The Enclosure Movement!Enclosure of fields intensified in the 18th century.
End to the open field system: --landowners consolidated their scattered holdings into compact fields that were fenced. --Common pasture lands were also enclosed. Resulted in the commercialization of agriculture --large landowners prospered and invested in technology (such as machinery, breeding, and cultivation methods.) --Increased number of large and middle-sized farms --Parliament passed over 3,000 enclosure acts in the late-18th century and early 19th century that benefited large landowners. --Corn Laws in 1815 benefited landowners. --High tariffs placed on foreign grain --Drove up the price of English grain in England. --Hurt the poor as they couldn't afford price increases for food. --One of the most notorious examples of a law that benefited the wealthy at the expense of the English peasantry. |