AP European History – Agricultural Revolution – Flashcards

the period in Europe from the mid-17th through the mid 19th centuries during which great agricultural progress was made and the fallow method of farming was eliminated. New inventions such as the seed drill and the steel plow made farming easier and faster. The production of food rose dramatically.

The movement to fence in farms in an attempt to farm more efficiently. This was often at the expense of the peasants who used common fields to farm and graze animals. This contributed to a population shift toward the cities and a rise in agricultural productivity.

the transformation of large numbers of small peasant farmers into landless rural wage earners

a stage of industrial development when rural workers worked at home to make goods on a large scale for market. Some examples are weaving, sewing, carving, and other small-scale industries. The laborers, frequently women, are usually independent. Most manufacturing was done this way before the industrial revolution.

the 18th century system of rural industry in which a merchant loaned raw materials to cottage workers, who processed them and returned the finished goods to the merchant to sell

the organization of artisans and their production into trade-based associations which had monopolies in the market and the right to train apprentices. This system eliminated competition, set regulations for size, price, standard, etc...and created a training program for people to become members.

the practice of allowing plowed or cultivated land to remain uncropped or only partially cropped for one or more growing seasons to restore the soil. 1/3 to 1/2 of lands were left like this for the soil to recover.

They led the way for the Agricultural Revolution. By the mid 17th century, they had already enclosed fields, rotated crops, used manure and fertilizer, and planted a variety of crops. They also employed the drainage system. led by Cornelius Vermuyden, to make marshland into farmland.

enclosure, crop rotation with nitrogen rich plants, drainage, seed drill, selective breeding, manure and fertilizer

population explosion of 18th century, altered society in rural areas (migration to cities and cottage industry), increased food supply, lower food prices, more spending money for consumer goods

Pioneer of crop rotation who brought the Agricultural Revolution to England from the Netherlands

He invented the seed drill, which is an example of using the empiricism of the scientific revolution to solve agricultural problems.

He pioneered the selective breeding of livestock. This led to an increase of meat, wool, manure, and leather.

peasants forced off of land, migration to cities to look for work, cottage industry, and more poor farm laborers