The Agricultural Revolution and Its Innovations

Enclosure

The process that ended traditional rights on common land and restricted land use to the property owner.

Common Land

Common land is owned collectively by a number of persons, or by one person with others holding certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel.

General Enclosure Act of 1801

Legislation that facilitated the enclosure of common land.

Crop Rotation

The practice of growing a series of dissimilar types of crops in the same area in sequential seasons to help restore plant nutrients and mitigate the build-up of pathogens and pests.

Threshing Machine

A machine that removes the seeds from the stalks by bashing the plant to make the seeds fall out.

Steam Engine

A machine that converts steam energy into mechanical work, with significant contributions from James Watt and Matthew Boulton in 1769.

Richard Trevithick

Created the first Steam Engine in 1801 (Road Steam Engine), and later a railway steam engine in 1804.

George Stephenson

Created the first train to transport passengers from Stockton to Darlington in Northeast England on September 27th, 1825.

Transportation by Train

By the 1870's, there were over 15,000 miles of track and trains carrying 300 million people and 150 million tons of goods a year.

Robert Fulton

Not the first to try steam powered boats, but the most successful, receiving a patent in 1809 for the North River Steamboat of Clermont.

The Flying Shuttle

Invented by John Kay in 1733, it created cloth faster and therefore led to a reduction in production costs.

Water Frame

A spinning machine that was one of the key inventions leading to the rise of factories set up by wealthy textile merchants.

Spinning Mule

A machine that combined features of the spinning jenny and the water frame, enhancing yarn production.

Power Loom

A mechanized loom that significantly increased the speed of cloth production.

Urbanization

The process of people moving from rural areas to cities, leading to fewer available workers in agriculture.

Coal

A fossil fuel that was abundant in Britain, providing cheap energy for industrial processes.

Coke

A fuel made from baking coal in a furnace to remove impurities, used to make high-quality iron.

Labor Costs

Increased due to enclosure, leading to fewer available workers and a shift towards mechanization.

Transportation Part I

Refers to the advancements in steam engine technology and railway development during the Industrial Revolution.

Transportation Part II

Focuses on water travel innovations, particularly steam-powered boats.

Transportation Part III

Discusses road transportation and the improvements in road quality and travel time.