Emilie Gibbs
How far do you agree that Kett’s rebellion was driven by the rebels’ desire for better
local government?
It can be suggested that Kett’s rebellion was a result of the rebels’ desire for a better
local government however this is not the sole reason. This is shown as it is also a
result of the practices, such as engrossing and rack-renting used by the landlords
who caused many problems within society. Another reason for Kett’s rebellion was
the population growth which was a great factor towards poverty within Tudor
England.
It is clear that Kett’s rebellion was significantly driven by the rebels’ desire for better
local government. This is because the rebels believed that the people with positions
within the local government were abusing their power and social status for their own
gain. An example of this is Sir John Flowerdew, a local landowner with a position in
power who had illegal enclosures. As a result, the rebels developed a widespread
campaign, led by Robert Kett – another landowner with illegal enclosures who
decided against them – to ensure that people within the local government would
stop abusing their power by developing enclosure to make more money through
rearing sheep. This shows that Kett’s rebellion was a result of the desire for a better
local government as they wanted to stop the landlords from taking advantage of
their position in order to benefit themselves.
It can be suggested that the ‘commonwealth men’ had similar beliefs to those who
were part of Kett’s rebellion as they similarly disliked the concept of enclosure. The
group was made up well-educated individuals, such as politicians, clergymen and
intellectuals with a strong reformer faith who believed that enclosure was a source
of poverty, unemployment and vagrancy that plagued society. As a result, the
‘commonwealth men’ tried to create a ‘Godly commonwealth’ which meant that the
wealthier people had a Christian duty to take care of the poorer within society. They
therefore believed that the practice of enclosure caused problems for them to care
for the poor as it led directly to poverty and disease. This shows that the
‘commonwealth men’ had a significant role in Kett’s rebellion as they presented
similar views about enclosure and may have influenced some of the same ideas,
although their dislike for the practice was from different reasons.
Engrossing and Rack-Renting were also both factors towards Kett’s rebellion as it was
believed that the landlords were taking advantage of their position by using these
practices as it meant the occupants were left without money or a place to live. The
practice of engrossing meant that two or more farm were joined together and left to
decay until the occupants were eventually forced to move out. In addition, the
How far do you agree that Kett’s rebellion was driven by the rebels’ desire for better
local government?
It can be suggested that Kett’s rebellion was a result of the rebels’ desire for a better
local government however this is not the sole reason. This is shown as it is also a
result of the practices, such as engrossing and rack-renting used by the landlords
who caused many problems within society. Another reason for Kett’s rebellion was
the population growth which was a great factor towards poverty within Tudor
England.
It is clear that Kett’s rebellion was significantly driven by the rebels’ desire for better
local government. This is because the rebels believed that the people with positions
within the local government were abusing their power and social status for their own
gain. An example of this is Sir John Flowerdew, a local landowner with a position in
power who had illegal enclosures. As a result, the rebels developed a widespread
campaign, led by Robert Kett – another landowner with illegal enclosures who
decided against them – to ensure that people within the local government would
stop abusing their power by developing enclosure to make more money through
rearing sheep. This shows that Kett’s rebellion was a result of the desire for a better
local government as they wanted to stop the landlords from taking advantage of
their position in order to benefit themselves.
It can be suggested that the ‘commonwealth men’ had similar beliefs to those who
were part of Kett’s rebellion as they similarly disliked the concept of enclosure. The
group was made up well-educated individuals, such as politicians, clergymen and
intellectuals with a strong reformer faith who believed that enclosure was a source
of poverty, unemployment and vagrancy that plagued society. As a result, the
‘commonwealth men’ tried to create a ‘Godly commonwealth’ which meant that the
wealthier people had a Christian duty to take care of the poorer within society. They
therefore believed that the practice of enclosure caused problems for them to care
for the poor as it led directly to poverty and disease. This shows that the
‘commonwealth men’ had a significant role in Kett’s rebellion as they presented
similar views about enclosure and may have influenced some of the same ideas,
although their dislike for the practice was from different reasons.
Engrossing and Rack-Renting were also both factors towards Kett’s rebellion as it was
believed that the landlords were taking advantage of their position by using these
practices as it meant the occupants were left without money or a place to live. The
practice of engrossing meant that two or more farm were joined together and left to
decay until the occupants were eventually forced to move out. In addition, the
