2.4
The experiences of everyday life were shaped by demographic, environmental, medical, and technological changes.
In the 17th century, small landholdings, low-productivity agricultural practices, poor transportation, and adverse weather limited and disrupted the food supply, causing periodic famines.
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By the 18th century, Europeans began to escape from the Malthusian imbalance between population and the food supply, resulting in steady population growth.
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By the 18th century, family and private life reflected new demographic patterns and the effects of the Commercial Revolution.
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The consumer revolution of the 18th century was shaped by a new concern for privacy, encouraged the purchase of new goods for homes, and created new venues for leisure activities.
Examples of new consumer goods for homes such as the following:
New leisure venues such as the following:
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Cities offered economic opportunities, which attracted increasing migration from rural areas, transforming urban life and creating challenges for the new urbanites and their families.
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