New
New
Year 7

Treatment of the poor in medieval Norwich

I can explain reasons why the poor revolted against the social order in medieval Norwich.

New
New
Year 7

Treatment of the poor in medieval Norwich

I can explain reasons why the poor revolted against the social order in medieval Norwich.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The living conditions of Norwich's poor were far below those of the rich.
  2. Some poor residents of Norwich were involved in the Peasants' Revolt in 1381.
  3. The lives of the poor are less well preserved in the historical record.
  4. The elites in Norwich were concerned to preserve the social order.

Keywords

  • Artefact - an artefact is a historical object

  • Revolt - a revolt is a situation where people fight against those who are in charge

  • Rebel - a rebel is someone who challenges those who are in power; to rebel means to challenge those who are in power

  • Social order - the way a community is run and organised can be called the social order

Common misconception

The poor always accepted their position in medieval society.

The poor challenged the social order in Norwich violently in 1381 and had to be actively managed by the elites.

At the beginning of learning cycle 1, ask students what historians use to learn about groups from the past (should be specific than just saying sources). Ask why this might lead to differences in how much historians know about different groups.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of serious crime
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), 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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6 Questions

Q1.
Match up the key words to the correct defintions.
Correct Answer:elite,the richest or most powerful group in a society

the richest or most powerful group in a society

Correct Answer:freemen,people with special rights in a city

people with special rights in a city

Correct Answer:mayor,person elected to lead a city

person elected to lead a city

Q2.
Who provided 10 000 loaves of bread each year to charity in medieval Norwich?
king
mayor
freemen
Correct answer: churchmen
Q3.
Which group was the poorest in feudal England?
barons
king
knights
Correct answer: peasants
Q4.
Which group was the largest in feudal England?
barons
king
knights
Correct answer: peasants
Q5.
Who wrote the book 'Revelations of Divine Love' in medieval Norwich?
Jack of Norwich
Jim of Norwich
Correct answer: Julian of Norwich
Q6.
Which statement is true?
women could not become freemen in medieval Norwich
Correct answer: women could become freemen in medieval Norwich
women could become freemen and mayor in medieval Norwich
women could work in all jobs which men could in medieval Norwich

6 Questions

Q1.
What is an artefact?
Correct answer: a historical object
a historical text
a historical image
a historical person
Q2.
Who were the two main providers of charity to the poor in medieval Norwich?
Correct answer: churchmen
Correct answer: elites
king
peasants
Q3.
Why were few poor people able to become freemen in Norwich?
they lacked the education needed
Correct answer: they lacked the money needed
they lacked the skills needed
Q4.
Who did rebels in Norwich attack during the 1381 Peasants' Revolt?
the poor
churchmen
Correct answer: the elite
women
Q5.
Write the missing word. used harsh punishments to scare the poor from threatening the social order.
Correct Answer: elites, Elites
Q6.
Why do historians know less about the medieval poor than elites?
Correct answer: the poor were less literate so left less writing to be studied
historians are not interested in the lives of the poor
the poor produced nothing which can be used as sources
Correct answer: the poor owned less so historians have less artefacts to study

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