11

Hi Jaguars!Hi Jaguars!

We are starting a new unit today!We are starting a new unit today!

22

In the last unit we looked mostly at In the last unit we looked mostly at kings and rulers – all political stuffkings and rulers – all political stuff

This time, we are looking at a different period in This time, we are looking at a different period in history and at different ideas all together.history and at different ideas all together.

Up until 1750, the lives of the regular people in the Up until 1750, the lives of the regular people in the towns and villages had not changed to any great towns and villages had not changed to any great extent since William the Conqueror. extent since William the Conqueror.

But beginning in 1750, the changes were rapid and But beginning in 1750, the changes were rapid and far reaching.far reaching.

Over the next few weeks, we are going to be asking Over the next few weeks, we are going to be asking questions about what they changes were, why they questions about what they changes were, why they happened and how they affected the people living happened and how they affected the people living at that time.at that time.

33

For the first 2 weeks, we are going to look at For the first 2 weeks, we are going to look at the what and the why of these changes in the the what and the why of these changes in the towns and the villages.towns and the villages.

Both were changing fast and while they Both were changing fast and while they shared some of the reasons for change, they shared some of the reasons for change, they also brought about change in each other.also brought about change in each other.

Today we are going to look at change in the Today we are going to look at change in the villages. As we will see, some of the changes villages. As we will see, some of the changes are due to circumstances that affected are due to circumstances that affected everyone, it was also the changes in the everyone, it was also the changes in the towns that made the changes in the country towns that made the changes in the country happen faster.happen faster.

44

The Agricultural The Agricultural RevolutionRevolution

1750-19001750-1900

55

The Agricultural RevolutionThe Agricultural Revolution

During the early 1700's, a great change in farming called the Agricultural Revolution began in Great Britain.

The revolution resulted from a series of discoveries and inventions that made farming much more productive than ever before.

By the mid-1800's, the Agricultural Revolution had spread throughout much of Europe and North America.

One of the revolution's chief effects was the rapid growth of towns and cities in Europe and the United States during the 1800's.

Because fewer people were needed to produce food, farm families by the thousands moved to the towns and cities.

?

66

THE AGRICULTURAL THE AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTIONREVOLUTION

Agriculture means..Agriculture means.. Farming.Farming. Revolution can mean…Revolution can mean… Change, fast or slow Change, fast or slow Over hundred and fifty yearsOver hundred and fifty years It was a slow processIt was a slow process

77

The Agricultural RevolutionThe Agricultural Revolution

Britain needed more Britain needed more foodfood

Farms were still run on Farms were still run on the medieval strip the medieval strip systemsystem

new ideas and new ideas and machinery were being machinery were being developeddeveloped

88

Disadvantages of the old system?Disadvantages of the old system?

99

Disadvantages of the old systemDisadvantages of the old systemField left fallowPeople have to walk

over your strips to reach theirs

No proper drainage

Animals can trample crops and spread disease

Difficult to take advantage of new farming techniques

Because land in different fields takes time to get to each field

No hedges or fences

1010

So what?So what?

So this is an inefficient system and only produces enough food to feed you and your family, there is very little extra.

Towns are growing, the people in towns need feeding so extra food is needed.

No corn is being imported because of the war with France, so more corn is needed

1111

What is a Revolution and how can What is a Revolution and how can you have a farming revolution?you have a farming revolution?

But what has that got to

do with farming?A revolution is any fundamental change or reversal of conditions,

a great and sometimes violent change or innovation

1212

All right,so there was going to be All right,so there was going to be a great change... a great change...

What exactly was this great change?

Great changes, you mean - and innovations

All right CHANGES..

First of all, there was enclosures, then there was the new machinery such as the seed drill and horse plough, not to mention marling and selective breeding…..

1313

There used to be Open FieldsThere used to be Open Fields

All villagers worked All villagers worked togethertogether

All the land was shared All the land was shared outout

Everyone helped each Everyone helped each otherother

Everyone had land to Everyone had land to grow foodgrow food

For centuries enough For centuries enough food had been grownfood had been grown

ADVANTAGES

1414

But there were problems with the But there were problems with the openfield systemopenfield system

•Strips in different fields

•Fallow land

•Waste of time

•Waste of land

•Common land

DISADVANTAGES

1515

Why did the Open field system Why did the Open field system change?change?

02468

1012141618

millions

1700 1720 1750 1801 1850

year

Population of England

What wasWhat was

Happening to Happening to population?population?

1616

What came next?What came next?

How are the fields How are the fields different?different?

Can more food be Can more food be grown? Why?grown? Why?

What’s missing?What’s missing? Who wanted Who wanted

change?change? Who did not want Who did not want

change?change?

1717

Enclosures Enclosures This meant enclosing the land.This meant enclosing the land. The open fields were divided up and everyone who The open fields were divided up and everyone who

could prove they owned some land would get a could prove they owned some land would get a share. Dividing the open land into small fields and share. Dividing the open land into small fields and putting hedges and fences around them. Everyone putting hedges and fences around them. Everyone had their own fields and could use them how they had their own fields and could use them how they wished.wished.

Open land and common land would also be enclosed Open land and common land would also be enclosed and divided up. and divided up.

1818

Nothing - if you could prove you owned the land, if you had the money for

fences and hedges and if you could afford to pay the commissioners to come

and map the land, not to mention the cost of an Act

of Parliament.

