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History-SB > T4: What impact did agriculture have on the economy? > Flashcards

T4: What impact did agriculture have on the economy? Flashcards

1
Q

why were new and more efficient agricultural techniques required in this period?

A

to supply for the increasing population and avoid famine

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2
Q

how did the agricultural production in Britain compare to the rest of Europe in the 1640s?

A

By 1640s, agricultural production in Britain exceeded all other European countries, apart from Holland

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3
Q

statistic for the agricultural production in Britain?

A

By 1640s, agricultural production in Britain exceeded all other European countries, apart from Holland

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4
Q

stat for average number of days worked? what does this show?

A

In 1700, the average number of days worked per agricultural family was 405, compared with 266 in 1450- reflects both demand for increased production and drive for efficiency

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5
Q

what was enclosure?

A

The fencing off of common land, including smallholdings, into larger blocks of land under a single landowner

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6
Q

when did enclosure begin?

A

began in the medieval period, but intensified in the 17th century

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7
Q

why did enclosure intensify in this period?

A

meant crop production wasn’t duplicated as fewer rivals would exist in each region- would allow farms to specialise. Also could be combined with separate pastures for animals.

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8
Q

what was the impact of enlosure?

A
  • increased efficiency
  • protests from small landowners
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9
Q

what is an example of people being pushed off land?

A

Sherrington, Buckinghamshire- modest freeholders who had been gaining land since C16th driven out after 1660

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10
Q

what fuelled protests over enclosure?

A

the fact that some areas that had not adopted widespread enclosure were still agriculturally successful e.g. Oxfordshire

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11
Q

how significant was enlosure?

A
  • huge change in how agricultural and rural labour organised
  • partially widespread
  • not radical
  • long-lasting
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12
Q

what areas of Britain was enclosure adopted?

A

yes: SE, Midlands
no: North, West, Scotland

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13
Q

what was Charles I’s policy towards enclosure?

A

active anti-enclosure policy

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14
Q

how were water meadows created?

A

diverted water from nearby river or stream to a field, regulated by network of dams

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15
Q

were water meadows new?

A

no - had been in use for at least 100 years before 1625, but use increased dramatically in 17th century

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16
Q

why were water meadows used? what was their use?

A

meant soil always damp- reduced chance of frost in early spring and encouraged grass to grow earlier.
sheep and cattle can feed in early spring and then be moved so grass can be harvested for hay for summer

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17
Q

what was the impact of water meadows?

A
  • farmers could keep more working and non-working animals
  • number of working horses doubled: 300,000 in 1600 to 630,000 in 1700
  • more non-working animals- due to enclosure increased number of individual breeds of sheep/ cattle could be kept in single enclosures- meant for example that could intensively breed breed of sheep that produced most wool for cloth industry
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18
Q

how significant were water meadows?

A
  • large change
  • not radical
  • relatively widespread
  • long-lasting - still in use today
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19
Q

when did the development of new farming techniques begin?

A

under Tudors but spread widely under the Stuarts

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20
Q

why did the use of new farming techniques increase after 1600?

A

increased levels of literacy after 1660

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21
Q

who were able to make use of books about farming techniques?

A

yeomen and husbandmen

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22
Q

give an example of a farming techniques author?

A

Walter Blith

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23
Q

what did books about farming techniques increase awareness about?

A
  • optimising land use
  • soil types
24
Q

what other technique allowed farming techniques to be put into use?

A

enclosure

25
Q

what is crop rotation?

A

rotation of crops between different fields based on suitability of soil and to allow nutrients in soil to recover

26
Q

how did enclosure help crop rotation?

A

previously, only 2/3 of fields were in use. after enclosure, more fields generally for rotation

27
Q

what was the impact of crop rotation?

A
  • less land left fallow:
    1420: just over 7 mill acres used for arable farming, 3 mill fallow
    1700: 9 mill acres used, 1.8 mill fallow
  • more efficient (more land= more yield = more profit)
  • new crops could be introduced and experimented with
28
Q

were new crops new?

A

yes- brought over by Dutch immigrants

29
Q

give some examples of new crops

A

frost-resistant turnip, clover, potatoes, asparagus, artichokes

30
Q

who was responsible for promoting Dutch innovations in Britain?

A

writer Samuel Hartlib

31
Q

what did Samuel Hartlib promote?

A

Dutch innovations e.g. nitrogen rich cabbage and clover

32
Q

what did nitrogen rich crops do?

A

help fertilise soil for following year

33
Q

what was the main impact of new crops?

A

more economical e.g. frist resistant turnip- made farming more efficient and profitable

34
Q

how significant were new farming techniques (crop rotation and new crops)?

A
  • large change
  • partially radical
  • relatively widespread
  • long-lasting - still in use today
35
Q

what part of the country was more suited to arable farming?

A

South Eastw

36
Q

what part of the country was more suited to pastoral farming?

A

North and West

37
Q

why could farmers specialise in types of farming more suited to local conditions at this point?

A

improved transport infrastructure and development of national markets

38
Q

who benefited the most from specialised farming?

A

large landowners such as aristocracy and gentry, also yeomen

39
Q

why did large landowners benefit most from specialised farming?

A

more shielded from bad harvests- able to take risks and experiment with new techniques and crops

40
Q

who benefited less from specialisation?

A

husbandmen

41
Q

how much land did husbandmen farm?

A

less than 40 acres

42
Q

why did husbandmen not benefit so much from specialisation?

A

risky to experiment with new crops and techniques. could make a profit if dedicated to just one crop, but this was risky so they were slow to change.

43
Q

who suffered because of enclosure?

A

small tenants - smallholding became an unsustainable employment

44
Q

how did agricultural employment change as a result of enclosure?

A

number of wage-dependent labourers on large farms grew, and small farmers decreased

45
Q

stat for number of people employed as labourers?

A

estimated 364,000 families employed as labourers by 1688 (over 1 million people)

46
Q

what were the wages like for labourers on big farms?

A

secure, but real value decreased because of inflation throughout the 17th century

47
Q

how did labourers supplement their wages in order to feed their families?

A

many also worked in small scale cloth industry

48
Q

stat for those involved in skilled crafts?

A

240,000 people involved in skilled crafts by 1700

49
Q

apart from large farms, where else could secure work be found?

A

in growing towns, especially ports, although often needed a 7yr apprenticeship

50
Q

why did many smallholders become tenant farmers on larger farms?

A

more profitable

51
Q

where did large farms dominate?

A

Midlands, East Anglia, South-East

52
Q

where did small farms dominate?

A

North and South-West

53
Q

who was most able to invest in large-scale modernisation of farms?

A

higher gentry and aristocracy

54
Q

what were the higher gentry and aristocracy able to do that most yeomen and husbandman weren’t?

A

invest in large scale modernisation of farms

55
Q

stat for size of large farms?

A

in East Anglia, some farms were over 500 acres in size

56
Q

were there more small or large farms?

A

small family farms still outnumbered large ‘capital farms’

57
Q

how did large landowners profit from have tenant famers?

A

charged high rent and tenants expected to maintain buildings at own expense.
therefore needed to specialise to make enough money to pay rent.
landlords would offer loans to help specialise- landlords expected to profit from their increased production due to specialisation

History-SB (26 decks)

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