Concise summary notes of GCSE edexcel crime and punishment covering Crime, Punishment and Law enforcement between the years (Early Modern Period) based on the Pearson textbook.
2.1 Changing definitions of crime, c1500-c1700
-Attitudes towards many crimes were still similar but the changing religious situation in England led to many religious beliefs
and activities being newly classed as crimes
Religious change and changing definitions of crime Heresy and treason
-In the 16th century, there
Monarch was religious
Religious changes instability. -WereCrimes & religion
the two most serious crimes connected with the
Protestantism
Henry VIII grew as-(1534)
more people came to believe
after arguments with thetheCatholic
Catholic religious
-Bothchanges
Protestant and Catholics were punished as criminals
Church needed reform-
Catholic this movement
Church is known as the Henry -Heresy
about his marriage/divorce, wasHenry’s
during seen asreign.
a crime against the Church and an
Reformation.
1509-47 declared himself head of the Church offence to God. Heretics
-Protestants were seen
were executed for as a danger to others as
heresy
-Some people e.g Edward VI and Elizabeth I followed
-He remained a Catholic to the end of his lifethey-Catholics
could persuade others tofor
were executed follow themasinthey
treason falsewould
beliefs
not
Protestantism but other butcommitted
closed down to Catholic
the Catholic Church. Itand -Treason
monasteries wasOath
take the a challenge to the authority
of Supremacy, of the ruler.
acknowledging HenryItas
was important to leaders that
seized people
their followed
wealth and landtheir religion. became
headconnected withof
of the Church heresy because all monarchs from
England
-The changes
Edward VI to the law show how much power the
-Edward was brought up a Protestant monarch Henry VIII were
-Some head
Catholic of the were
bishops Church of England.
imprisoned in Anyone who
the Tower of
had in deciding what counted
Protestant -When he asbecame
criminalking
activity, and how the
he introduced a challenged
London.the ruler’s were
2 people authority as head
executed forof the Church
crimes of
of heresy
definition
1547-53 of a crime could
prayerchange depending
book written on the allowed
in English, views of England would be guilty of treason.
the person on the throne at the time.
priests to marry and made church interiors
plainer
Mary I -Like her husband (Spanish king Philip II) -283 people were executed as heretics for refusing to
Catholic Mary was a strict Catholic. She tried to follow the Catholic faith during Mary’s reign
1553-58 restore the Catholic church in England and
made the Pope head of the English Church
Elizabeth I -She tried to find a ‘middle way’ in religion. In 1559, Elizabeth passed several new laws about religion:
Protestant -She wanted to create a Protestant Church -The Act of Uniformity= everyone had to go to church on
1558-1603 that wasn’t too challenging to Catholic Sundays/holy days or pay a fine.
traditions, so Catholics would feel -The Act of Supremacy= reintroduced the Oath of
comfortable as part of the Church of Supremacy and Catholics who refused to swear it were
England, with her as its head committing a crime
-Harsh heresy laws introduced by Mary I were repealed
and in 1570 the Pope excommunicated Elizabeth. After
this, many more Catholics were prosecuted/executed.
James I -James was Protestant but was tolerant -James introduced strict anti-Catholic laws.
Protestant towards Catholics at first. -The 1605 Popish Recusants Act forced Catholics to swear
1603-25 -But, the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 changed loyalty to the King and pay heavy fines for not attending
his attitude church
, Changes in society and changing definitions of crime
Vagabondage
-After 1500, the growing population, falling wages, and rising food prices meant that greater
numbers of people left their villages in search of jobs
-These unemployed, homeless people were known as vagabonds or vagrants
-It was difficult for vagabonds to find work when they came to a new town, so some would
turn to crime. A common view was that vagabonds were lazy or had brought their troubles
upon themselves
-There were different types of beggars and the public assumed none were in genuine need:
Drummerers- those pretending to be deaf and mute
Drunken tinkers- thieves using trade as a cover story
Priggers of prancers- horse thieves
Kinchin morts- girl beggars
-Laws that were passed to deal with this perceived threat:
The Vagrancy Act of 1547. An able-bodied vagabond, who was without work for
over 3 days, was to be branded with the letter V and sold as a slave for two years.
This law was so severe that the punishments weren’t always carried out
The 1597 Act for the Relief of the Poor. Harsh punishments were included to act as a
deterrent to vagrants- including whipping and burning the ear
The 1601 Poor Laws aimed to make the system for dealing with vagrants more
consistent. Local parishes were supposed to provide poor relief to anybody who Poor relief- Financial
wasn’t physically fit. This group was the ‘deserving poor’ (e.g elderly and disabled). assistance for the poorest
The ‘undeserving poor’ who were fit to work were punished severely members of society
The Poor Law Act of 1601 created a long-lasting distinction between those who Enclosed-
chose poverty over work
Rural crimes Witchcraft
-New farming and land management methods introduced had serious -Most people in England believed that witchcraft
consequence for the rural poor. existed, and that witches could do harm to other
-The poor were restricted from access to large areas of land (to gather and so should be stopped and punished.
food and firewood). They were enclosed by powerful landlords. -Punishments became harsher during this period,
-The newly enclosed land was used to graze sheep and some landlords as new laws were passed that meant those
fenced off large parklands to create more secluded setting for their homes accused would be tried in ordinary courts,
-This made it harder for village people to survive and added to people instead of the more lenient Church courts
moving away from villages in search of paid work.
-The 1671 Game Act made it illegal to hunt animals e.g rabbits or fish in Rise of smuggling
rivers and streams on enclosed land. -in 1600s, the government introduced import duties
-Upper classes: saw poaches as trespassers and thieves on a range of goods e.g alcohol & tea.
-Poorer people: felt sympathy for those found poaching -This meant there was a profit available to those
-Poaching is a ‘social crime’ because although it was illegal, many didn’t who wanted to smuggle goods into the country and
think the law was fair and so didn’t care if it was broken. This made it avoid the import duties.
difficult to arrest poachers as nobody would report it -There were also plenty of people willing to buy
-Criminal activity could have got worse as men got together to poach in these goods at a lower price from sellers
gangs, making it even harder for authorities to capture them. -Smuggling is law that was difficult to enforce, as
many people benefitted from the crime and didn’t
Puritan rule – new ‘moral’ laws in 1650s view it as serious
-After parliament’s victory in the English Civil War and Charles I’s
execution, Oliver Cromwell (leader of the parliamentary forces), took
the title Lord Protector from 1653-1658
-During this period, some activities and entertainments were made
illegal. The bans were lifted when monarchy was restored. This
demonstrated how governments can have a central role in deciding
what is classed as a crime.
-Cromwell was a Puritan, or radical Protestant. This gave him a very
strict outlook as he though people should focus on religion.
-This affected the laws passed by parliament during the Protectorate
and many activities were banned and became criminal acts.
-The decriminalisation of recusancy was also a change. The laws that
said everyone must go to church or pay a fine were repealed in 1650
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