Occupations During The Elizabethan Era

Western Europe Occupations The era of Queen Elizabeth is also known as the Elizabethan era. During her time of ruling there were many changes in the economy. There was a major growth of agronomy. The jobs and ways of life of the people in Western Europe are very unique. A look at jobs in the Elizabethan era reveals that jobs were based on social rank or gender. The majority of people in the era of Queen Elizabeth were landowners and farmers. Agriculture was the main focus of Western Europe (Cosman). There were many new innovations such as the elimination of fallowing and the introduction of cross plowing(“Commerce”). The farmers of this time realized that it was easier to plant a big portion of one species of crop than little portions of

“Many middle-class people earned as much in a day as a working-class family earned in a year”(Price-Goff 58). This is an example of the kind of things poor workers went through on an everyday basis. The middle-class people who worked on land that their family has owned for a long time have way easier lives than people who slave over a factory machine for 14 hours a day. The highest class in this era were the nobles. Nobles were the wealthiest people of their time(Lace). Nobles were very well educated(Stephenson). They dressed in fancy clothing and looked all around, very neat and clean. “They were expected to serve in an office, such as being an ambassador to a foreign country… Most of Elizabeth’s council came from the nobility, and chief officers in the countries- such as the Lord Lieutenants and sheriffs- usually came from noble families”(Lace 43) These people did the jobs that everyone wanted to do. They mainly worked for the government and made plenty of money even though the money was not an issue. Secondly, the class of highest importance during this era were the gentry. These were wealthy people who acquired land and became rich landowners. Justice of the Peace and spots in the Parliament where two occupations a person of the gentry could have had(Lace). Poor children had very hard lives, “Children… were sent out as apprentices to craftsman.