The Agricultural Revolution

Life Changes as Industry Spreads

Life Changes• Industrial revolution began in Britain in

1750 and later spread to the rest of the world

• Economic changes affected people’s lives as much as the political changes had

• Industrial revolution was slow and long where production shifted from simple hand tools to complex machines

Life Changes

• Rural way of life began to disappear and by the 1850’s many country villages began to turn into industrial towns and cities

• Industrial age travelers moved rapidly between countries and continents

Life Changes• Messages were sent using telegraph wires

• 1830-1855 and American dentist introduced anesthetic (drug used to prevent pain during surgery)

• First sewing machine was introduced

• Cities started building skyscrapers

Together all these changes are known as the industrialization of “the

West”

Check for Understanding

Why was the industrial revolution a turning point

in world history?

Farming Methods Improve• The improvement in farming

methods led to the rise of the industrial revolution

• Dutch led the way in the agricultural revolution• Build earthen walls called dikes to

reclaim land from the sea• Combined smaller fields into larger

ones to make better use of the land

• Used fertilizer to renew the soil

Farming Methods Improve• British farmers expanded

on Dutch experiments• Mixed different soils to get

more and better crops• Jethro Tull invented a new

mechanical device called the seed drill to aid farmers which deposited seeds in a row instead of scattering them wastefully all over the land

Farming Methods Improve• Enclosure

• Wealthy landowners took land away from peasants to join farms into one mainly to gain more room for the sheep and increase wool output

• Government passed enclosure laws making it easy for wealthy landowners to do so

• As more and more land was enclosed, crops and profits grew

Farming Methods Improve• Large fields needed less

workers

• Farm laborers were thrown out of work and headed towards the cities forming what would become the labor force who would work the new machines of the Industrial Revolution

Check for Understanding

How did the agricultural revolution change farming?

Population Grows• Agricultural revolution

contributed to a rapid growth in population

• Britain in 1700 had 5 million people and in 1800 they had about 9 million

• Population of Europe as a whole shot up from 120 million to 180 million during that same time

Population Growth• Why did the population

increase?• Agricultural revolution

decreased the risk of death from famine because there was a surplus of food

• People ate better and were healthier

• Better hygiene and sanitation improved medical care slowing down deaths from diseases.

Check for Understanding

Why did the population increase as a result of the

agricultural revolution?

Technology• Advances in technology also helped bring about

the Industrial Revolution• The Energy Revolution

• 1700’s people began to discover new sources of energy

• Coal was an important source of energy

Check for Understanding

Do you feel the industrialization of

society will bring about a positive or negative effect for people?

Britain Leads the Way

Why Britain

Recap

• Agricultural revolution and new ways of farming led to more food being produced and an increase in population.

• Agricultural revolution also left many farmers homeless and jobless leading to a population boom in the cities as people left the farms to go to cities to mine coal, build factories and run machines

Natural Resources

• Britain had the advantage of many natural resources• Natural ports• Navigable rivers which supplied water power and allowed

for the construction of canals• Canals increased trade and brought goods in• Establish effective communication and transportation

• Above all Britain's plentiful supply of coal was vital to its industrialization

Effects of Demand and Capital• 1700’s – Britain had a large

workforce and the boost in population increased the demand for goods, but they also needed money to keep production up

• Trade with the overseas colonies helped Britain to prosper

Effects of Demand and Capital• Slave trade allowed them to

accumulate capital (money) which they used to invest in businesses

• Britain had a stable government that supported economic growth

• Britain also had a strong navy to protect its empire, shipping and overseas trade

Effects of Demand and Capital• Enterprise

• Business organization in an area such as shipping, mining, railroads or factories

• Entrepreneurs• Businessmen who took financial risks to invest in

new industries

Check for Understanding

What conditions in Britain paved the way for the Industrial Revolution?