The

Agrarian
Revolution
 Objectives
➔ Define accurately important terms.
➔ Identify the types of economic revolution and political revolution.
➔ Outline the changes during the Agrarian Revolution.
➔ Discuss the factors that contributed to the Agrarian Revolution.
➔ Explain the impact the Agrarian revolution has on farming
communities.
➔ Draw a two column table highlighting the positive and negative effects
of the Agrarian revolution.
 Look, Listen and Learn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bE0-FNeSGs&amp
;t=23s

1. How was communal farmland changed?

2. Describe the three field crop rotation system

 What is a revolution?
A permanent far reaching or complete change in the
social, economic and political aspect of a country.

Many different social and political changes can be called

“revolutions” and there is no single correct way to
categorize them. However, it is still important to have a
general idea of what kinds of revolutions have occurred
in history.
 Characteristics of a Revolution
A revolution can be:
★ Sudden
★ Peaceful
★ Caused by an event or theory
★ Must be a need for things to change
★ Changes are long term
 Types of Revolution
Social Revolution - Revolution aiming to reorganize all
of society. E.g. The Civil Rights Movement in the United
States of America.

Political Revolution- A change in government or

leadership. Often times this revolution is violent. E.g.
French, American, Haitian and Cuban Revolutions.
 Types of Revolution (Cont’d)
Economic Revolution- A major change in goods and
services being produced and marketed. In this type of
revolution the production of a certain good begins on a
large scale. E.g. Agrarian and Industrial Revolution.
 Agrarian Revolution
The Agrarian Revolution refers to the significant and
fundamental changes that were made to the activities and
processes involved in the rearing of animals and
production of crops. This is considered period of
technological improvement and increased crop
productivity that occurred during the18th and early 19th
centuries in Europe. It also includes the drastic change in
the marketing of these goods.
 Major Changes / Causes of the Agrarian
Revolution
Enclosure Movement - Represented a revolutionary
change in the pattern of land ownership. A number of
capitalist brought several strips of neighbouring land
from small farmers or peasants and converted them into
large estates by enclosing or fencing them.
 Major Changes / Causes of the Agrarian
Revolution (Cont’d)
Improved Methods - This is referred to the inventions
and use of machinery. Machines replaced man and
animal in ploughing, harvesting, threshing and other
jobs, for example, reaper machine.

Scientifc farming and the development of chemical

fertilizers were used to improved agriculture. This was
extended to stockbreeding.
 Major Changes / Causes of the Agrarian
Revolution (Cont’d)
Food Preservation - Food were now produced at a
cheaper rate and in large quantities. This led to the
preservation of the excess in such a way that it will last
for a while. Two very important inventions were
introduced:
Canning
Refrigeration
 Factors that contributed to the Agrarian
Revolution
In addition to the major changes, the Agrarian Revolution
was as a result of the following:
★ The large scale growth of new crops
★ Demand for food by the growing urban population.
★ Demand for agricultural raw materials for the textile
industry.
★ Inventions of the horse drawn seed drill by Jethro
Tull
 Factors that contributed to the Agrarian
Revolution (Cont’d)
★ Selective breeding of livestock which led to increased
animal product.
★ Introduction of new farming tools and methods.
★ Perfection of the horse drawn seed press (less labour
intensive and more productive).
 Definition of Important Terms
Technological innovation – The discovery of new
technological ideas that make life and work easier.

Industrial revolution - The movement in which

machines changed people’s way of life as well as their
methods of manufacture. The period of time during
which work began to be done more by machines in
factories than by hand at home.
 Definition of Important Terms
Agrarian- Relating to cultivated land or the cultivation
of land.

Medieval - Relating to the Middle Ages about AD 600 to

AD 1500.

Enclosure Movement- The process or policy of fencing

communal lands as private property. First began in
England.
 Definition of Important Terms
Seed drill – Is a sowing device that position seeds in the
soil and then covers them in.

Crop rotation - The cultivation of different crops in a

specified order on the same field.

Mechanization - is the process of changing from

working largely or exclusively by hand or with animals
to doing that work with machinery.
 Definition of Important Terms
Fertilizers - any material of natural or synthetic origin
that is applied to soils or to plant tissues (usually leaves)
to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the
growth of plants.

Marling - A friable earthy deposit consisting of clay and

calcium carbonate, used especially as a fertilizer for soils
deficient in lime.