Which of the following are reasons why industrialization caused people to move from rural to urban areas? Select all that apply.
(2 choices!) A. Improvements in farming methods reduced the demand for farm workers who migrated to cities for work. B. Rapidly decreasing population growth resulted in mass migrations of rural people to urban areas. C. Small towns located adjacent to coal mines or waterfalls grew as factories were built nearby. D. Home-based production in villages far from population centers increased dramatically.
A and C are the correct choices. Technological advancements in the early 19th century allowed for farming to become more productive allowing for fewer farmers being needed to create the same amount of production. Those who would have gone into farming are unable to find work or land and therefore begin migrating to cities where factory work is available. The initial factories are set up along waterways to power the mills and eventually become coal powered. These power sources are vital for the factories to run and therefore the small towns become more populated as people move to work there. Those living around the small towns will be some of the first workers finding jobs outside of farming.
The first civilizations appeared in major river valleys, where floodplains contained rich soil and the rivers provided irrigation for crops and a means of transportation.
