In the medieval feudalist system, the king allowed barons to preside over parts of his land, with knights underneath them for protection. At the bottom of the hierarchy, peasants farmed the land, giving a percentage of their crops to the higher ranks in return for protection.

The Patricians was the name of the ruling class in the Roman Republic, so that would be the correct answer. The Plebeians was the name of the citizen-commoners in the Republic, so that would not be the correct answer. Aristocracy was not a term that denoted a social class in the Republic, so that would not be the best answer here. The Fourth Estate is a moniker given to the free press, so that would also not be a good answer. Lastly, the Third Estate referred to the French working class before the French Revolution, so that too would not be the best answer here.

Under feudalism, the nobility owned the land, and the common people (serfs) were required to work their lords' land. The end of feudalism allowed the common people to own their own land and pursue trades, which led to the growth of a middle class.  

Although more efficient printing techniques were developed during the Industrial Revolution, the first printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-15th century. All of the other answers are advancements that did come from the period.

The Industrial Revolution was the rapid growth of industrial technology and manufacturing. Immediate results included improved transportation due to inventions such as the steam engine, growth of urban centers as many people moved to cities for factory jobs, and tremendous growth of manufacturing, largely in the textile industry. It did NOT immediately increase life expectancy, as factories were often hazardous to workers and cities were plagued with pollution and other unsanitary conditions that allowed diseases such as cholera to spread.

Johannes Gutenberg, a German blacksmith, invented the printing press around 1440. He was the first European to create a method for mass printing. The method he used was based on agricultural screw presses that were common in farming. Before Gutenberg, all book making had to be done by hand. Monks or other literate people would copy books page by page, this was expensive and time consuming, which meant that books were rare and only for the wealthy. The invention of the printing press helped to spread enlightenment ideas throughout Europe much faster than would have otherwise been possible. 

By the eighteenth century, most of Britain's wood was gone. Factories required a lot of energy, so the British began mining coal. The steam engines that became prominent during this period were fueled by coal. 

The flushing toilet was invented in 1596 by John Harington and was called the Ajax. John was a grandson of Queen Elizabeth I and spent a lot of time at court. He became known for his risqué writings and sense of humor. After inventing the flushing toilet, he wrote a book entitled, “A new Discourse on a Stale Subject, the Metamorphosis of Ajax. It was supposed to be a book describing how his invention worked, but his work was actually a satire that talked negatively about the Earl of Leicester, one of the queen’s friends, which angered the queen and got Harington banned from court.

Social Darwinism applies Darwin's theory of natural selection to human affairs. The principle of "survival of the fittest" did not contribute to improvements in public health. Social Darwinism was, in fact, a doctrine supported by right-wing politicians who fought aggressively against the funding and establishment of social services.