Ch. 18 - Unit 4b Economic & Social Changes in 1700s Flashcards
Natural Laws/Natural Rights
DEF: -Laws = body of laws/principles held derived from nature & binding on all human societies even in absence of written laws governing such matters
-Rights = rights which all ppl are entitled to, right 2 life, liberty & property; freedom of speech & religion, & equality b4 law
SIG: closely related 2 enlightenment –> absolute rulers = best hope of reforming society w/these principles
Enlightened Absolutism
DEF: abs. monarchy where ruler followed principles of enlightenment
SIG: distinguished from ordinary rulers, established path to modern nationhood
Balance of Power
DEF: distribution of power among several states such that no single nation can dominate or interfere w/interests of another
SIG: -large armies created 2 defend. states security & used in offensive purposes as well –> more 4 extending territories : Diplomacy!
Primogeniture
DEF: inheritance practice where eldest son receives all/largest share of parents’ estate
SIG: -oldest under attack b/c argued that all children need parent’s attention –> increase in breastfeeding, children’s toys
Agricultural Revolution
DEF: application of new agricultural techniques that allowed 4 large increases in productivity
SIG: -more farmland, increased crop yields per acre
-healthier & more abundant livestock
-improved climate
Enclosure Acts
DEF: Laws enacted in 18th cen. Britian, allowed large landowners to enclose old open fields, thereby combining many small farmers to become tenant farmers or wage laborers on large estates
SIG: -landlords could easily evict tenants
-Crop fields –> meadows (4 sheep & wool_
-new AG practices largely destroyed traditional patterns of English village life
Cottage Industry
DEF: system of textile manufacturing where spinners & weavers worked @ home in their cottages using raw materials supplied by capitalist entrepreneurs
Causes:Loss of Farmer’s Jobs, At home → produce quality textiles for a reasonable price
SIG: -family enterprise –> women & children could spin, men wove on looms
-Backbone of rural economy → rural development w/employment opportunities
Three Field System
DEF: Farmers split holdings into 3: autumn one third planted to wheat, barley, or rye,in the spring another third of land planted to oats, barley, & legumes to be harvested in late summer
-legumes (peas and beans) strengthened soil by nitrogen-fixing ability & improved human diet
Causes: Rainy weather, Crop Failure, Famine, Desire to have more food
Effect: Created a surplus of crops, increased pop., Economic prosperity, Strengthening Prosperity, Strengthening the soil, Less crop failure + famine because more food/higher food ratio
Crop Rotation
DEF: practice of planting different crops sequentially on the same plot of land
Causes: Poor Soil, Need of food, Pests in soil, Desire for better soil/foods of higher quality
Effect: Better soil, More nutrients / optimize nutrients in soil, Less pests + weeds, Biodiversity in farm
Seed Drill
Causes:Ineffective ways to sow seeds
-Horses stepped on plants during sowing, ruining plants
-Animals eating seeds + being dried up because they are too close to the sun (not covered by enough dirt)
-Desire for better sowing
Effect:-More effective way to sow; allowed for seeds in uniform rows
-Ensured seeds are safe from birds & animals
-Ensured seeds would not dry up
Selective Breeding
Causes: desire to produce better crops to feed & grow population
Effect: -Farm animals & crops increased dramatically in size and quality → better for ppl & market (growth!)
Enclosure Movement
Causes: to improve efficiency of Agricultural farming
Effect: -More Privately owned land
-Removal of rights from common ppl (many unemployed) → forced to move to urbanized cities to work → helped create a system that created a large workforce for the factories and mines (important to industrial rev.)
Enlightenment & Political Thought
-Enlightenment thinkers proposed new (radical) ideas about political leadership: Equality, Toleration, Common good, Separate branches of government, Monarchs ruled based on ability; not divine right, Natural laws & rights→ applied to all
-People needed a strong leader to preserve these rights/ideas, Monarchs should be enlightened: Property rights, Religious toleration, Foster arts, science, and education, Must obey the law & enforce them equally for all subjects
–> Only strong monarchs would be able to do this
France (not very enlightened, despite being center of Enlightenment)
-Louis XIV left country in massive debt, heavily focused on foreign affairs
-Rule of regents makes progress: Ends foreign involvement, Focuses on domestic affairs & production
-Louis XV lazy & allows to be influenced by others
-Louis XVI→ we’ll come back to you in Unit 5
England (Constitutional Monarchy)
-Parliament continues to gain more power over King
-Parliament dominated by wealthy landowners→ able to influence policy in their favor
-“Pocket boroughs”: reps in parliament usually gained power by bribing powerful people in boroughs for their “votes”
