Consequences Of The Agricultural Revolution

Innovation is a process in which there will be a change in ideas, concepts, and methods, which have a significant influence on society whether it be positive or negative. During the Agricultural Revolution, there are a lot of innovations that caused the Industrial Revolution, where there was even more innovation! These new ideas, such as inventions, made society more productive and effective. However, there were also some negative effects of these new constructive methods. Even in the current day, there are new and unique innovations that alter the way of the whole world. Throughout time, innovations have adjusted the way individuals and society accomplish everything and anything more adequately and functionally.

An era of technological development and improved crop production that occurred in Europe during the 18th and early 19th centuries was the Agricultural Revolution. New cultivating strategies and improved animal breeding have contributed to increased food productions which permitted population and health to increase. A primary thing that was enhanced during the Agricultural Revolution is farming.  There is a collection of pictures in Document 1 that illustrate how agriculture evolved from the Agricultural Revolution to the present day. In the first illustration, all the steps of farming are done manually. There are minor improvements, from technology advancements, as the image progresses, which makes each aspect of farming somewhat more manageable until farming becomes effortless. As farming evolved easier, fewer people were needed for working the land, so people began to slowly migrate to cities.

The Agricultural Revolution paved the way for Britain's Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution was a time where goods began to be manufactured in large quantities by machines in factories. As people began to relocate to the urban areas due to urbanization, there needed to be changed to compensate for the people. One way to sustain the growing population was to industrialize goods. The first thing that was industrialized was the textile industry. In Document 2, one can see how machinery was used to mass-produce clothing. This was the first thing to be industrialized because as the population was growing so was the demand for clothing. There were also other new ideas that helped with industrialization, such as the assembly line and steel. Not only were these new ideas and forms of machinery used for mass production, but they also allowed goods to cost less and be assembled faster.

But the Industrial Revolution wasn’t all good, “Although there are several positives to the Industrial Revolution there were also many negative elements, including poor working conditions, poor living conditions, low wages, child labor, and pollution.”(historycrunch.com) The working conditions were poor because working in factories were unsafe and unsanitary. Living conditions were insufficient because there were many people living in slums due to the big population. There were low wages because there weren’t enough jobs, so if one didn’t like what they were getting paid they could just be replaced. Also, there were fewer jobs needed in factories because of the new machines, and while this was good for business owners, the people that needed jobs were not pleased that the machines were taking their place. There was an increase in child labor to earn more money for families in order to survive. Also, there was an increase in pollution from the overpopulated cities and factories.  As new innovations began to have a great effect on the economy in Europe, it began to spread globally. 

As the Industrial Revolution spread, so did the collaboration of ideas and the sharing of goods. The worldwide marketplace began growing, where commercial deals regularly cover the globe. Before there was globalization, countries only traded among themselves, only used products that were made by their country, and consumed their countries’ food. However in Document 4, after globalization, the world took a turn and never went back. For example,  “Whole countries have seen their fortunes soar as foreign investment has poured in...” Once the world began to interact with itself, so many opportunities were created. When global investments began to pour in, whole nations have seen their economies soar. But this was just the beginning of the world transformation, “Over the last two centuries trade has grown remarkably, completely transforming the global economy.” (ourworldindata.org). In the current day, world transactions have become an essential part of the economy. The quantity of exported goods is more than 40 times higher today than they were in 1913. But the amount of international trade that occurred is not the only thing that developed over time. 

In the current day, there have also been so many new advancements and strategies when it comes to cultivation. “Today, there is a wide new frontier for science and innovation in agriculture. There are many ways to grow food and fiber, and so much to learn about the science of growing crops.  Modern farming is full of opportunities for agricultural partnerships with scientists in fields that range from biology to robotics.” (new farmers.usda). The techniques of farming have progressed so much since the Agricultural Revolution. Farmers have implemented new science and technology to make farming considerably better. Factory life has also improved in many areas. Working in a factory is much safer now, people are getting paid better, it is more hygienic, there is less child labor, and there is worker’s compensation.