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The Economic Divide

The Economic Divide

The skyrocketing population of London marked an important change for the city. At the beginning of the century, London’s population was 600,000; in 1850, it had quadrupled to nearly 2.5 million. While the boundaries of the city were constantly expanding to accommodate its new inhabitants, it was not possible for all of these people to exist in the high profile world of the rich and successful. In 1841, less that 2/3 of the city’s population was native born. The influx of immigrant workers and the increase in the number of poor classes made the economic divide even more prevalent. During the 18th century, the social landscape of London was changing – but throughout the century there was an extreme and visible disparity that separated the classes.

This image shows typical housing for London’s poor.
The dangerous structural flaws are clearly visible with the top-heavy upper floors.

The upper classes worked hard to maintain the existing system, because they had the most to lose from a massive revolution of the contemporary hierarchy. In order to be successful, one had to be either born into a rich family, properly educated, and/or participate in a heralded profession. London’s society was not one that promoted upward mobility; however, at first, there were no major revolutions from below. Most citizens, even those suffering from the traditional and patriarchal system, believed that it could work – in its ideal form. Many learned the hard way that this vision of success would always be beyond their reach.