Early Modern Society

This period witnessed many changes in society which as a result had a huge impact on the way that the country was ruled, peoples’ religion and attitudes towards crime.

Church and religion

Henry VIII became King of Catholic England in 1509.
By the 1530s, Henry had put plans in place to change religion in England, making it a Protestant nation.
Henry wanted to divorce his first wife Catherine of Aragon but the Pope refused to allow this to happen.
In response, Henry created the Church of England.
- This meant that England converted to Protestantism and he was allowed to marry Anne Boleyn.

The Reformation

The period that followed saw England sway between being Catholic and Protestant resulting in chaos and confusion.
The religious rollercoaster saw many being accused of being ‘in league’ with the Devil and belief in the supernatural become more popular.

The media

The printing press was an important invention which became a powerful tool during this period.
Pamphlets were created and circulated amongst the population, containing pictures and information.
The favourite topic was crime, especially witchcraft and vagabondage.
The media fuelled fear of crime by spreading ideas about the severity of crime.

Travel and technology

The rising population meant that there were fewer jobs available so people ended up travelling to find work.
This led to increasing concerns about tramps, beggars and those travelling to look for work.
- As a result the new crime of vagabondage became something that people in this period feared.
Attitudes towards this crime depended upon the situation in society at the time.
- During times of poor harvests punishments often became more serious.

Early Modern Society continued...

This period witnessed many changes in society which as a result had a huge impact on the way that the country was ruled, peoples’ religion and attitudes towards crime.

Wealth and poverty

The rising population saw a few become very wealthy.
On the other hand, the majority of the population grew less wealthy and often lived in poverty.
The large numbers of poor people sometimes resulted in an increase in crime.
- Often, in reality, it was the fear of wealthy landowners which made crime seem more severe than it was.
The majority of people being so poor meant that they were vulnerable to any changes.
During times of poor harvest rising prices meant that people were unable to afford food and could lead to them turning to crime.

Key individuals

During the period there were some key individuals that had an impact on crimes.
The most notable being Robert Catesby and the Gunpowder Plotters.
- Catesby, along with Guy Fawkes and others planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament to kill King James I and restore England to Catholicism.
Matthew Hopkins the self-declared Witchfinder General proceeded to hunt witches during the period 1645-1647, persecuting people and punishing those he accused, ultimately spreading fear of the crime of witchcraft.

Government and law-makers

During this period the English Civil War (1642-49) was taking place.
This lead to many feeling that world had been ‘turned upside down’ as the monarchy was being challenged and Charles I was beheaded in 1649.
This period of friction between the King and Parliament resulted in England becoming a republic until the monarchy was restored in 1660.
The Civil War meant that many areas took the law into their own hands which lead to an increase in the numbers of people being accused of witchcraft and other crimes.

1Medieval England, 1000-1500

1.1Changing Definition of Crime in Medieval England

1.1.1Early Medieval Society

1.2Nature of Law Enforcement & Punishment

1.2.1Enforcing the Law in Medieval Society

1.2.2Punishments in Medieval England

1.2.3End of Topic Test - Early Medieval Society

1.3Case Studies From 1000-1500

1.3.1The Church

1.3.2End of Topic Test - The Church

1.3.3Grade 9 - Medieval England

2Early Modern England, 1500-1700

2.1Changing Definitions of Crime

2.1.1Early Modern Society

2.1.2Crime in the Early Modern Period

2.1.3End of Topic Test - Early Modern Crime

2.2Nature of Law Enforcement & Punishment

2.2.1Punishments in Early Modern Society

2.2.2Law Enforcement in Early Modern Society

2.2.3End of Topic Test - Early Modern Law Enforcement

2.2.4Grade 9 - Early Modern England

2.3Case Studies From 1500-1700

2.3.1Key Individuals

2.3.2End of Topic Test - Case Studies 1500-1700

2.3.3Grade 9 - Case Studies From 1500-1700

318th & 19th Century Britain

3.1Changing Definition of Crime in Industrial Britain

3.1.1Society in Industrial Britain

3.1.2Crime in Industrial Britain

3.1.3End of Topic Test - Crime in Industrial Britain

3.2Nature of Law Enforcement & Punishment

3.2.1Punishment in Industrial Society

3.2.2Punishment in Industrial Society 2

3.2.3Policing in the Industrial Period

3.2.4End of Topic Test - Punishment

3.3Case Studies From 1700-1900

3.3.1Changes to the Prison System

3.3.2End of Topic Test - Case Studies From 1700-1900

3.3.3Grade 9 - 18th & 19th Century

4Modern Britain, 1900-Present

4.1Changing Definition of Crime in Modern Britain

4.1.1Society in Modern Britain

4.1.2Crime in Modern Britain

4.1.3End of Topic Test - Crime in Modern Britain

4.2Nature of Law Enforcement & Punishment

4.2.1Punishment in Modern Britain

4.2.2Attitudes Towards Punishment

4.2.3Capital Punishment

4.2.4End of Topic Test - Punishment in Modern Britain

4.2.5Grade 9 - Modern Britain

4.3Case Studies 1900-2000

4.3.1Modern Britain Case Studies

4.3.2End of Topic Test - Modern Britain Case Studies

4.3.3Grade 9 - Case Studies 1900-2000

5Whitechapel Local Study

5.1The Geographical Area & Living Conditions

5.1.1Accommodation in Whitechapel

5.1.2Living Conditions

5.1.3End of Topic Test - Whitechapel Local Study

5.2The People of Whitechapel

5.2.1Alcohol & Immigration

5.2.2Prostitution

5.2.3Racial Tensions

5.2.4End of Topic Test - The People of Whitechapel

5.2.5Grade 9 - Whitechapel

5.3Policing in Whitechapel

5.3.1The Police Force in Whitechapel

5.3.2Jack the Ripper

5.3.3Challenges Facing the Police

5.3.4End of Topic Test - Policing in Whitechapel

5.3.5Grade 9 - Policing Whitechapel

Jump to other topics