7 Days that Transformed the World: The day when London exceeded 5 million people

A public lecture series sponsored by the History Department and hosted by the Hose and Hydrant Brewing Company

Tuesday, Jan. 19th
6:00 PM
Hose and Hydrant Brewing Company
#612 11th Street E.

The day when London exceeded 5 million people
by Jim Clifford

London was already the largest city in the world when its population reached 5 million people during the 1880s. Today, China alone has 14 cities with more than five million people. Similar to today’s megacities, 19th century London relied on an expansive network of commodity supply chains that provided the city’s food and industrial raw materials. Globalization made London’s extensive population growth possible. After decades of rapid growth, the city struggled with sewage, floods, water famines, deadly disease and squalid conditions. The population in this rich and technologically advanced metropolis grew increasingly unhealthy in the last decade of the century. It took significant government intervention to finally resolve the urban environmental challenges. More than half of the world now lives in urban areas and we need to learn from the solutions developed in 19th century London to address the challenges cities continue to face today.

Click here to view the poster

All are welcome

For more information please contact Keith Carlson

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