CAMBRIDGE 9489/1
SOURCE PRACTICE-CAUSES
SOURCE A
Agricultural output in Britain had increased in the century before 1750 and a
variety of new techniques for improving output had been developed. The other
significant change to occur before 1750 was the move towards larger farm units.
These developments led to a gradual change in attitudes towards agriculture.
Farming was seen increasingly as a way of making money and not just as a way to
feed a family. For a long time, these changes were referred to as the ‘Agricultural
Revolution’, but that term is now rarely used, as the changes happened over such a
long period of time. However, it is agreed that, after 1750 there was a rapid spread
of new ideas and practices in Britain and a growing entrepreneurial attitude
towards agriculture. The factors which played a major part in increasing both the
quality and quantity of agricultural output were:
the enclosure movement and the growth of larger farming units improved
soil fertility
crop rotation
selective livestock breeding
better cereal cultivation: wheat/corn, barley, oats and rye
the spread of scientific knowledge about farming.
A report by a British government official delivered in Parliament in 1760.
SOURCE B
The enclosure movement broke up the traditional farming units that had belonged
to a small community, and merged them into a larger unit owned by a single
individual. This process had started decades before 1750, but moved much faster
between 1750 and 1800. The traditional agricultural unit in much of southern and
central England was known as the ‘open field’ system. Families cultivated small
strips of land in various parts of the village and also had the right to let their
animals feed on common land. In order to prevent soil exhaustion, up to 35% of
the cultivated land was left fallow each year. The aim of this type of cultivation
was to produce sufficient food to feed a family, and, if things went well, a surplus
which could be sold at market.
The ‘fallow’ system was wasteful, however, with potentially productive land
unused each year. Livestock shared the same grazing land, which made it difficult
to breed quality animals. Overall, it was not a productive method of farming.
Enclosure meant that farming land was joined into larger units of 100 acres or
more. The original peasant farmers lost their various rights to use common land for
their animals, and the fields were hedged and ditched. Often the process required
an Act of Parliament, a complex and expensive legal process. Enclosure put
farmers out of business and this caused rural-urban migration lading to urban
squalor.
An account of a disgruntled peasant farmer in 1780
SOURCE C
Britain was fortunate in 1750, compared with other nations, in having good
foundations on which to develop industrialisation. Its agricultural system was
capable of feeding a growing population, including the rapidly increasing section
of the population who lived in cities and did not produce their own food.
The general good health of this population and its willingness to be mobile were
additional benefits. The country’s banking system and currency were stable. There
was capital available and a willingness to invest it in new commercial ventures.
Similarly, an increasingly wealthy population were anxious to buy the goods and
luxuries being produced and imported. The country’s enormous supply of coal was
supplemented by the overseas empire, which produced other raw materials such as
cotton, and created a further great demand for manufactured goods. These colonies
could also provide additional foodstuffs to those grown at home. Some excellent
ports, navigable rivers and canals helped to transport all these goods. The stable
social structure meant that society’s leaders, the aristocracy, were happy to invest
in commerce and industry, and so make money. The aristocracy dominated
parliament and the government, and were supportive of industrialisation. Britain
was also politically stable, with an attempted invasion by the Scots in 1745
defeated.
However it was involved in several overseas conflicts, but these stimulated
manufacturing and gained Britain many colonies. Even the climate was helpful.
The mild and damp weather conditions were particularly suitable for the
development of textile industries.
British contemporary historian in (The historical journal, 2020)
SOURCE D
Foreign trade was an important feature of the British economy in the decades
before 1750. Those who wished to sell goods abroad found there was a well-
established system to assist them. The Royal Navy was the most powerful in the
western world at the time and saw as one of its principal functions – after
defending the country – protecting and advancing British trading interests
overseas. The government and influential parliament at the time were determined
to protect and develop British trade. The government raised much of the income it
needed to run the country through taxes on imports and exports, but was willing to
adjust, or even end, such taxes if they were felt to damage trade in any way.
Some of the country’s rivers leading to major ports, such as Bristol and Liverpool,
were developed as far as possible to make it easy to import and export goods.
There was huge investment in the ports themselves to make them more efficient.
As early as 1700, groups of British merchants placed agents, known as ‘factors’, in
major ports throughout the world, from China to South America. These men were
responsible for importing goods to Britain but, above all, for developing markets
for British goods overseas. While domestic demand for manufactures steadily
increased in the early 18th century, foreign demand grew at a faster rate. Not only
could the factors sell every item of woollen cloth and cotton that they could import,
but demand around the world was rising for British manufactured goods such as
those made from pottery, glass and metal. Manufacturers in Britain knew that they
could sell abroad almost anything they could make and that the means were there
to ensure the goods arrived and their profits returned.
Adapted from a French diplomat who resided in London between
1720 – 1730.
QUESTIONS
1a) Compare and contrast the views in Sources A and B on the impact of
agriculture on Industrialisation. [15]
b) How far do all the sources agree that agriculture was the only cause of the
Industrial revolution. [25]
