Name one way in which the authorities in medieval Britain (1250–1500) tried to prevent the
spread of disease in towns.
[1]
Give one example of a problem with living conditions caused by the rapid growth of towns in
the period 1750–1900.
[1]
Give one example of a government action since 1900 that was introduced to improve air
quality.
[1]
Write a clear and organised summary that analyses public health in medieval monasteries.
Support your summary with examples.
[9]
Why did national and local governments find it difficult to deal with public health issues in the early modern period (1500–1750)?
Explain your answer.
[10]
4* How far were improvements in public health in the 1800s brought about by improved scientific understanding about disease?
Give reasons for your answer.
[18]
5* ‘Responses to epidemics between 1900 and 2000 were not effective.’
How far do you agree?
Give reasons for your answer.
[18]
In Interpretation A, the author A N Wilson depicts the Elizabethan period as an important age of exploration.
Identify and explain one way in which he does this.
Interpretation A
An extract from the introduction to a 2011 book called ‘The Elizabethans’ by the author A N Wilson.
The Elizabethan Age was a time of exceptional wealth creation and expansion which make this period of English history more colourful and remarkable than any other. This was the age when modern Britain was born, and established independence from mainland Europe. British explorers went out to every corner of the known world. This was the age which saw the origins of English sea power. After Sir Walter Raleigh established the colony of Virginia, English was destined to become the language of the great globe itself, and the foundations were laid not only of later British imperial power but also of American domination of the world.
Imperial power means the power that comes from controlling an empire.
[3]
If you were asked to do further research on one aspect of Interpretation A, what would you choose to investigate?
Explain how this would help us to analyse and understand England’s connections with the
wider world between 1580 and 1603.
[5]
Interpretations B and C both focus on the power of Elizabeth.
How far do they differ and what might explain any differences?
Interpretation B
An extract from an article entitled ‘The Indomitable Female Fortress: Queen Elizabeth I’, published in 2013 on the Women’s Media Centre website. The Women’s Media Centre is an American organisation which aims to promote women’s stories and roles.
Elizabeth I has always inspired me and reinforced the idea that women can do anything despite opposition. She was a successful monarch who, against all odds, led her country to a golden age while battling against the acute disadvantage of being a woman. In a time when gender inequality was widely accepted, Elizabeth I was a strong monarch who was able to control her subjects. She was determined to remain free from any man who would inevitably seize hold of her power over England. While other European female monarchs often had little political power, Elizabeth took centre stage by carrying out all the duties of a ruler, while neglecting the feminine duties of marrying and producing heirs. She did this to protect her power.
Indomitable means someone who is difficult to defeat or conquer.
Interpretation C
An extract from an interview with historian Anna Whitelock about the Tudor monarchs, broadcast on a 2021 podcast called ‘History Hit’. Anna Whitelock is a historian who specialises in researching the British Monarchy, especially the Tudors.
Elizabeth I does not deserve her reputation. Her role and significance in things like the defeat of the Spanish Armada have been entirely overstated. There was instability across her reign as she dithered about marriage candidates and about the execution of Mary Queen of Scots.
By 1580, she was an old, childless, unmarried Queen, which was not a position of strength. It was at this time that the people around her tried to put a positive spin on her position, calling her the ‘Virgin Queen’, making a virtue out of what was essentially a weakness. The main task of any monarch was to provide an heir and Elizabeth didn’t even try. Elizabeth is seen as the poster girl of Tudor monarchy but she ultimately failed; she allowed the throne to pass to the King of Scotland and the Tudor monarchy died out with her.
[12]
8* According to the website ‘elizabethi.org’, Elizabeth I was ‘remarkably tolerant’.
How far do you agree with this view of Elizabeth I’s treatment of Catholics between 1580
and 1603?
[20]
9* In his 2016 article ‘The dark side of Elizabethan England’, historian James Sharpe argues that life for the poor was dominated by ‘violence, vagrancy and crushing hunger’.
How far do you agree with this view of daily life for the poor in Elizabethan society?
(Vagrancy is the condition of being homeless without regular employment.)
[20]
The paper as printed
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