Ryan Mangosong
Anthony Nguyen
Andrew Djaya
Mrs.Connor
AP European History Period 2
14 November 2009
Describe and analyze the economic, cultural, and social changes that lead to, and sustained
Europe’s rapid population growth in the period from approximately 1650-1800. (1997 #5)
During the time period of approximately 1650-1800, Europe experienced a very rapid
population growth. Their ability to grow and sustain that growth was due to numerous economic,
cultural, and social changes that occurred. Economically, wealth first declined due to wars but
the idea of mercantilism spread and brought new found wealth to the rest of Europe and
innovations of the Agricultural Revolution allowed nobles to improve their incomes and
lifestyles due to the rising prices of grain. Culturally, the agricultural revolution brought new
crops and improved farming methods. Socially, the classes in each country began to show
different characteristics such as the importance of the peasants and serfs to work the land, and
the innovations that were sponsored by the aristocracy. There were some classes, such as
aristocrats, who benefited from the revolution while other such as the peasants, did not.
I. Factors that lead to population growth
a) Economic
(1) Less Wars in Europe
(1) France for example, under the leadership of Cardinal Fleury, became involved in
the Austrian War of Succession.
(a) Because of their involvement of this war, after they were in debt because of
the large amount of money they spent.
(i) This led to their absence in wars, causing a decrease in death rates.
b) Cultural
(1) The changes in food supply allowed population to grow
(1) During the eighteenth century, peas and new varieties of beans were introduced
into Great Britain from the Netherlands
(2) Potatoes from the New World came into Europe during eighteenth century
(a) On a single acre of land, enough potatoes could be raised to feed one
peasant’s family for an entire year.
(2) This greater food supply enabled more children to survive to adulthood and have
children of their own.
c) Social
(1) Other factors that led to the population growth.
(1) The birth rate at the time of the population explosion equaled that of the centuries
before.
(a) The difference between then and the explosion was the fact that before, there
were epidemics and wars that would balance out the population, because
while the growth rate was high, so was the death rate.
(b) In the explosion, increased living standards caused people to live in a more
sanitary environment, thus leading to less epidemics.
II. Factors that enabled Europe to sustain the new population
a) Economic
(1) Mercantilism spread from France to England, Netherlands, and Central Europe
(1) Economic system where the motherland maximizes exports and minimizes
imports
(2) Developed from belief that wealth was limited
(3) Goals
(a) Gain buillon
(b) Become self-sufficient
(4) Developed in France
(a) Started by Colbert under Louis XIV reign
(b) Spread to rest of Europe
(5) Nobles who made money through this desired to invest in Agricultural
Innovations.
(2) Agricultural Revolution Innovations
(1) Dutch landlords and farmers devised better methods to build dikes and drain land
(a) allowed more extensive farm area
(2) Jethro Tull (1674-1741
(a) iron plows to turn the earth more deeply
(b) planting wheat by a drill rather than casting
(c) Allowed lands to be cultivated for longer periods without needing to be left
fallow.
(3) Charles “Turnip” Townsend (1674-1741)
(a) Instituted crop rotation
(i) Replaced fallow field with one sown with a crop that restored nutrients to
the soil and supplied animal fodder
(4) Robert Bakewell (1725-1795)
(a) pioneered new method of animal breeding
(i) produced more and better animals
(ii) more milk and meat
(3) Capitalism
(1) Commercialization of Agricultural revolution
(a) No more sustenance farming
(2) Concept of free trade, competition, and the market forces of supply and demand
(3) Accumulation of the means of production (materials, tools, land, etc.) into the
property of few hands (individuals)
(4) Opposite of Mercantilism
(a) Money is gained for individual endeavors opposed to being gained for the
government
b) Cultural
(1) In the second quarter of the century, population began to steadily increase. The need
to feed the population caused increased food prices, which stimulated agricultural
innovation.
