Agricultural Revolution Effects and Social Movements

Agricultural Revolution: Changes and Consequences

1. The Agricultural Revolution caused changes in land ownership: the English Parliament passed laws to force the enclosing of property and to legalize enclosures. There were also changes in farming techniques, such as the introduction of the four‑year rotation system with nitrogen‑fixing plants, which act as a natural fertilizer. The suppression of fallow periods increased the extent of cultivation and led to greater food availability. It also spurred technical progress in agriculture, including the emergence of new types of plows.

2. The Agricultural Revolution led to a demographic revolution because increased food supplies raised life expectancy. The demographic changes provided labor for industry and caused higher demand, which stimulated industrial production.

3. Agriculture also contributed to the technological revolution, since many early mechanized jobs were in agriculture. The technical revolution replaced manual labor with a variety of machines; besides agricultural applications, its major impact was in the textile industry.

4. Increased agricultural production and population growth enabled the development of trade. The commercial revolution had several basic features: imports of raw materials; control of the slave trade between Africa and the Americas; re‑export of tropical products to the rest of Europe; and the sale of cotton fabrics when domestic requirements were exceeded.

5. Population growth resulting from agricultural change led to a revolution in production systems. This introduced new work systems, typically three: the traditional system, where artisans performed all tasks themselves; the domestic (home) system, where work was part‑time or carried out at home; and the factory system, where work was performed by machines.

Social Movements: Luddites, Chartists, Utopian Socialists

1. Between the Luddite movement and the Chartists, a similarity was that some members sought to achieve their goals by force; however, not all Chartists supported violence. A key difference is that the Luddites aimed to stop the Industrial Revolution, while Chartism sought social reform through democratic means, calling for universal suffrage.

2. Between the Luddite movement and Utopian Socialism, the similarity was that both sought to end capitalism because of perceived social injustice. The difference was that Luddites favored violence, while Utopian Socialism did not.

3. Utopian Socialism and Chartism both sought social reform. Utopian Socialism developed mainly in France and was a theoretical reaction; Chartism occurred in Britain and was a practical reaction.

4. In general, they shared the idea of wanting to change the system in which they lived, but not the means of doing so. The Luddite movement would break machines because they took jobs; Chartism aimed to change the political system; and Utopian Socialism sought to address social problems philosophically, but its proposals were often never implemented.