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Social Studies Across The Curriculum: OAA Interdisciplinary Preparations
The 2nd Agricultural Revolution:
The 2nd Agricultural Revolution coincided with the Industrial Revolution; it was a revolution that would move agriculture beyond subsistence to
generate the kinds of surpluses needed to feed thousands of people working in factories instead of in agricultural fields. The 2nd AR was composed of a
series of innovations, improvements, & techniques in Great Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark, & other neighboring countries.
By the late 17th and early 18th centuries, new crops came into Europe from trade with the Americas, including corn & potatoes. The governments of
Europe played a role in spurring on the 2nd AR by passing laws such as Great Britain’s Enclosure Act that encouraged consolidation of fields into large,
single-owner holdings. Farmers increase the size of their farms, piecing together more contiguous parcels of land, fenced in land, & instituted field
rotation. Methods of soil preparation, fertilization, crop care, & harvesting improved.
New technologies such as the seed drill enabled farmers to avoid wasting seeds & to easily plant in rows, making it simpler to distinguish weeds from
crops. Advances in breeding livestock enabled farmers to develop new breeds that were either strong milk producers or good for beef. By the 1830s,
farmers were using new fertilizers on crops & feeding artificial feeds to livestock. Increased agricultural output made it possible to feed much larger
urban populations, enabling the growth of a secondary (industrial) economy.
Innovations in machinery that occurred with the Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s & early 1900s helped sustain the 2nd AR. The railroad helped
move agriculture into new regions, such as America’s Great Plains. Geographer John Hudson traced the major role railroads and agriculture played in
changing the landscape of that region from open prairie to individual farmsteads. Later, the internal combustible engine made possible the
mechanization of machinery & the invention of tractors, combines, & a multitude of large farm equipment. New banking & lending practices helped
farmers afford the new equipment.
•In the 1800s, Johann Heinrich von Thünen (1983-1850) experienced the second agricultural revolution firsthand—because of which he developed his
model (the Von Thünen Model), which is often described as the first effort to analyze the spatial character of economic activity.
•Also, geographer Lee Liu studied the spatial pattern of agricultural production in one province of China, giving careful consideration to the intensity of
the production methods and the amount of land degradation
In a Nutshell…The Second AR coincided with the Industrial Revolution, farming became mechanized and commercial with the development of new
inventions and technology (tractor, seed drill), it goes along with the 2nd stage of the demographic transition, & goes along with the second urban
revolution (massive expansion of cities and urban societies).
Language Arts Considerations:
What is the exposition of this reading selection attempting to emphasize regarding the Agricultural Revolution as a revolution?
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Why would Geographer John Hudson not be considered a round character in this selection?
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Science Considerations:
How did Great Britain remove the constraints that hampered previous crop production prior to the 2nd Agricultural Revolution?
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Utilizing your knowledge of risk-benefit analysis, what is one negative factor of inventing internal combustible engines for mechanization of machinery?
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Math Considerations:
A farmer used the seed drill to plant crops in a 10,000 foot long by 10,000 foot wide field. Later, he decided to build a 10 foot high fence, as well as
covering it with an appropriate screening that prevents starving bunnies and pregnant flamingos from eating his delicious radishes. What’s the total
surface area of screening and fencing required to keep out these dangerous invaders?
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