Question

Hows the life of poor peasants were affected by the Enclosure Movement?

• A. The land of the cultivator was taken over by the landlord
• B. The poor peasants were deprived of the common land where they could graze their cattle and collect firewood.
• C. Fences around lands prohibited easy movement between lands.
• D. The landlords did not hire the peasants any more.

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

The poor peasants were deprived of the common land where they could graze their cattle and collect firewood.

• When enclosures came up, the enclosed land became the exclusive property of one landowner.
• The poor could no longer collect their firewood from the forests, or graze their cattle on the commons.
• They could no longer collect apples and berries, or hunt small animals for meat.
• Everything had a price which the poor could not afford to pay. The poor were displaced from the land leading to migration in search of work.