The Second Agricultural Revolution (College Board AP® Human Geography)

The Second Agricultural Revolution was a period of sustained agricultural growth between the 17th and 19th centuries, particularly in Britain

• The end of the Second Agricultural Revolution coincided with the Industrial Revolution

• It benefited from the increase in the production of agricultural equipment and technologies 

New, industrial technology was used to increase agricultural production and distribution

• New technologies introduced in the period include the:

  • seed drill

  • McCormick Reaper

  • cotton gin

Increases in livestock breeding also occurred during this period

The improvements in transportation, such as the steam engine, resulted in faster and quicker distribution of agricultural products

Enclosure laws, restricted what had once been public land to private use

The laws:

• increased the size of private farms

• contributed to the increase in commercial production of agriculture that characterized the Second Agricultural Revolution

The Second Agricultural Revolution created a surplus of food production which resulted in:

• better diets for the general population

• longer life expectancies

• significant population growth

The Second Agricultural Revolution resulted in fewer farms 

• The farms that remained were both larger and more productive

Increases in agricultural technology meant that fewer people were needed to work on farms

• Machinery (e.g. seed drills and plows) could do the work of many laborers

  • This also increased production 

As a result of an increased population and fewer people working in agriculture, more people were available to work in factories 

• This led to urbanization and shifting demographics

  • More people moved to cities and fewer remained as farmers in rural areas

The enclosure movement involved the privatization of common lands into individually owned, private farms

The enclosure movement resulted in the emergence of commercial agriculture:

• Farms were now managed for profit, focusing on crop yields and demands from the market

• It resulted in fewer but larger farms, increasing efficiency

• There was a decrease in the number of farm owners, which, along with improvement in farming techniques, led to a decrease in agricultural laborers

• Many of these people then moved to cities to look for industrial work

• New farming techniques, such as crop rotation and systematic planting became more widespread