HIS109Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Conspicuous Consumption, Military Dictatorship, Long Parliament
Document Summary
He was dependent on her power and patronage, no power of his own: a conscious policy. Role of house of commons became more important. Gave parliament an authority under henry 8th. Established a tradition of inability to be challenged. Queen could not tax her own people. Ascent of parl. was seen as necessary. Nobility engaged in consumption and need to maintain rank by acting noble aka spending money. English didn"t have intimate connection to the crown such as french; elizabeth kept her distance. 1603: 60 titles in entire kingdom; she didn"t create nobles. Had two components: urban professional class, and the country gentry. Owners of small estates to lots of land. Increase in price of food bc of rising population benefitted the gentry. Lesser nobility were doing extremely well: the future belonged to them. English gentry meant they could put younger sons to trade. Noblemen had to act noble: if he engaged in trade, he lost nobility.
