Domestic policy under Henry VII

Context
1. Henry wanted to stabilise the country
2. If people weren't happy they would rebel and Henry was vulnerable because he was a usurper
3. Social and economic changes occurred under Henry VII which was partially due to agriculture
Agriculture
1. It was the main source on income and 90% of the population lived in villages and lived off the land
2. If there was a bad harvest it was disastrous and there was much death and poverty
3. The open field system was the old method of farming and it was inefficient, slow and made the soil imfertile
4. Enclosures increased efficiency and production due to the decrease in population due to the black death.
5. People started enclosing land and keeping animals which led to unemployment and it was disastrous to be unemployed as you'd bee seen as a 'vagabond'.
6. This unemployment led to people moving to the towns and citied and the industry booms meaning that agriculture pushes change
7. However only 3% enclosed under Henry VII
8. Due to the fact that enclosing led to the breakdown of many communities Henry was caught between tackling the social unrest and offending the landowners, whose support he needed
The black death
1. 70% died within 2 years and people could therefore ask for higher wages and cheaper rent to replace the people lost. Wages increased up to 4 times
2. Some villages were completely wiped out and commonality could move in and inherit the land
3. People learned to live with the disease and it reminded them that 'death was a constant companion'.
4. As a result the nobles needed the commonality more than the commonality needed the nobles and so the landowners were the ones that lost out
5. It got rid of the idea that you were forever fixed in the same role.
Industry
1. It was mainly wool and cloth and everything was hand made which was ineffective
2. 90-95% was internal and the profits made from trade were not a major source of income
3. England was 'backwards' compared to the rest of europe as England depended upon wool and cloth whereas Europe concentrated on glass, linen and silk.
4. Cloth merchants collected wool, thread and cloth for export
Shipping under Henry VII
1. Henry inherited 7 ships and Britain was an island nation so needed to defend its waters
2. The navigation acts said that no foreign ships could be used if there was an English ship available
3. The Navigation acts meant that there was a way of controlling shipping and ensured that there was english crew on english ships

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Domestic policy under Henry VII

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