The Second Agricultural Revolution And the Industrial Revolution

17th century-1914

By Sarah and KisunSet 1

Surplus Advances

• As we saw in Germs, Guns, and Steel, there is an undeniable relationship between food and technology. In short, when people find ways to grow more food, population growth follows and subsequently new technologies. The Second Agricultural Revolution pertains to an new farming technologies in the seventeenth century that led to the Industrial Revolution.

Tools and Techniques

• Innovations in farming tools and techniques were a huge part of the Second Agricultural Revolution. These advances increased the efficiency of farming and created a surplus, allowing population growth and paving the way for the Industrial Revolution. Among these tools and techniques are steel plow, reaper, tractor, selective breeding and crop rotation. These were the first steps into modern civilization.

Plows

• Plows have been used since the Middle Ages. A plow consists of a cast-iron share that is pulled by an animal (usually a horse or ox.) Since these plows were found to be ineffective on heavy American soil, John Deere invented a steel plowshare to replace iron plows. This improvement made food easier to attain.

Mechanical Reaper• Though steel plows greatly

helped the planting of crops, the mechanical reaper, invented by Cyrus McCormick in 1834, eased the grain harvest. As opposed to scythes, the reaper automatically cuts and bundles grain stalks, making the harvest of grain much faster than it was before.

Tractor

• Before tractors, animals were used for mechanical energy (for plowing or moving hay bales.) Tractors are faster and lower in cost. In this way, food is produced faster.

These tools increased production in America, and allowed American crops to diffuse to Europe to fuel European industrialization.

Selective Breeding

• Selective breeding involves choosing two animals with desirable traits and breeding them to create superior offspring. As this developed during the second Agricultural Revolution, farmers were able to produce stronger, smarter, faster animals.

Crop Rotation• Though new tools helped create a

surplus, farmers were hindered by pests and soil depletion. As an improvement, Crop Rotation was developed. The process involves growing different crops at different times of year. Because different crops pull different nutrients from the soil, growing a variety of plants would ensure that soil would remain fertile and rich. Farmers began to add animal fertilizer as well. As an added benefit, pests would be cut off from their food sources for at least part of the year and would have to migrate or die.

Crop Rotation (Continued)• Charles Townshend popularized the idea of

Crop Rotation in Britain (Four Field System involving barley, wheat, turnips, cloves). A well known American agriculturalist, George Washington Carver, introduced a form of crop rotation to the United States. Because US soil was depleted from overplanting of cotton, which takes nutrients from soil, he showed American farmer how to plant soil enriching crops, like peanuts. Crop Rotations protects soil from pests and depletion.

Industrialization• These inventions, though seemingly

trivial, all created more food for more people. This excess freed up much of the work force. People who once had farm jobs moved to cities to pursue careers in industry. (This contributed to urbanization-the growth of cities.) Like its predecessor, the Second Agricultural Revolution provided the means necessary for mankind to take the next step.

New Technologies

• The Industrial Revolution began in the eighteenth century and ended in 1914. During this time, people moved away from farm communities and into cities. They took jobs in manufacturing. In response to the growing demand for goods, many technologies were developed to increase production. Henry Ford invented the assembly line, which moves goods from worker to worker. Water was a main power source. Because of the demand, goods were mass produced and low in quality.

Responding to Industrialization

• The age of industry brought corruption, worker abuses, child labor and patronage. Political bosses arose and average people were powerless. The government intervened to restore the working man and end unfair politics. Laws were passed to regulate businesses. Teddy Roosevelt passed the Square Deal in 1910 to create fairness in the economy. The Industrial Revolution ended in 1914 when WWI began.

How does this relate to today?

• The Industrial Revolution led us into an age of manufacturing. The products produced allowed us to move into our modern day society, which is post-industrial and based on ideas and services. Therefore, the 2nd Agricultural Revolution and Industrial Revolution were vital in shaping our world today.

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