Sumptuary law

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/sumptuary-law

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the legal classification?Legislation regulating consumption, particularly luxury goods, to control social and economic behavior
2. What is the historical peak usage?Prominent in medieval and Renaissance Europe, with roots in ancient civilizations
3. Why did kings and queens make sumptuary laws?Kings and queens made them to keep the social classes separate, to protect the power of the nobles, and to keep money in the country.
4. How did sumptuary laws try to stop people from wearing fancy clothes?They said only certain classes could wear special fabrics like silk or velvet, or colors like purple, and they could only eat certain foods.

Conspicuous Consumption: The act of purchasing and displaying goods and services to demonstrate wealth and social status.
Aristocracy: A class of people holding hereditary titles and positions of honor, typically in a monarchy.
Bourgeoisie: The social class that is typically characterized by its wealth, business ownership, and professional occupations.
Trade Balance: The difference between a country's imports and exports; a surplus means exports exceed imports, a deficit means imports exceed exports.