Agricultural Revolution Quiz PDF

Agricultural Revolution: review definition of the Agricultural Revolution and why it was such a significant event in human history, issues with farming in Europe prior to the Agricultural Revolution and why these issues were solved via crop rotation and Jethro Tull’s seed drill, cause of the Enc...

Agricultural Revolution: review definition of the Agricultural Revolution and why it was such a significant event in human history, issues with farming in Europe prior to the Agricultural Revolution and why these issues were solved via crop rotation and Jethro Tull’s seed drill, cause of the Enclosure Movement and its impact (link to rising urban populations), overall impact of the Agricultural Revolution on population growth in Great Britain and link to Industrial Revolution. ANSWER: ​ Agricultural Revolution: ○​ A Major change in farming techniques: ​ Occurred in Britain throughout the 1700s, and vastly improved food supplies, which directly led to rising populations: ​ More efficient, and productive. ​ Significance of the Agricultural Revolution: ○​ VASTLY improved agricultural practices ​ More food for everyone ​ Drove food prices down, and brought more people in ○​ Population growth ​ Crop Rotation, and Seed Drill ○​ Paved the way for the Industrial Revolution ​ Issues with Farming in Europe Prior to the Agricultural Revolution: ○​ Not very efficient ​ Half or two thirds of the field empty half a year to let soil recover ​ Why were the issues with Farming in Europe solved via the crop rotation and Jethro Tull’s Seed Drill: ○​ Crop Rotation: ​ Improved crop yields by replenishing soil in which the farmers rotated where grain was planted: in which plants like beans and cloves were planted then switched to keep the soil healthy (in a nutshell). ​ This prevented loss of nitrogen critical for growth. ○​ Seed Drill: ​ Invented by British agriculturist Jethro Tull: ​ Sped up and improved the seeding of fields. ​ Cause of the Enclosure Movement: ○​ Some people (the poorer) who shared farms with one another did not believe in the science behind the Crop Rotation: ​ The Poorer often had more to lose, with a small piece of farming land, if the crop rotation failed, they would lose everything. The richer had more land, if the crop rotation were to fail they would lose some but could get back on their feet quickly. ​ The other (wealthier) people that did believe in it, wanted to do it: ​ Used the enclosure movement to buy out the less wealthy farmers ○​ Done by (literally) enclosing the field, and asking that everyone on the field chip in. ​ The poorer people could not pay so the wealthier bought them out. ​ Enclosure Movement Impact: ○​ With the crop rotation in action, there was a surplus of food ​ Allowed for the population to grow as more food was available ○​ Drove many of the former (poorer) farmers to British cities: ​ Created a large urban workforce necessary for industry.  ​ The overall impact of the Agricultural Revolution (population growth in Great Britain): ○​ The Agricultural Revolution impacted: ​ Better food storage, supply, price, improved techniques. ​ Population within Great britain: ​ Increased as more food was available ​ Link the Agricultural Revolution to the Industrial Revolution: ○​ Increased food production (more food lower price) → Population growth → Higher demand for items (textiles) → Drove innovation and eventually the industrial revolution - Origins of the Industrial Revolution: review definition of the Industrial Revolution and why it was reliant upon the earlier emergence of the Agricultural Revolution and Enclosure Movement, reason why the cottage industry for thread production failed to meet demand during the late 1700s and why this sparked innovations that led to new machinery (review the timeline on page 5 of the unit syllabus) and the creation of textile mills. ANSWER: ​ Industrial Revolution: ○​ Rapid and radical change in the production of goods: ​ A shift of use of machines and factory based labor ○​ Began in mid 1700s Great Britain: ​ Reached its global peak during the 1800s ​ Why was the Industrialization reliant on the agricultural revolution and the enclosure movement: ○​ The Industrialization could not have happened without: ​ Agricultural revolution: ​ Agricultural revolution accelerated production in food: ○​ Higher population: ​ With a higher population, there was a higher demand for textiles ○​ Lowered prices, and food was more affordable, and abundant. ​ Enclosure Movement: ​ Enclosure movement bought out poorer farmers when trying to enclose the fields and they could not pay: ​ Drove many former farmers to british cities: ​ Created a large urban workforce necessary for the industrial revolution and the industry. ​ Allowed for the crop rotation: ○​ Allowed for soil to be replenished: ​ Crop production skyrocketed: ​ More food: ○​ Lower prices for food:  ​ More people: ​ Cottage industry and its failure: ○​ Growing population: ​ Enormous strain on the Cottage industry (traditional method for textile production): ​ At the Time almost all thread in Europe was homemade - with farmers' family members spinning the thread. ​ Was NOT sufficient at all. ○​ DEMAND OR INADEQUATE PRODUCTION DRIVES INNOVATION. ​ Demand leads to innovation: ○​ With the Cottage industry struggling to stay afloat amidst a population change: ​ This sparked the motivation or drive for innovative ideas that could help the cottage industry stay afloat amidst this times: ​ Led to knew machinery: ○​ James Hargreaves invented the spinning jenny, Spun thread could now be produced at least 8 times faster than if produced in the traditional fashion, by hand. ○​ Thorp Mill opened in Royton, England as the first water powered cotton mill in the world. ○​ Richard Arkwright opened a textile-spinning mill in Derbyshire, England. Workers utilized his new invention called the water frame (machine for spinning thread). ○​ ETC. ​ The Demand for better services drove the making of new machines: ​ Done for profit - to meet consumer demands. ○​ SELF INTEREST!!! ​ *REVIEW PAGE 5 OF THE UNIT SYLLABUS* ​ Textile mills: ○​ A