So what’s wrong with that?

1919

So did people want to enclose their land?

Well, some did and some didn’t. If they did not agree it was hard luck. If the owners of four fifths of the land agreed they could force an Act of Parliament- there was a great increase in the number of these in the eighteenth century, from 30 a year to 60, then from 1801 to 1810 there were 906, nearly 3 million hectares were enclosed.

2020

Were there winners and losers?Were there winners and losers? Yes, the better off farmers and landowners

gained the most - the rich got richer and the poor got poorer.

People who had no written proof of ownership lost their land altogether.

Some couldn’t afford to pay for fences and had to sell their land.

These people either became laborers on other peoples land or headed for the towns to try and get a job.

2121

From ‘Walking Tour’ by Richard From ‘Walking Tour’ by Richard Warren 1799Warren 1799

Time was when these commons enabled a Time was when these commons enabled a poor man to support his family. Here he could poor man to support his family. Here he could put a cow and pony, feed his geese and pig.put a cow and pony, feed his geese and pig.

Encloses have deprived him of this Encloses have deprived him of this advantageadvantage

One farm laborer said: ‘All I know is that I had a cow and an Act of Parliament has taken it from me.’

There were riots in some villages.

2222

Selective Breeding?Selective Breeding?

Some farmers such as Robert Bakewell and the Culley

brothers concentrated on selective breeding. This meant only allowing the fittest and strongest

of their cattle, sheep, pigs and horses to mate. You can tell how successful they were:

In 1710 the average weight for cattle was 168 Kg by 1795 - it was 363 Kg

2323

What other new ideas were there?What other new ideas were there?

Publicity

Seed drill

Crop rotation

New ploughs and hoes

2424

Jethro Tull - Jethro Tull - inventorinventor

The seed drill put seeds The seed drill put seeds in in rows.in in rows.

Before this seeds had Before this seeds had been ‘broadcast’. been ‘broadcast’.

This was much more This was much more efficient and gave efficient and gave higher yieldshigher yields

Other machines soon Other machines soon followed!followed!

In 1701 Jethro Tull introduced In 1701 Jethro Tull introduced the seed drill. the seed drill.

Seed was put in a hopper and Seed was put in a hopper and was dispensed at regular was dispensed at regular intervals down a funnel to the intervals down a funnel to the ground below to restground below to rest in a in a groove made by a coulter groove made by a coulter (knife). (knife).

The seed drill on the right uses The seed drill on the right uses small cups on a shaft to pick up small cups on a shaft to pick up the seed and drop it down the the seed and drop it down the five regularly spaced funnels. By five regularly spaced funnels. By this means the seed was this means the seed was uniformly spaced and in straight uniformly spaced and in straight lines. lines.

2525

A reaper – 1799 by Joseph BoyceA reaper – 1799 by Joseph Boyce

Also iron rather than wooden ploughshares and steam threshing machines

were introduced by the end of the century – all of which could do the jobs

faster and machines lasted longer and could be mass

produced rather than individually made.

2626

RotationRotation

Ever since the 3-year open field system, there had been an Ever since the 3-year open field system, there had been an understanding that you could not carry on plating wheat year understanding that you could not carry on plating wheat year after year in the same place, otherwise the crop yields went after year in the same place, otherwise the crop yields went down as the soil became exhausted. So the 2 years of down as the soil became exhausted. So the 2 years of planting followed by one of fallow worked well enough. But planting followed by one of fallow worked well enough. But now there were more people who needed feeding, leaving now there were more people who needed feeding, leaving 1/3 of the land not producing anything could not go on. 1/3 of the land not producing anything could not go on.

So instead of 3 year rotation they found a 4-year rotation So instead of 3 year rotation they found a 4-year rotation was much better.was much better.

Wheat ,turnips, oats, clover ( this added nitrogen to the soil)Wheat ,turnips, oats, clover ( this added nitrogen to the soil) When the field was down to clover, the cows were let in. When the field was down to clover, the cows were let in.

They got better food than ordinary grass and the manure They got better food than ordinary grass and the manure improved the soil no end.improved the soil no end.

2727

Publicity?!Publicity?!

Yeah, books were written on farming, there were model farms set up - George III set up one at Windsor.

The Board of Agriculture was set up and Arthur Young, the new secretary, went round the country recording the progress of the revolution and others could read his report to find out more.

Agricultural shows with competitions were held and people could exchange ideas and see the latest things.

2828

But it wasn’t all good newsBut it wasn’t all good news

In addition there were change in the way the land looked from

open fields to a sort of patchwork quilt.Changes in the shape of a village

as people could build on their own land

New machines meant less people were needed to work the land - so there was unemployment, enclosure meant people lost land - this meant losing their homes as they had nowhere to grow food and there was little work- so they moved to towns.

2929

Was it a revolution?Was it a revolution?

Well, there were some dramatic and rapid changes in some villages but

really the whole thing was quite gradual. After all farming had been changing slowly for a long time. Enclosures had been

happening even in Tudor times. So perhaps it was more evolution than

revolution.

3030

HomeworkHomework

Think about how the villages changed between 1750 and the early nineteenth century.

Choose the 3 changes you think were most important and explain them. Say why you thought these were the most important