The Agricultural Revolution

Question 1

Keyword: Householding (based economy)

Answer 1

Main production unit: The Household
* Household economic activities regulated by
village and guilds
* Medieval roots
* Competition discouraged (entmutigt)
* Insurance function
* Taxes/rents to state or nobility
* Disincentives for saving and investing

Question 2

Agriculture in Sweden before
industrialization

Answer 2

• Agricultural revolution: Production growth, 1720.
• Between 1815 and 1860 production grew by 60 to
  100% (or 1.0 to 1.2% per year)
• Growth strongest in areas with mix of arable and
  forest land
• Population grew from 1.8 to 3.5 million between
  1750 and 1860
• From net importer to net exporter of grain
• Production grows faster than population = increased
  productivity.
• Not possible according to Malthus!

Question 3

Causes of Agricultural Revolution

Answer 3

• Increase in
• Population growth
• Quality of work (literacy, innovations, efficiency)
• Intensity of work (technology, more time)
• Total land under cultivation (doubled between
  1750-1850)
• Type of land under cultivation
  (Wetlands/Wasteland could be farmed with high
  yields)
• So, land is no longer finite!
• Technological changes and
  improvements to existing
  techniques
• Land improvements:
• Investments (ditching, land consolidation, stone
  clearing, enclosure, farm buildings, machinery,
  livestock holdings, storage).
• Experimentation in technology
• Crop rotation, fallow periods
• Land reforms
• Enclosure: 1749, 1807, 1827 creates larger
  coherent farming units

Question 4

Enclosure reform

Answer 4

• Before enclosure
• Villages ordered in an open-field system,
  collective decision-making
• Major land reforms
• Storskifte, 1749. Enskifte, 1803: Southern
  Sweden. Laga skifte: 1827.
• Privatisation of land use
• Strengthened position of farmers
• Created more efficient units

Question 5

Three types of land ownership

Answer 5

• Crown land(kronojord)
• Tenant farmers on land owned by Crown
• Paid taxes to the crown, six-year tenancy
• 1680, inheritable right of possession (vererbares Recht auf Besitz)
• Tax land (skattejord)
• Freeholders paid taxes to the Crown, owned
  land
• Could lose right if not farmed or taxes not paid
• Noble land (frälsejord)
• Tenant farmers on land owned by nobility
• Exempt from Military Allotment System
• The Great Reduction (In the Great Reduction of 1680, by which the ancient landed nobility lost its power base, the Swedish Crown recaptured lands earlier granted to the nobility. Reductions (Swedish: reduktion) in Sweden and its dominions were the return to the Crown of fiefs that had been granted to the Swedish nobility.)

Question 6

Causes of Agricultural Revolution 2.0

Answer 6

• Institutional changes that benefitted farmers and
  agricultural development
• Better property rights after 1789
• Fixed tax/inflation in the 18th and 19th centuries
  erodes real taxes
• Farmers could sell products outside of controlled
  markets
• Results: Farmers could keep more surplus and
  invest it rather than consume it. But social
  differentiation between wealthier farmers and
  landless agricultural workers

Question 7

Summary agricultural Revolution

Answer 7

• Sweden’s agricultural revolution began
  around 1720
• Land reforms, greater technology, more
  capital investment
• Sustained population growth
• The state had merchantilistic policies and
  controlled in-land trade, home
  manufacturing

Question 8

Changing shope and political structure of Sweden

Answer 8

• Gustav Vasa and the Great Power Era (1523-
  1721)
• Reformation
• Intensive conflicts and warfare
• Territorial expansion: Scania, Pomerania, Livonia
  (Latvia, Estonia)
• Age of Freedom (1721-1772)
• Gustavian Era (1772-1809)
• Forms of Royal Absolutism
• Union and New Constitution (1809-1866)
• Lost Finland (12th century to 1809); Union with
  Norway 1814-1905)
• Industrializing period (1866-1905)

Question 9

The Riksdag of Estates

Answer 9

• Motion needed support of
  three of four of the estates;
  Nobility, Clergy, Burghers and
  Peasants.
• Political rights to those with
  income, land
• Riksmöte: Arboga, Uppsala
  1435-36
• Replaced with bicameral
  legislature in 1866
• Nobility, Clergy, Burghers, Peasants
• Nobility: Lost status after Great Reduction but still taxed
  less than peasants
  – Titled nobility and lower nobility.
  – Military service and government
• Clergy: Exempt from tax, state church
• Burghers (borgare/bourgeoisie)
  – “Urban”, tradesmen, craftsmen. Commerce and guilds
• Peasants: land and taxed; Tenant farmers after 1809
• No Estate representation for groups that lacked property