The Agrarian Revolution Grade 9 PDF

THE AGRARIAN REVOLUTION Grade 9  Objectives ◦Outline what was the Agrarian Revolution ◦Explain 4 causes for the Agrarian Revolution in England ◦Outline 4 factors that facilitated the Agrarian Revolution ◦Discuss 4 effects of the Agrarian Revolution on England WHAT WAS THE...

THE AGRARIAN REVOLUTION Grade 9  Objectives ◦Outline what was the Agrarian Revolution ◦Explain 4 causes for the Agrarian Revolution in England ◦Outline 4 factors that facilitated the Agrarian Revolution ◦Discuss 4 effects of the Agrarian Revolution on England WHAT WAS THE AGRARIAN REVOLUTION?  ◦Agrarian Revolution refers to the radical transformation in agriculture in Agrarian England to meet the demands of a Revolutio growing population which led to the development of bigger farms, n improved farming practices and increased food production between 1701-1850. Prior to the agrarian revolution, agriculture was practiced on small scale using simple tools like sticks, wooden hoes and wooden ploughs.  1. The Enclosure Act 2. Development of new methods of livestock Causes of the breeding Agrarian 3. Development of new tools for farming Revolution in 4. Development of new methods of England maintaining soil fertility 5. Development of agricultural research 6. Population increase The Enclosure Act ◦The Enclosure Act, passed in Great Britain, allowed wealthy lords to purchase public fields which pushed out small-scale farmers, causing a migration of men looking for wage labour in cities. These workers would provide the labour for new industries. ◦Enclosed land was under control of the wealthy farmers, who was free to adopt better farming practices create larger and more complex farms which increased productivity and therein increased created a surplus of labour. Development of new methods Livestock Breeding ◦ More scientific methods of breeding livestock were developed. They involved selective breeding in which animals with suitable characteristics were maintained in the herds.  New Tools ◦Development of new tools for farming which helped to increase agricultural productivity.e.g. use of seed drill which was developed by Jethro Tull, The Rotterdam plough and The Threshing machine and tractors.  Soil Fertility ◦The new crop rotation system allowed the continued use of land without exhausting its fertility. ◦Chemical fertilizers were also produced. Agricultural Research ◦Development of agricultural research in universities and research institutes assisted in improvement of soils and crop yields. ◦Newspapers and agricultural journals helped to spread the results of this research to farmers.  Population ◦Population increase led to high demand for food. THE FACTORS that led to the Agrarian Revolution  ◦In many ways, British agriculture advanced more rapidly than any other European nation. The increased agricultural production Factors that of the 18th century can be traced led to the to four interrelated factors: 1. The increased availability Agrarian of farmland Revolution 2. A favourable climate 3. More livestock 4. Improved crop yield Increased Availability of Farmland ◦The available farmland increased due to changes in landholding patterns spurred on by new methods of cultivation. Previously, the open-field system was prominent. ◦ This system was problematic because it allowed part of the land to remain unplanted at all times in order to avoid depleting the soil. Since growing crops removes nutrients from the soil, a field must be replenished in order to continue to yield food.  Increased Availability of Farmland (cont’d) ◦One solution to this situation was to continue to move crops to different land. This was not feasible in Great Britain because the country lacked a large percentage of available land. Instead, farmers began to utilize barren soil by planting different crops, such as clover or turnips. A favourable climate ◦These plants (clover and turnip) have roots rich in nitrogen, a necessity for replenishing soil. The cultivation of turnips was important because they could be left in the ground through the winter. More Livestock ◦This ultimately led to an increase in livestock because these plants were also utilized for grazing. The boost in livestock fundamentally changed the diet of much of Europe.  ◦Not only were Europeans consuming more meat, but the livestock was Improved producing much needed fertilizer for Crop Yield crops. ◦The addition of fertilizer allowed an improved production rate per acre. By the beginning of the 18th century, the colder climate of the 'little ice age' had ended. The resulting mild summer months created ideal conditions for crop cultivation. Effects of the Agrarian Revolution  1. Bigger Farms Large-scale farming replaced small-scale farming. This was as a result of the Enclosure Act that was passed in Britain, where the wealthy lords were able to purchase the lands from the small-scale peasant farmers, which enabled them to expand the land since they had the capital and resources to do so. Additionally, they were able to improve on their methods of farming which led to an increase in food production.  2. Machines ◦Machines were used to process the agricultural produces during the Agrarian Revolution which made life easier. This in return promoted industrialization due to availability of agricultural raw material for the industries.  ◦The agrarian revolution was affected and shaped by food canning as tin cans were an easy way to transport food over long distances. The invention of the canning in 1839 also reduced the amount of food wastage, as canned foods would take a longer time to expire than non-canned foods. Additionally, leftover crops were now no longer left to rot, as they could now be packaged for 3. Food later use or trade. Preservati ◦ Larger farms could be created, since large quantities of food could be tinned and stored away, this would also on help farmers survive winters or bad seasons where crops didn’t grow so well. The agrarian revolution led to the expansion of agricultural related industries including the invention of the refrigeration which led to the expansion of milk and meat packing industries. Both the Canning process and the invention of the refrigerator led to a longer shelf life for all the goods that were produced during the Agrarian Revolution. 4. Continued development in scientific innovation ◦The Agrarian Revolution led to the enhancement of research and scientific inventions, especially in the field of agriculture. This in turn resulted in improved crop varieties and animal breeds.  5. Urbanization ◦Urbanization led to the development of cities as the displaced peasants poured into towns thereby creating cities.  As a result of the diversification of agriculture during the Agrarian Revolution by way of the cultivation of a 6. Increase variety of crops as well as practicing in selective breeding, crops such as clover, population potatoes, beans, maize and citrus fruits were now being grown. This led to an increase in the population due to abundance in the variety food supply. 7. The closure of cottage industries as more industrialized means of production developed.