Global Economy 9: Revolutions in Agriculture and Proto-Industry

Question 1

What was the “Agricultural Revolution”?

Include Overton’s quote

Answer 1

• A series of technological and institutional advances in
  agriculture that dramatically increased productivity and
  output
• “Three sets of criteria can be identified … as…constituting the
  grounds for …an ‘agricultural revolution’. The first of these
  embraces a wide variety of changes in farming techniques …
  the second is the fact that English agriculture was successful
  in responding to the challenge of feeding a growing
  population… the third is the view that an ‘agricultural
  revolution’ is best characterised as an increase in output
  brought about by improvements in productivity. (Overton,
  1996)”

Question 2

What can the Agricultural Revolution be broken down into?

Answer 2

• The Agricultural Revolution is usually broken into 3 phrases
  1. “Yeoman’s Revolution” (16C/17C)
  2. “Landlord’s Revolution” (18C)
  3. “19C Revolution” (1800-1850)

Question 3

Describe the line graph of agricultural labour productivity over the years which includes: England, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Netherlands. Why is it useful?

Answer 3

• It depicts the English Agricultural Evolution
• Belgium steadily fell in productivity from ~1.46 output per worker in 1400 to ~1.1 output per worker in 1800
• Netherlands was fairly steady at ~1.3 output per worker from 1500 to 1600 ansd then rapidly grew to ~1.42 output per worker by 1800
• Spain fell steadily from ~1 output per worker in 1400 to ~0.78 output per worker in 1600; then it grew to ~.89 output per worker by 1700 and then rapidly fell again to ~0.5 output per worker by 1800 - England steadily grew from ~0.8 output per worker to ~1 output per worker by 1500; then, it fell hard to ~0.76 output per worker by 1600; finally, it rapidly grew to ~1.42 output per worker by 1800, matching the Netherlands
• Italy fluctuated drastically between 1300 and 1700, ranging from ~0.71 output per worker in 1300 to ~0.9 output per worker in 1400; then, it finally fell to 0.58 output per worker by 1800

Question 4

What were the technological and institutional advances during the Agricultural Revolution?

Answer 4

• “Floating” of water meadows
• The introduction of new fodder crops (clover, sainfoin and
  ryegrass)
• Application of new arable rotations (Norfolk 4 field rotation
• wheat, turnips, barley, clover)
• Heavier use of manures (Guano and Coprolite)
• Regional specialisation (Hops, vegetables, fruit, pigs, poultry
  and cattle vrs. cereals)
  Animal husbandry (selective breeding)
• Introduction of machines (self-binders, reapers, mowers,
  horse-rakes, seeders, harrows, ploughs, scrapers, rollers,
  cultivators, fanning mills, threshing machines, etc.)
• Consolidation of estates
• Large scale/capitalist farming
• Enclosure → privatising common wastes, pastures and open
  fields

Question 5

Explain what is meant by ‘“floating” of water meadows’?

Include definition of ‘water meadow’

Answer 5

A water-meadow (also water meadow or watermeadow) is an area of grassland subject to controlled irrigation to increase agricultural productivity. Water-meadows were mainly used in Europe from the 16th to the early 20th centuries. Water-meadow irrigation did not aim to flood the ground, but to keep it continuously damp – a working water-meadow has no standing water. Irrigation in early spring kept frosts off the ground and so allowed grass to grow several weeks earlier than otherwise, and in dry summer weather irrigation kept the grass growing. It also allowed the ground to absorb any plant nutrients or silt carried by the river water – this fertilised the grassland, and incidentally also reduced eutrophication of the river water by nutrient pollution. The grass was used both for making hay and for grazing by livestock (usually cattle or sheep)

Question 6

Explain the coming of the 2 views on enclosure

Answer 6

• The dispute over enclosure is a conflict between the Goths
  and the Vandals (barbarians) of open fields and the
  civilization of enclosures (Young, 1809)
• The full benefits of drainage and root crops were not possible
  without enclosure… The land must be freed from
  communal restrictions that held back the numbers of
  livestock and technical improvements (Wilson 1984)
• Enclosure was a plain enough case of class robbery, played
  according to the fair rules of property and law laid down by a
  parliament of property-owners and lawyer (Thompson, 1963). Ironically, this was good for the IR

Question 7

State the 2 important debates on enclosure

Answer 7

• (1) Was enclosure good for growth and well being?
• (2) When did enclosure impact the economy?

Question 8

Describe the coming of the debate, ‘were enclosures good for growth and well-being?’

Answer 8

• Enclosure is one of the most debated events in British history
• Enclosure Acts (1750) greatly increased the rate and the
  spread of enclosure
• Some have argued that productive yeoman (peasant) farmers
  were pushed off their land by rent seeking landlords
• Others argue that enclosure removed small (less productive)
  present farmers and squatters
• Were these landless poor the new labour force that became
  available for industrialisation? → Marx used enclosure in his
  theory
• Timing of Enclosure Acts has linked the Agricultural
  Revolution with the IR
  Who should we believe on enclosure?