Before revision: Before 1800 Because all nations before the Industrial Revolution were caught in what is now labeled the Malthusian Trap, improvements in standards of living could be achieved only by reductions in population growth through either increases in mortality rates (via wars, plagues, famines, etc) or reductions in birth rates.
After revision: Before 1800 Because all nations before the Industrial Revolution found themselves in what is now labeled the Malthusian Trap, improvements in standards of living could be achieved only by reductions in population growth through either increases in mortality rates (via wars, plagues, famines, etc) or reductions in birth rates.