Rising population: There
was a greater demand for
food and clothes; more
workers were available
Coal and Iron ore:
Coal was used to
power steam engines,
iron was used to make
machines
Transport Revolution:
Better roads, canals and
railways were created so
that greater loads could be
carried
Manufacturing inventions:
Inventions in the cotton and
woollen industry speeded up the
production of both. Steam
engines provided more power
CAUSES
Profits from trade:
Money was invested in
factories
Agricultural
Revolution: More
food was grown; fewer
workers were needed
for farming
 The Agricultural Revolution involved changes made to
the system and methods of farming which resulted in
more food being produced
 KEYWORDS:
Three-Field System
Fallow
Commons
Enclosure
Crop Rotation
 Since the Middle Ages, the three-field system was used
in Britain. This system has many faults. All this
changed during the Agricultural Revolution. The fields
were now enclosed so that the three open fields and
the common land were divided into farms surrounded
by fences and hedges
THREE-FIELD
SYSTEM
ENCLOSURE ->
Weaknesses of 3 field
system
Strengths of the
Enclosure
 One third of the land
 All the land was used
was not used each year
 Weeds spread easily
 No machinery was used
 Cattle and sheep were
sparse
 Farmers could control
their own land
 Good farmers could
introduce new methods
and machinery
 More food was produced
for the cities
 1. Norfolk Crop Rotation:
Charles Townshend developed
this system
 Turnips and clover were now
grown as well as wheat and
barley so that all the land
was used every year
 Turnips were fed to the
cattle in winter
 2. Selective Breeding: Robert Bakewell introduced
new breeding techniques so that cattle and sheep
produced more meat
 3. New Machinery: Jethro Tull invented the seed
drill. This scattered seed evenly and resulting crops
were easier to weed
 4. Cyrus Mc Cormick invented the reaper, which
enabled the faster harvesting of corn
Effects of the Agricultural Revolution
 More food was produced to feed the growing
population. More people were available to work in
factories.
 Fewer people were needed to work the land because of
machinery improvements so many poor farmers and
labourers went to the towns and cities for work
Seed Drill
Mechanical
Reaper
Spinning inventions (more
thread could be made)
Weaving inventions (more cloth
could be made
 James Hargreaves-
 John Kay-Flying
Spinning Jenny
 Richard ArkwrightWater frame
 Samuel CromptonSpinning mule
shuttle
 Edmund CartwrightPower Loom
 Thomas Telford and John McAdam introduced new




road surfaces to improve roads
Roads: Turnpike trusts were companies which took
over sections of the roads, introduced toll gates
(turnpikes) and used the money to maintain the roads
Canals: James Brindley built the first canal to carry
coal.
Railways: Richard Trevithick designed the first small
steam engine on wheels.
The first goods train was designed by George
Stephenson. He also invented the Rocket
 Effects of the railways:
-fast and cheap form of transport
-heavy good could be transported over long distances
-helped to boost tourism
-created many jobs
-lead to the decline in the use of canals and roads
Effects of the Transport Revolution:
- Materials and goods could be transported more
quickly and cheaply
- This lowered the cost of good
- More people could now afford to buy goods
 Living conditions:
The houses of working class people were grouped
together as slums
2. There was no piped water supply or indoor toilets
3. There were open sewers at the end of the streets
4. Diseases such as cholera and typhus spread quickly
1.
 Some factory owners such as Robert Owen built
houses and set up schools for his workers and their
children
 Edwin Chadwick wrote a report to show how and
living conditions were . This led to the passing of the
Public Health Act, which set up Boards of Health
whose job was to clean streets, increase water supply
and build sewers.
 Lord Shaftesbury campaigned for improvements ad
passed laws that dramatically improved working
conditions.
Subdivision of land:
Farmers divided their land
in order to give land to
their sons and a dowry to
their daughters. This made
families poorer
Rise in Population: It
grew from 6.8 million in
1821 to 8.2 million in 1841.
People got poorer
The Blight: was a
disease that attacked
potatoes. Those
dependent on
potatoes and no other
food when the blight
attacked and they
starved
CAUSES
OF THE
FAMINE
Dependence on the
potato: Poorer families
depended on the potato
to live. The potato was
almost the only food for
about half the population
 1. Fall in population: The population fell by 2 million-1
million emigrated and 1 million died from starvation
and disease
 2. Subdivision ended: farms were no longer subdivided instead the eldest son received the land while
the other sons emigrated
 3. Decline of the Irish language
 4. Politics: People blamed the British government for
the famine