Between 1750 and 1830, there was an Agricultural Revolution. It is believed that these changes in agriculture prompted the Industrial Revolution. On the following pages, you will see what kind of changes occurred.

Prior to this Agricultural Revolution, farm fields were open and everyone was free to have a little of it to farm on. They used their crops to feed their families, not as a source of income.

Then the Enclosure Movement occurred. This was when Parliament passed a law that farm fields could be fenced off, or enclosed. They could now be owned by one person, allowing the creation of big, industrial farms. The goal of these farms was not to feed their families, but to make money.

In this era, people would plant the same crop in the same field every year. This took nutrients out of the soil to the point that the crops would no longer grow. Farmers would then allow the field to "lie fallow," meaning that they would cover the field with leaves and not plant anything for a year.