Abstract
This article shows that three elements conflated in England from 1650 to 1750: a significant growth of real wages, an increased productivity in agriculture and a check of population increase. No other country before had managed to combine these three elements which played a key role in the take off of English economy before 1750-1800 and the Industrial Revolution. The demographic evolution resulted from marriages at an older age and moreover from a higher celibacy rate than in other countries. These two factors were related with the progress of literacy, including among female population. Also, an increased supply of female labour in cities met an increased demand for such labour. These interactions between education and demography on the one hand, the increase in global agricultural output and the faster increase in agricultural output per worker due to technical progress, on the other hand, explain the important rise in the standard of living between 1650 and 1750 which is documented by many concurring indicators.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
