Enclosure

During the expansion of Europe, Enclosure played a big role in the farming, which later leads to the Industrial movement. In the low countries, enclosed fields, heavy manuring and continuous rotation, of a wide variation of crops were all present innovations. When Jethro Tull adopted the attitude towards accepted ideas about farming, he tried to develop better ways through empirical research. He was very interested in using horses instead of oxen, and sowing seed, rather than doing it by hand. These innovations made planting crops much easier and faster, which made it easier to create more finished product to sell. In 1870 english farmers were producing over 300% more food than they were in 1700. By the mid 18th century, then english agriculture was on its way to a big transformation.

Eventually, parliament passed the "enclosure acts" which allowed people to put up fences in common areas, and the fields in villages and open fields. Tenant farmers, who had perviously been independent workers, were key to mastering the new methods of farming. They were the ones who fenced the fields, built drains and improved the soil with fertilizers. This improvement actually made the employment rates for people in the area. The rise of workers, and crop production, made the population grow which led to the growth of the cottage industry which was mostly rural workers, working in their own home, sometimes spinning wool, and wood. This was considered a small industry. This small industry was able to grow, once the peasants gained recognition from people in the towns, and they were able to make more because they had money to buy their own materials. This eventually lead to the Textile Industry, which was a huge improvement for Europe.

288 words