Two Different Worlds:
England & America
Early American Social History
Term 1, Week 1
Native America
Variety of Tribal Groups
Native American Tribes
England
Government
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Henry VII 1485-1509
William Cecil,
Lord Burleigh
1520-98
Secretary of State,
1558-1598
Class Structure 1
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Importance of Land
Class Structures
Urban vs Rural
Poverty & the Poor Law
Rural Communities
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1.
2.
3.
4.
4 types of rural community - not homogeneous
unenclosed farming community
enclosed arable;
enclosed pastureland;
Unenclosed, non-farming land
Social Structure among Native Americans
• Lack of heirarchy
• Status Criteria different
English Social Problems
• Overpopulation
• Inflation & Unemployment
Social Problems in America?
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Lack of money means inflation unknown
population levels not a problem
unemployment unknown.
Fewer pressures on land
no cities to cultivate diseases
food plentiful.
Endemic warfare main threat to survival
Religious Problems
• 1519 Martin Luther
starts Reformation
• By 1560 about 70% of
the German states and
most of Scandinavia
was protestant, with
control over their own
churches, denying the
authority of the pope.
Martin Luther
1483-1546
English Reformation
• Henry VIII - Fidei Defensor
(1521)
• 1534 Act of Supremacy
Henry VIII
1509-1547
Painted by Holbein
Mary Tudor, 1553-8
by Mor
Accession of Elizabeth
1558
New Acts of Supremacy
and Uniformity (1558)
Book of Common Prayer
(1559)
Elizabeth I
1558-1603
Conclusions
• 16thC English society overpopulated,
under resourced
• Restrictive social structure
• Religious uncertainty
• 16thc North America v. different