Even in 1485 much of the countryside was still untouched. There were
still great forests of oak trees, and unused land in between. There were still wild
animals, wild pigs, wild cattle, and even a few wolves. Scattered across this
countryside were "islands" of human settlement, villages and towns.
Few towns had more than 3,000 people, the size of a large village today. Most
towns, anyway, were no more than large villages, with their own fields and
farms. Even London, a large city of over 60,000 by 1500, had fields farmed by
its citizens.
In the sixteenth century, however, this picture began to change rapidly.
The population increased, the unused land was cleared for sheep, and large
areas of forest were cut down to provide wood for the growing shipbuilding
industry. England was beginning to experience greater social and economic
problems than ever before.
The price of food and other goods rose steeply during the sixteenth and
early seventeenth centuries. This inflation was without equal until the
twentieth century. The price of wheat and barley, necessary for bread and beer,
increased over five times between 1510 and 1650. While most other prices
increased by five times between 1500 and 1600, real wages fell by half. The
government tried to deal with the problem of rising costs by making coins which
contained up to 50 per cent less precious metal. This only reduced the value of
money, helping to push prices up. Читать весь материал
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