Question

base your answer to questions 19 - 21 on the sources below and on your knowledge of social studies.
what exactly was enclosure? what did it involve? most simply, it meant the extinction of
common rights which people held over farm lands and commons of the parish, the abolition of
the scattered holdings in the open fields and a re - allocation of holdings in compact blocks,
accompanied usually by the physical separation of the newly created fields and closes by the
erection of fences, hedges or stone walls. thereafter, the lands so enclosed were held in
severalty, that is, they were reserved for the sole use of individual owners or their tenants.
source: g.e. mingay, parliamentary enclosure in england: an introduction to its causes,
incidence, and impact, 1750 - 1850, 1997

1. the enclosure movements in england were opposed

by

1. landlords
2. factory owners
3. merchants
4. tenant farmers
5. the enclosure acts are considered a turning point in

that

1. people left rural areas to find work in cities
2. factories were forced to limit pollution
3. child labor was strictly regulated
4. colonies were established overseas
5. an argument in favor of the enclosure acts would

be that

1. enclosure caused greater inequality between

rich and poor

1. the commons system was wasteful and

inefficient

1. traditional ways of life were brought to an

end

1. it prompted many children to work in coal

mines and factories

Explanation:

19.

The enclosure movement took away common rights. Tenant farmers relied on common lands. Landlords would support enclosure as they could have sole use. Factory owners and merchants were more urban - related. Tenant farmers lost access to common lands for grazing etc., so they opposed.

Enclosure made rural areas less viable for tenant farmers (due to loss of common rights). So, people left rural areas (where they could no longer access common lands easily for subsistence) to find work in cities. Factory pollution limits, child - labor regulation and overseas colonies are not directly related to the core impact of Enclosure Acts.

An argument in favor would focus on efficiency. The source mentions re - allocation of holdings. If the commons system was wasteful (scattered holdings etc.), enclosure (compact blocks) could be seen as more efficient. Inequality (1) is a negative. Ending traditional life (3) is a social cost (not a pro - argument). Child labor (4) is a negative.

Answer:

1. tenant farmers

20.