What happened to the urban population of Britain between 1800 and 1900?
In the nineteenth century, industrialization drew millions of people from the countryside to cities in search of work in factories. In Britain, the urban population rose from about a fifth of the total in 1800 to more than half by 1900. Cities grew faster than their governments could manage, and many workers lived in crowded housing with poor sanitation. Diseases such as cholera spread rapidly, and life expectancy in industrial towns was often lower than in rural areas. Reformers, doctors and engineers eventually pressed for change. The construction of sewers and the supply of clean water, together with public health laws, gradually reduced the death rate. Historians therefore view the period as one in which cities caused serious problems but also stimulated the creation of the modern public health system.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. It grew from about a fifth to more than half of the total
- Step 1: The passage gives the figures. Step 2. The urban share rose from a fifth to over half. Answer: it grew from a fifth to more than half. Why not the others: these contradict the passage.
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