(1) The Agricultural Revolution
(a) The Influence of Tull and Townshend
(i) Jethro Tull (1674-1741)
1. Invented the seed drill in around 1700
a. Planted seeds in neat rows and replaced the less efficient method
of scattering the seed.
(ii) Viscount Townshend (1725-1726)
1. Urged Britain’s farmers to plant cover, which would help nourish the
soil, and to practice crop rotation.
2. “Turnip” Townshend
a. Supported the growing of turnips which would enrich soil and
provide food for livestock during the winter months.
b. The increased planting of turnips ended the need for the mass
slaughter of livestock at the beginning of winter.
c. Fresh meat replacement salted meat in the British diet during the
winter months.
(b) Advances in Livestock and Agricultural Techniques
(i) Robert Bakewell (1725-1795)
1. Introduced scientific breeding of cattle and sheep.
(ii) Arthur Young (1741-1820)
1. Publicized the new methods of scientific agriculture in his periodical
Annals of Agriculture in 1784.
c) Social
(1) The Enclosure Act
(1) The enclosure act was a British law that caused the owners of plots of land to
enclose them in order to reap a larger, more efficient harvest.
(a) Because many of the owners of large plots of land owned a seat in Parliament
they were able to pass it without much resistance.
(b) Many poor farmers who rented the land they plowed were forced off the land,
thus leaving them to survive on their own.
(i) Even though farmers were forced off the land, the population did not
suffer, new soil came into production and the services subsidiary to
farming also expanded, thus in a sense INCREASING the population.
(2) The Beneficiaries
(a) The landlords who owned the land benefited from the enclosure act because
despite enclosing their farming lands, they had a larger, more efficient harvest
because more crops equals more money.
(b) Despite losing the right to farm, many peasants benefited because they gained
other jobs.
(2) Aristocracy
(1) Many fostered economic innovation, and embraced commercial spirit.
(a) New inventions led to an increase in crop production, thus being able to
support a larger population.
(b) An example of a member of the higher class who supported such innovations
was John Tull.
1) John experimented and often patronized the experimentation of new
agricultural techniques and tools.
2) Because the founding of a new innovation meant more money, many
scientist at the time began to work on new techniques for agricultural in
order to reap the benefits. In was not rare to see scientists excluding
themselves from society in order to come up with a new innovation
(2) British Aristocracy
(a) In the nobility, there were the Whigs and Tories, the Whigs earned money by
commerce while the Tories controlled the farming lands.
1) Despite earning “dirty” money, the Whigs were the major winners in the
agricultural revolution because the increase of food not only allowed
people to support the population, but also export excess foods thus causing
them to earn more money.
2) The Tories, however, did not benefit from this revolution to the same
extent the Whigs did.
(3)
d) Peasants and Serfs
(1) Peasants and Serfs were looked down upon by nobility despite the fact that they were
feeding them.
(2) Peasant Rebellion
(1) Emelyan Pugachev along without thousands of others of peasants revolted against
their landowners because they were tired of the treatment they gave them.
(2) Catherine the great however, punished these peasants by destructively putting
down the rebellion.
(3) They also lost their jobs when nobles began to use the innovations to produce
more, efficient crops with less amount of peasants to work the land.
(4) In conclusion, the peasants were one of the classes of people that did not benefit
from the agricultural revolution.
In closing, the economic, cultural, and social changes all contributed to the growth and
sustaining of the European population. Economically, countries became wealthier through
mercantilism which developed into capitalism and the new innovations. Culturally, the
agricultural revolution brought introduced new crops and enhanced farming techniques, causing
an increased supply of food to provide the new, enlarged population. Socially, some classes in
society benefited from the agricultural revolution while others did not.
Bibliography
Hause, Steven C. Western civilization a history of European society. Belmont, CA:
West/Wadsworth, 1999. Print.
Kagan, Donald. The Western Heritage. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2004. Print.
Viault, Birdsall S. Modern Euorpean History. New York: McGraw-Hill Inc., 1990. Print.