Early Modern Challenges: 1500–1700 · 1500 – 1700
The Rise of the Bloody Code
The expansion of the death penalty to over 200 offences.
Key Questions
- 1Why did the number of capital crimes increase as the 18th century approached?
- 2Was the Bloody Code an effective deterrent?
- 3How did the "Pardon" system mitigate the severity of the law?
National Curriculum Attainment Targets
GCSE: History - Crime and Punishment Through TimeGCSE: History - Early Modern England
Year: Year 10
Subject: History
Unit: Early Modern Challenges: 1500–1700
Period: 1500 – 1700
Suggested Methodologies
Ready to teach this topic?
Generate a complete, classroom-ready active learning mission in seconds.
More in Early Modern Challenges: 1500–1700
Heresy and Treason
How religious changes under the Tudors made belief a criminal offence.
3 methodologies
The Vagrancy Crisis
The criminalisation of the "unworthy poor" and the 1547 Vagrancy Act.
3 methodologies
Smuggling and Social Crime
Why crimes like smuggling were supported by local communities despite being illegal.
3 methodologies
The Witchcraft Craze
Investigating the peak of witch trials and the role of Matthew Hopkins.
3 methodologies
Gunpowder Plot and Political Crime
A case study of the 1605 plot and the harsh response to Catholic dissent.
3 methodologies