factory or thing that produces textiles: ​ Water powered: ​ Built on rivers: ○​ The current of the rivers would spin the water wheel turning all the gears of the machinery inside the mill ​ What if there was a drought? ​ Extremely fast production of textiles: ​ Horses could not pull the textiles because the quantity was so large ○​ Sparked the innovation for Steam-powered machinery. - Early Industrialization: reason why powering new machinery was an issue during the early Industrial Revolution, why this problem was solved by James Watt’s steam-powered engine (also review why Matthew Boulton financed Watt’s invention and the definition of entrepreneurship and why it is similar to patronage), multiple effects of the steam-power engine and the development of steam-powered transportation (steamboat and steam-powered locomotive – review chart on page 6), construction of railroads and canals in Great Britain due to rapid industrialization, why steam engines required greater mining of coal. ANSWER: ​ Why was powering new machinery an issue during the early industrial revolution: ○​ The issue with powering new machinery during the early industrial revolution was the lack of portability and availability. ​ Would often fail if there was a drought since it relied on water flow: ​ Solution: ○​ James Watt invented the steam powered engine, a powerful and portable machine that used the power of coal to run. ​ How was the problem with powering machinery solved by James Watt’s steam engine: ○​ This invention used burning coal ​ NOT WATER ​ Allowed for a powerful and portable machine ○​ Faster / more efficient power source. ○​ Allowed rapid growth of industry. ○​ Factories / mills could be located away from rivers. ​ Why did Mathhew Boulton finance Watt’s invention: ○​ Boulton financed the development of the steam engine in hopes of the creation of a new form of energy that would not fail to work incase of something like droughts, which was the leading cause of him making this risky investment. ​ Entrepreneurship and how is it similar to patronage: ○​ Entrepreneurship is when people set up and risk their money in a buisness. It is similar to patronage in the fact that they are both methods of financial support, since patronage is the act of funding something. ​ Effects of the steam engine and transportation (steamboat and locomotives): ○​ A steam powered engine was very beneficial for a few reasons. Some of which were… ​ Efficiency (Faster) ​ Rapid growth of industry ​ No requirement of factories/mills to be near rivers (river water would power the water wheel) ​ Invention of the steam ship, which led to…  ​ Faster transport of Cargo ​ Increased production ​ Long distance trade sped up ​ Construction of Canals ​ Invention of the steam locomotive, which led to… ​ Everything from the steam ship except for construction of canals and society became more interconnected ○​ THE FIRST VACATION ​ *REVIEW CHART ON PAGE 6* ​ Construction of railroads and canals in Great Britian due to rapid industrialization: ​ Why did Steam-engines require a greater mining of coal: ○​ Steam engines main source comes from the heat of coal boiling the water, and since there were so many steam engines being built due to its efficiency, more coal would be required to be mined to support this - Capitalism: definition of capitalism and its key principles (review readings on pages 8 and 9), and the critical theories in support of capitalism put forth by Adam Smith in “The Wealth of Nations” (review pages 10-12). ANSWER ​ Capitalism: ○​ An economic system in which the means of production of goods and services are controlled by privately owned companies, (not the government) for a profit. Self interest: ​ Free Market ​ Capitalism and its key principles: ○​ Free market: ​ The Government cannot control the market - as it is all controlled by privately owned companies: ​ Made for private companies to make profit ○​ Beneficial for the Consumers ​ Companies are in control of what they sell, how they produce it, what the price is, etc. ○​ Competition: ​ Directly benefits the consumer ​ Demand, and competition drives innovation ○​ Think about it like this: if me and you are competitors, and we sell the same product, and yours is lower in price - mine will sell less, so I will lower it to beat you. (this can be applied in other topics)  ​ Lowers the price ​ Gives suppliers reason to make their product better for more sales ​ innovation. ​ Critical theories put forth by Adam smith in “The Wealth of Nations”: ○​ It is better for one to JUST be a doctor, instead of being a butcher, doctor, brewer, teacher, etc: ​ This will make them especially skilled in the works of the doctor instead of a little within every part recently stated ​ Would you feel more comfortable with a neurosurgeon that has been doing it for 25 years - or a neurosurgeon who has been doing it for 5 years, is also a teacher, a cook, a brewer, and a farmer. ○​ When you specialize on certain topics you produce: ​ Higher quality, faster, and raised quantity ○​ SELF INTEREST: ​ “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher…” ​ You work because YOU have something to get out of it ○​ A workers wages can be determined by: ​ Demand, Hardness of the job, quality, etc. ○​ Etc. ​ Important quotes to note put forth by Adam Smith in “The Wealth of Nations” and their explanations and importance: ○​ “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest…” ​ In this statement, smith is emphasizing the idea that economic changes are driven by Self-interest ​ The butcher, the brewer, and the baker provide goods and services not out of kindness or charity, but because they seek to earn a profit - they need to put food on their table. ○​ “When in any country the demand for laborers... is continually increasing… the scarcity of [needed workers creates] a competition among [employers], who bid against one another, in order to get workmen…” ​ This statement reflects Adam Smith’s observation that the demand for labor is a key indicator of economic growth and societal well-being. ​ The hardness of the job increases pay - likewise for its scarcity.