The enclosure acts were a series of agricultural laws passed by Parliament in 19th century England. They were passed by wealthy landowners within the Parliament. They privatized and fenced off a large amount of farmland that had once been common property (see enclosure). Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Small farmers either had to pay rent to large landowners or forfeit their farms. This mass displacement of farmers sent great numbers of people to the city. It also created a large pool of available labor once industrialization got under way.