The Expansion of Europe in the Eighteenth Century

Introduction to Chapters 19 and 20 Chapter 19: Expansion of Europe in the 18 th Century Chapter 20 The Changing Life of the People Life for the majority of people was still a struggle in the 18 th Century: Poverty and Uncertainty was still common, still like the Middle Ages. Life went on, History went on. Yet the economic basis of European life was beginning to change and it was the rising Atlantic powers: Netherlands, France and especially England and colonies leading the way. Expansion of agriculture, industry, trade and population created new opportunities and challenges.

I. Agriculture and the Land

A. Before the Agricultural Revolution 1.80% of Western Europe agriculture, worked to raise food for themselves and their landlords. 2.Harvest Cycle Very low output: One bushel of seeds yields only 3 o 5 bushels of grain. 3.Famine Foods 4.Open-field system, which kept one-third to one-half of the land fallow. 5.Used ancient tools: Plow, hoe, rake, shovel. 6.Common lands.

7. The Gleaners by Jean-François Millet

B. The Agricultural Revolution 1.By the middle of the 17 th century intensive farming was well established throughout the Low Countries. Enclosed fields Crop rotation, wide variety of crops Heavy manuring Highly specialized and commercialized

The Low Countries “the Mecca of foreign agricultural experts who came…to see Flemish agriculture with their own eyes, to write about it and to propagate its methods in their home lands.” 2. Why?

The Low Countries

C. The Best Students: England Low Countries England

1. Cornelius Vermuden

2. Jethro Tull ( ) Seed Drill

3. Charles “Turnip” Townshed Crop Rotation: Four Field System Turnips and turnip leaves or “greens”

Today: Harvest Yields One Bushel of Seeds yields: –40 Bushels of Soybeans. –50 Bushels of Wheat. –150 Bushels of Corn.

4. Robert Bakewell ( )

C. The Best Students: England 5. Arthur Young ( ) wrote Annals of Agriculture 6. Albrecht Thaer in wrote Introduction to the Knowledge of English Agriculture

D. The Enclosure Movement

1.In the 1500s, the land-owning aristocracy began to enclose/fence their lands for pasture for sheep. 2.Between 1760 to 1830, Parliament passed a series of laws, Enclosure Acts. The majority of Parliament were large landowners. 3.Ends medieval practice of common lands, driving the peasants off the land.

D. The Enclosure Movement 4. Large landowners employed new farming techniques and machines that led to increased profits. 5. Larger fields means more profit. 6. Small farmers can’t compete with the larger, more efficient farmers.

7. Results of the Enclosure Movement a.Rise of a market-oriented estate agriculture. b.The emergence of a landless rural proletariat (worker): Worked long hours, six days a week Completely dependent on cash wages Proletarianization: from peasant farmers to landless rural wage earners

II. Population Explosion

A. Introduction 1.The eighteenth century was the beginning of the “population explosion.” 2.This explosion continued in Europe until the twentieth century and in time spread to the rest of the world.

World Population Growth

Europe’s Population 1700: 100 to 120 million 1800: 190 million 1850: 260 million

B. European Population Growth 1.Before 1700, European population pattern followed an irregular pattern. 2.High birth rates with high death rates. 3.Famine, disease and war could have lead to tragic periods. 4.Famine weakened a population, disease finished it off.

C. New Pattern of Population Growth 1.In the 18 th Century, the population of Europe began to grow markedly, especially dramatic after 1750.

2. Main reason, fewer deaths a.Bubonic plague mysteriously disappeared. b.No medical advances, except inoculation against smallpox. c.Improvements in the water supply and sewerage. d.Canal and road building in western Europe. e.Wars not as destructive, fewer epidemics. f.New foods, particularly the potato from South America, were introduced.

3. Population Explosion a. Famine reduced because of the vast quantities of food being produced by the Agricultural Revolution. b. People ate a more balanced diet, contributing to overall better health. c. A better diet for women made them able to have stronger babies. d. Vaccines were developed against diseases such as smallpox.

Clincher Sentence Topic sentence: New York is an exciting city. Body of Evidence: New York has a population of more than 12 million people with a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds plus a massive tourist draw, attracting visitors from all over the world. Furthermore, there are innumerable museums, attractions, restaurants and bars. Clincher sentence: It is clear from the infinite variety of entertainment offerings that New York City is an exciting place.