The Elizabethan Poor Law - 1592 Words

The Elizabethan Poor Law was passed in 1601 as a state response to the dire need of the poor in British North America and acted as â€Å"measures for the relief of destitution† (Fowle, 1881, p.55). Previously, the Catholic Church was Britain’s state church, but on the decision of Henry VIII, the state would become the source of aid for the poor (Finkel, 2006). Simultaneously, the feudal system was winding down in England along with the societal norm that serfs were the responsibility of landlords so as the textile industry grew, tenants were evicted to create space for sheep due to the demand for their wool (Finkel, 2006). As the changes in structures and industry took place, Finkel (2006) notes that there was an increasing number of homeless†¦show more content†¦(p. 57) A formal eligibility system would be enacted to establish who were the â€Å"poor in very deed† and the Elizabethan Poor Law would be born. Poor Laws, Politics, and Ideologies Fowle (1881) notes that â€Å"at no time were the vagrancy laws more severe or more severely administered than in the reign of Henry VIII† and this was also a time of great social and religious hardship (p. 56). The change in the role of the Church in terms of aiding the poor as well as the decline of the English feudal system, and the growing textile industry, created an increasing number of poor and the need for inexpensive labour. With the varying societal changes as well as the shifting relationship between Church and state, inevitably this caused a strain between labour and profit. The ideas which influenced the Poor Law were that of a laissez-faire style government, the idea of â€Å"less eligibility†, and the principle of the â€Å"perception of needs†. It was deemed that â€Å"state-aided workers should earn less than privately employed workers†¦so as to avoid any upward pressures on wages in the private sector† (Finkel, 2006, p. 50). The disc repancy between the wages of state labourers and privately employed workers was supported by the laissez-faire government as well as neoliberalist ideals. There was also theShow MoreRelatedElizabethan Poor Laws and the Unworthy Poor Essay1399 Words   |  6 PagesElizabethan Poor Laws and the Unworthy Poor Tara McFadden Indiana University School of Social Work Abstract Beginning in the Elizabethan Era, unworthy poor was a label placed on able bodied people that appeared to choose to not work. They were often treated harshly and in extreme cases, put to death (Shelly, 2011). In today’s society such treatment would be unheard of. The act of even labeling this group of people or other groups is discouraged and even against the NASW’s The Code of EthicsRead MoreSocial Work Profession : The Elizabethan Poor Law And The Industrial Revolution943 Words   |  4 Pageswork profession is the Elizabethan Poor Law and the Industrial revolution . 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