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Year 10
Edexcel

England in the early modern period

I can explain how changes in the early modern world led to increased migration to England.

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New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

England in the early modern period

I can explain how changes in the early modern world led to increased migration to England.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Link copied to clipboard

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The Reformation led to huge changes in Europe.
  2. As England became a stable Protestant nation, migration of Protestant refugees increased.
  3. The Renaissance increased migration to England as migrants settled there to spread new ideas and technology.
  4. The emergence of the British Empire led to small numbers of Asian and African migrants settling in Britain.

Keywords

  • Denomination - a branch of the Christian Church (e.g. Catholicism, Protestantism)

  • Puritan - someone who believes in a form of Protestantism that argued that the Reformation needed to go further and that Protestants needed to strictly adhere to all core beliefs and practices

  • Humanism - a movement in the early modern period that sought to use ancient Roman and Greek texts to reconsider key beliefs about society

  • Lascar - a sailor who travelled between Britain and its colonies, working in the engine room of ships - quite often in dangerous and inhumane conditions

Common misconception

The Reformation only led to an increase in the number of Protestant refugees in England.

The Reformation eventually led to Puritan rule, under which Jewish migrants were reinvited to England.


To help you plan your year 10 history lesson on: England in the early modern period, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

The main reasons for migration in this period are largely interlinked. The inventions that came which the Renaissance allowed for the rapid spread of Protestantism. As religious tensions increased in Europe, the expansion of empire was carried out in the name of spreading Christianity.
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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

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.
Which of these periods is the early modern period?
c. 800 to c. 1500
Correct answer: c. 1500 to c. 1700
c. 1700 to c. 1900
c. 1900 to present
Q2.
The Normans invaded England in 1066. Which of thesse changes to English life resulted from the Norman Congest?
Jewish people were no longer allowed to lend money for a living.
Correct answer: French became the language used by people in powerful positions.
Correct answer: A new system of land tenure was introduced, often called the fuedal system.
Correct answer: The Christian Church in England was reformed.
Q3.
Match the keywords with the correct definitions.
Correct Answer:migrants,people who move from one place to another to live there

people who move from one place to another to live there

Correct Answer:Vikings,invaders from Scandinavia

invaders from Scandinavia

Correct Answer:Danelaw,the part of England settled by Vikings

the part of England settled by Vikings

Correct Answer:Black Death,a pandemic that killed around 25 million people in Europe

a pandemic that killed around 25 million people in Europe

Correct Answer:moneyer,someone who mints (makes) coins

someone who mints (makes) coins

Q4.
Put these Medieval period events into chronological order.
1 - Viking invaders captured York.
2 - Henry III passed the Statute of Jewry.
3 - Henry III granted the Hansa a charter to operate in England.
4 - The Black Death arrived in England.
5 - Henry VI passed the 'hosting law'.
Q5.
Match the factors of change with the correct impacts of migration in the medieval period.
Correct Answer:Institutions (government),changes in the legal status of migrants

changes in the legal status of migrants

Correct Answer:Religion,building of cathedrals and monasteries by the Normans

building of cathedrals and monasteries by the Normans

Correct Answer:Economic influence,banking practices introduced by bankers from Lombardy

banking practices introduced by bankers from Lombardy

Correct Answer:Attitudes in society,gradual integration of Viking invaders into England

gradual integration of Viking invaders into England

Q6.
Which of these statements explains why religion was a reason for migration in the medieval period?
Some migrant rulers believed the English Church needed to be restored.
Correct answer: Some migrant rulers invited other migrants to help restore the English Church.
Some migrant groups sought greater wealth and land.
Some migrant groups sought greater political control.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Identify what pushed Huguenots to migrate from France in the late 16th century, and what pulled them to England.
The decline of the feudal system in England
Correct answer: The conversion of England to Protestantism
The St Bartholomew's Day Massacre, 1572
Correct answer: Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes which had provided protection.
Q2.
Match the keywords with the correct definitions.
Correct Answer:Reformation,a permanent split in the Western Christian Church

a permanent split in the Western Christian Church

Correct Answer:humanism,a Renaissance movement valuing classical learning

a Renaissance movement valuing classical learning

Correct Answer:Catholic Church,the powerful institution challenged by the Reformation

the powerful institution challenged by the Reformation

Correct Answer:Protestant Church,Christian movement that aimed to reform the Church

Christian movement that aimed to reform the Church

Correct Answer:refugee,someone seeking safety from persecution in another country

someone seeking safety from persecution in another country

Correct Answer:Huguenots,French Protestants persecuted during the Reformation

French Protestants persecuted during the Reformation

Q3.
Name this individual: he wrote 95 objections to one of the Church's teachings, and sparked the Reformation - Martin .
Correct Answer: Luther
Q4.
Put these events from early modern history into chronological order.
1 - Henry VIII created the Church of England, with himself as its head.
2 - Elizabeth I restored England to Protestantism.
3 - Charles I's Royalists fought a civil war against Parliamentarians.
4 - William III and Mary II became king and queen, after signing the Bill of Rights.
Q5.
Which of these are examples of changes between the medieval period and the early modern period?
Correct answer: The English Church
Correct answer: The power of the monarch
The importance of the wool trade
Rulers inviting migrants they considered economically valuable
Q6.
Which of these best explains the influence of the Reformation on migration?
The Reformation increased economic opportunities for migrants in England.
The Reformation brought in governments who were more trusting of foreigners.
Correct answer: England was a safe haven for Protestants fleeing persecution by Catholics.
England's landowners wanted to share power with ordinary people.

Additional material

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