Part 5/11:
With practices like enclosure leading to the loss of common land, many of the rural working class found their means of survival stripped away. At the same time, the population began migrating to urban areas, creating demand for labor that outstripped supply. By the 18th century, displaced individuals found themselves navigating a complex web of poverty in busy cities, leading to a visible increase in begging and informal work.
The Rise of the Workhouse System
In response to these challenges, the New Poor Laws of 1834 systematized the structure of aid in England. The workhouse was introduced as a primary means of providing assistance, designed to ensure that conditions would be deliberately uncomfortable, discouraging the poor from seeking aid unless absolutely necessary.