Explain one way in which attitudes towards the crime of poaching during the medieval period were similar to attitudes towards the crime of poaching in the years c1700–c1900. - Edexcel - GCSE History - Question 3 - 2022 - Paper 1

One similarity in attitudes towards poaching in the medieval period and in the years c1700–c1900 was the legal response to the crime, emphasizing property rights and the protection of landowners.

During the medieval period, poaching was viewed severely, as it directly threatened the rights of landowners over their hunting grounds, exemplified by harsh penalties under the Forest Laws that prohibited common people from hunting in royal forests.

Similarly, from c1700 to c1900, poaching continued to be met with strict legal consequences, including the introduction of the Black Acts, which escalated penalties significantly for those caught poaching. This reflected a consistent prioritization of property rights over the needs of the poor, showing a similar societal attitude towards poaching as a crime against land ownership, regardless of the period.