Which statement best describes the Enclosure Movement?

Which statement best describes the Enclosure Movement?

• A. Increased communal rights
• B. Promoted feudalism
• C. Consolidated fields and displaced peasants into cities
• D. Preserved open fields for common use

Answer: (C)

The Enclosure Movement involved turning scattered, communal farmland into larger, privately owned and fenced fields. This consolidation allowed landowners to run more efficient, market-oriented farms, but it also stripped peasants of traditional rights to use common lands. As a result, many rural workers were pushed toward cities in search of work, fueling urban growth and the expanding labor force for the Industrial Revolution. That combination—private, consolidated fields and displacement of rural labor into urban areas—best describes the movement. It did not increase communal rights, promote feudalism, or preserve open fields for common use.

The Enclosure Movement involved turning scattered, communal farmland into larger, privately owned and fenced fields. This consolidation allowed landowners to run more efficient, market-oriented farms, but it also stripped peasants of traditional rights to use common lands. As a result, many rural workers were pushed toward cities in search of work, fueling urban growth and the expanding labor force for the Industrial Revolution. That combination—private, consolidated fields and displacement of rural labor into urban areas—best describes the movement. It did not increase communal rights, promote feudalism, or preserve open fields for common use.