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Questions and Answers
The population of Britain increased from five million in 1700 to approximately ten million in 1800.
False
The upper classes in the 18th century included only landowners and aristocrats.
False
Social mobility increased during the Augustan age due to the expansion of the middle classes.
True
The lower middle class included professionals and wealthy merchants.
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The enclosure system had a positive effect on rural laborers by providing them with new job opportunities.
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Diseases like smallpox and typhus significantly impacted the urban poor in the 18th century.
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More than 50% of children in London were estimated to survive past the age of five.
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William Hogarth's Gin Lane depicted the reality of gin consumption among the unemployed in London.
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Study Notes
18th Century Britain: Population Growth and Social Change
- Rapid population growth: Britain's population increased from 5 million in 1700 to 9 million in 1800.
- Social mobility and expansion of middle class: Continued from the previous century, influencing Augustan Age social life.
- Upper class expansion: Included wealthy merchants, traders, and manufacturers alongside landowners and aristocracy.
- Upper class influence: Controlled major industries, owned mines and factories, and supported Whig politicians like Robert Walpole.
- Middle class growth: Consisted of about 15% of the population, divided into upper middle class (professionals, merchants) and lower middle class (artisans, shopkeepers).
- Working class struggles: Faced long hours, low wages, and often worked as apprentices.
- Rural poverty and urban migration: Enclosure system displaced rural laborers, contributing to urban poverty.
- Urban poverty and disease: Urban poor faced terrible conditions and high rates of disease (smallpox, scurvy, typhus).
- Child labor: Children as young as seven were often hired as apprentices by parishes.
- Workhouses for adults: Provided public assistance and employment by factory owners.
- Social problems: Gin consumption and organized crime were widespread among unemployed populations.
- Gin Lane: William Hogarth's depiction of gin-related social issues in St. Giles, London, reflected reality. Over one-quarter of all houses were unlicensed gin shops in 1750.
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Description
Explore the dramatic population growth and social transformations in Britain during the 18th century. This quiz covers the rise of the middle class, the struggles of the working class, and the influence of the upper class on society and politics. Test your knowledge of this pivotal era in British history.
