CLEP Western Civ II

Answer: B - The decline in the birthrate among the working class was partially due to child labor laws, which meant that children required financial support and were no longer contributing to the family economy. The "European family pattern" of later marriage and fewer children was established in rural areas as early as the 17th century; however, working-class populations had been slow to follow suit. Among peasants, birth rates declined with the introduction of the Napoleonic Code, which required equal inheritance for sons and daughters. By the late 19th century, this European family pattern could be found throughout Europe.