Question

Before the late eighteenth-century English countryside was……..
A. partitioned
B. open fields
C. enclosed
D. common land

Answer 1

Hint: Before the late eighteenth and initial nineteenth century the English countryside changed dramatically, and after the middle of the eighteenth century the Enclosure movement swept through the countryside, and according to the then need the system was effectively adopted.

Complete answer:
Before this time the large parts of England were open. It was not partitioned into enclosed lands privately owned by landlords. It was all over the open fields and common lands. Farmers in the early eighteenth century started the enclosure movement to improve agriculture on a regular basis in the English countryside, also Enclosures were seen as necessary to make long-term investments on land and plan crop rotations to improve the conditions of the soil. It also allowed the richer landlords to expand the land under their control and produce more for the market for earning profits.
Why was the open field system adopted in the late eighteenth century?
In the late eighteenth century new agricultural techniques such as fertilization, crop rotation and new ploughs required larger more open fields rather than small strips to be effective also enclosures were extremely profitable for the landlords.

Hence, the correct answer is option (B).

Note:Common land: Common land is a land that is owned collectively by a number of persons, but over which other people have certain traditional rights.
Enclosed: Enclosed land is such land that is surrounded on all sides by a boundary fence or wall to provide an enclosed area of land.
Partitioned: Partitioned land is such land that is divided among different people.