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Year 8

Growing population in Elizabethan England

I can describe the growth of the English population in the later 16th century and explain the impact of the growth.

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Year 8

Growing population in Elizabethan England

I can describe the growth of the English population in the later 16th century and explain the impact of the growth.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The population of England was growing in the 16th century.
  2. Urban areas grew more rapidly than rural areas.
  3. Changes to land use in rural areas meant less food was being grown.
  4. There was a relationship between population growth and poverty.

Keywords

  • Rural - rural refers to the countryside

  • Urban - urban refers to towns and cities

  • Subsistence - subsistence is the act of maintaining oneself at a most basic level

Common misconception

Farmers will not starve because they grow their own food.

Poor harvests can put a great deal of strain on the amount of food a farmer can grow, even food for subsistence.


To help you plan your year 8 history lesson on: Growing population in Elizabethan England, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Find out the population of your own town in order to give students some context regarding the rate of population growth in England at this time.
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Adult supervision required

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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the words with their definitions.
Correct Answer:poverty,is the state of being extremely poor.
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is the state of being extremely poor.

Correct Answer:monasteries,buildings occupied by a community of monks living under religious vows
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buildings occupied by a community of monks living under religious vows

Correct Answer:rebellion,an act of armed resistance against a government or leader.
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an act of armed resistance against a government or leader.

Q2.
Why do people at the time and today regard Elizabeth’s reign as a ‘Golden Age’? Select all of the correct answers.
Correct answer: England set up colonies in America.
Correct answer: There was an increase in literacy rates.
Correct answer: There were new inventions.
The monasteries were dissolved.
Q3.
What does referring to the Elizabethan period as a ‘Golden Age’ fail to take into account?
Correct answer: the high levels of poverty
negative interpretations of Elizabeth I
Henry VIII’s Break with Rome in 1534
Q4.
Why did unemployment increased dramatically as the 16th century progressed? Select all of the statements that are correct.
Correct answer: The population increased from 2.3 million in 1524 to 4 million in 1599.
Correct answer: Many soldiers were unemployed.
Correct answer: Sheep farming and enclosures became more popular.
Many people didn't want to work.
Q5.
What happened to London's population over the Tudor period (1485-1603)?
It shrank from 200 000 in 1485 to just 50 000 people in 1603.
Correct answer: It increased from 50 000 people in 1500 to 200 000 people by 1603.
Lack of food meant London's population could not grow above 50 000 people.
Q6.
Which two countries experienced large-scale rebellions linked to poverty in the 1590s?
Correct answer: Austria
Correct answer: Finland
England
The Netherlands

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
means the act of maintaining oneself at a most basic level.
Correct Answer: Subsistance, subsistance
Q2.
refers to towns and cities.
Correct Answer: Urban, urban
Q3.
Which two reasons explain the population growth England experienced during the 16th century?
Correct answer: increased birth rate
no major wars
no outbreaks of plague
Correct answer: decreased death rate
Q4.
The name of the fastest-growing city in England between 1500 and 1600 was .
Correct Answer: London, london
Q5.
Which of the following two statements accurately describes how the Elizabethan ruling elite viewed vagabonds?
Correct answer: nothing more than travelling criminals
Correct answer: spreaders of disease
people who moved in order to find work, food and shelter
Q6.
Which of the following statements describes the impact of population increase in urban areas?
Correct answer: There was significant overcrowding.
Correct answer: Work and housing were hard to come by.
Correct answer: Food was increasingly expensive in the markets.
Conditions were better than in the rural areas.

Additional material

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