Chapter 19 Part 1

1. Chapter 19Part 1 The Agricultural Revolution

2. 17th and 18th Centuries Peasants and artisans had the same standard of living as they had in the Middle Ages Most were hungry, lacked adequate housing and clothing Little change in agricultural techniques since Middle Ages

3. Agriculture 17th & 18th Centuries 80% of population in Western Europe were farmers Even higher percentage in Eastern Europe The only exception: The Netherlands was more urban and mercantile than rural

4. Agricultural output Was very low compared to modern standards The “Open Field System” was most common method of farming Failed harvests once or twice a decade People were malnourished so more susceptible to disease

5. Science Was a branch of theology Had no practical application to agriculture …UNTIL AFTER THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION

6. The Open Field System Common lands were open Strips of land for agriculture were not divided by fences or hedges Open fields were farmed as a community Little change from one generation to the next

7. The Open Field System Soil exhaustion was a common problem 1/3 to ½ of lands were allowed to lie fallow so the soil could recover Villages maintained open meadows for hay and pasture

8. The Peasant Farmer Peasants were taxed heavily Serfs in Eastern Europe far worse off than in the West In the 18th Century: The Dutch, the English, and the French became leaders in the increased agriculture and trade that resulted from the population growth

9. The Agricultural Revolution Involved: • Increased Crop Production • Increased agricultural and animal production could feed more people • New Methods of Cultivation • Crops were grown on wastelands and previously uncultivated common lands • Selective Breeding of Livestock • Led to better cultivation (fertilizer) and healthier animals

10. Science and technology was applied to agriculture • The Netherlands led the way • Increased population (especially urban growth) made improvements a necessity • Regional specialization: • Certain areas for farming • Certain areas for fishing and shipping • Towns and cities for commerce and banking

11. By mid-17th Century The Dutch had: Enclosed fields Rotated Crops Employed heavy use of manure for fertilizer Planted a wide variety of crops Free and capitalistic society = incentives for farmers to be productive

12. The Dutch Drainage: Much of Holland was marshland covered by ocean waters The Dutch became world leaders in reclaiming wetlands through drainage Cornelius Vermuyden was the most famous of the Dutch engineers in drainage techniques The English will do the same in southern marshlands

13. England Charles Townsend (aka Charles “Turnip” Townsend): Was the English ambassador to the Netherlands He brought Dutch innovations home to England: Use nitrogen-rich crops (like turnips) to replenish soil so fallowing was not necessary Drained marshlands in S. England Crop rotation Soil-replenishing crops used to feed livestock

14. England Use of manure for fertilizer Increased #’s of livestock (and additional crops for livestock) meant that all animals did not need to be slaughtered en masse prior to winter….Enough food to keep them alive through the cold months Now more fresh meat available (less salting needed) By 1740 many English aristocrats into new techniques

15. JethroTull Developed the Seed Drill Crops were sown in straight lines instead of scattered by hand One of the best examples of how the empiricism of the scientific revolution was applied to agriculture

16. Horses Were used for plowing Replaced the use of oxen Horses much faster The holdup was the development of a harness that would not choke the horses

17. Robert Bakewell Pioneered the selective breeding of livestock Larger and healthier animals were the result Also, increased the availability of meat, wool, leather, soap, and candle tallow More manure was available for fertilizing

18. New Foods From the Columbian Exchange: = diversity in diets Most Important: Potatoes and corn Both easy to grow and highly nutritious

19. The Enclosure Movementin England Remember the earlier Enclosure Movement in England (16th century) Landlords fenced in their lands and raised sheep for wool instead of producing food. Resulted in hardship for landless farmers who were thrown off of the land Resulted in higher food prices

20. The Enclosure Movement of the 18th Century This enclosure movement was based on agriculture Landlords consolidated their scattered holdings into compact fields that were fenced Common pasture lands were also enclosed Ended the open field system

21. The Enclosure Movement of the 18th Century Resulted in the commercialization of agriculture Large Landowners invested in technology (machinery and new techniques and methods) This also increased the # of large and middle-sized farms

22. Parliament Passed over 3,000 Enclosure Acts in the late 18th and early 19th centuries that benefitted the large landowners The Corn Laws (1816): High tariffs placed on foreign grain Drove up the price of grain in England

23. The Corn Laws The Poor could not afford to buy grain or bread Probably the most notorious example of a law that benefitted the wealthy at the expense of the English peasantry

24. The Impact of the Enclosure Movement on the Peasants Many peasants were forced off lands that had once been common Many had to move to towns or cities in search of work Many found work in early factories or poorhouses

25. The Impact of the Enclosure movement on the poor Many became even more impoverished Some survived by pursuing opportunities in cottage industries Women had no way to raise farm animals on common lands for extra money

26. Women Were forced off of the land just like men Traditionally, women also farmed, raised animals, and supervised household functions Economic opportunities decreased HUGELY for women as a result of the enclosure movement

27. Women Many families with daughters were anxious to get them out of the house…one more mouth to feed Young women increasingly went to towns or cities looking for domestic work (limited) Many had to turn to prostitution…few other options

28. Families Who remained in the countryside often supplemented their income through the cottage industries Was sometimes called “putting out work” Most common: spinning or weaving Weaver: head of household, Women spun Sometimes needed more spinners…spinsters

29. A New Social Hierarchy The Gentry: the large landowners dominated the economy and politics Strong and prosperous tenant farmers who rented land from the large landowners Some peasants owned their own small plots of land A huge number of peasants became wage earners on farms or in cottage industries

30. Peasants v Landowners Game laws were passed preventing peasants from hunting on large landowners’ lands Severe punishments for peasants caught hunting on another’s property

31. Traditionally… Historians believed that the enclosure movement pushed thousands of peasants out of the countryside or resulted in abject poverty for those who remained This is what Karl Marx believed

32. More recently Historians now believe that the negative results of the enclosure movement were exaggerated Many remained in the countryside working as prosperous tenant farmers, small landowners and wage earners

33. By 1750 50% of England’s farmland was enclosed 1700: 2 landless laborers for every one self-sufficient farmer Little change in 1750 By late 17th and early 18th centuries all classes embraced the idea of enclosure in England

34. Enclosure Did not spread to the rest of Europe to any noteworthy degree or very quickly France: Enclosure was not national policy until 1760’s…even then, not widespread Peasants in the provinces did not support it

35. Eastern Europe No fundamental change in agriculture until the 19th Century

36. The Impact of the Agricultural Revolution Led to Europe’s population explosion in the 18th century Altered society in the countryside Common lands were enclosed Huge migration to cities The emergence of the cottage industry Lower food prices meant that folks were free to buy other consumer goods