Starter quiz
- Priests oversaw the most important moments in people’s lives, such as ______.
- 'baptisms' ✓
- The Church had power and influence over the law courts, land ownership and ______.
- 'taxation' ✓
- Which statement best describes the power dynamic between men and women in medieval England?
- Men had more power, control and opportunities than women. ✓
- Women had more power, control and opportunities than men.
- Men and women had equal power, control and opportunities.
-
- Medieval women's lives were centred on the {{ }.
- 'home' ✓
- In medieval towns, the guild system was often used to exclude women from ______.
- inheritance
- crafts ✓
- land ownership
- trades ✓
- marriage
-
- Becoming a ______ was one of the few ways in which women could receive an education in medieval England.
- 'nun' ✓
Exit quiz
- Which statement best describes Catholic and Protestant views on women?
- Both believed women were weaker than men and needed to be controlled by them. ✓
- Catholics believed women were weaker than men but Protestants didn't.
- Protestants believed women were weaker than men but Catholics didn't.
- Both believed that men and women were equal.
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- Which position of responsibility could a woman hold in early modern England?
- churchwarden ✓
- mayor
- Member of Parliament
- priest
-
- The only professional role a woman could act in officially was that of a licensed ______.
- 'surgeon' ✓
- Which statement best describes changes to education in the early modern period?
- Educational opportunities improved for both boys and girls.
- Educational opportunities improved much more for boys than for girls. ✓
- Educational opportunities improved much more for girls than for boys.
- Educational opportunities improved for both neither boys or girls.
-
- Aristocratic girls did not attend school, but they did receive an education from a private...
- 'tutor' ✓
- Which of these were early modern women not allowed to do without their husband's permission?
- divorce ✓
- sign a contract ✓
- buy goods
- own property ✓
- make a will ✓
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Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The Reformation did not have a significant impact on attitudes towards women.
- Early modern Britain remained a patriarchal society.
- Work for the majority of women centred on the home and was combined with childcare.
- Opportunities for women to receive an education were limited and linked to social class.
- Husbands in the early modern period had a huge amount of power over their wives.
Common misconception
The existence of female rulers like Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots, meant that women in early modern Britain had significantly more power than in the medieval period.
It was extremely rare for women to wield power during this period. Early modern Britain was a patriarchal society in which society was controlled by men and the vast majority of women were excluded from all positions of power and influence.
Keywords
Patriarchal - patriarchal relates to a society that is controlled by men
Aristocratic - aristocratic refers to a powerful and wealthy group in society who own land and have titles
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