ENCLOSURE MOVEMENT
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The Industrial Revolution had several causes, but one of the most important was the impact of the Agricultural Revolution. The Agricultural Revolution many involved innovations in farming that led to a dramatic increase in food production. For example, Charles Townshend’s idea of crop rotation allowed farmers to grow more food, while Jethro Tull’s seed drill allowed faster and more efficient farming practices. While these were important features of the Agricultural Revolution, there was another that also had a big impact on the Industrial Revolution.
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Another important feature of the Agricultural Revolution was the Enclosure Movement. In the decades and centuries before the 1700s, British farmers planted their crops on small strips of land while allowing their animals to graze on common fields shared collectively. However, in the 1700s, the British parliament passed legislation, referred to as the Enclosure Acts, which allowed the common areas to become privately owned. This led to wealthy farmers buying up large sections of land in order to create larger and more complex farms. Ultimately, this forced smaller farmers off of their land. Having lost their way of life, many of these farmers went to local towns and cities in search of work. This was important to the overall Industrial Revolution, because it helped create a system that created a large workforce for the factories and mines.
In general, the Enclosure Movement involved the British parliament passing a series of acts that allowed increased private ownership, which was a key characteristic of the Industrial Revolution. It forced the poor people to migrate to centralized locations such as industrial cities and towns and to seek work in factories and mines. Therefore, historians often view it as one of the main causes of the Industrial Revolution.
In general, the Enclosure Movement involved the British parliament passing a series of acts that allowed increased private ownership, which was a key characteristic of the Industrial Revolution. It forced the poor people to migrate to centralized locations such as industrial cities and towns and to seek work in factories and mines. Therefore, historians often view it as one of the main causes of the Industrial Revolution.