- Preferred to live simple lives instead of wasting money
Laborers
Nobility
Merchants
- Their wealth came from selling cloth and weaving
- Also from the wool trade
- Shipping goods from England to Europe was profitable for them
- Wealth came from selling/trading goods and wool and businesses
- Lowest class
- Day laborers, farmers and retailers
- Didn't own land or property
- Artisans, shoemakers, carpenters, brick masons
- People who made a living working with their hands and laboring
- Beggars and the poor on the streets
- They were very rich and powerful
- Second in the hierarchy after the monarch
- Owned lots of property and large households
- Became noble by birth or were granted nobility by the monarch for fighting in war, contribution to the arts or their economic power
- Only serious crimes such as treason resulted in loss of the nobility title
- Had lavish lives
- Queen’s council, chief officers, members of the court and parliament were all usually nobles
Parliament
Star Chamber
Privy Council
- Was a court which held trials of royalty and nobility, and hear cases concerning political libel, treason, and heresy
- Court sessions happened secretly
- Made of Privy Council members, and attempted to sustain law
- Ordinary people feared the Chamber
- Was chosen by the queen
- Composed of the queen and about 20 other members
- Council was responsible for Religion, Economy, Security/Military, Home and Foreign Policies
- Some members ran the court: Star Chamber
- Composed of representatives and was split into House of Lords and House of Commons
- House of Lords composed of higher people such as bishops and archbishops
- House of Commons composed of average people
- Had little power, and there was no Prime Minister, political parties, or cabinet
NOW... IT IS TIME FOR JEOPARDY!