Emma | Historical Background

In 1801, the first official census was taken in Great Britain. By 1851, the population had doubled due to the decline in infectious diseases, an improved diet made possible by new techniques in farming—especially in cultivating the potato, earlier marriages and larger families.

Though inventions such as James Watts’s steam engine in 1780 fueled the Industrial Revolution and made Britain “the workshop of the world,” the English countryside remained rustic, its inhabitants close-knit and suspicious of anyone outside their village. Cityfolk were watched with a wary eye for...

[The entire page is 437 words long]

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass

Summary and Analysis – Themes – Characters – And much more...