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Introduction of Turnips and Four Field Crop Rotation System
Viscount Charles Townshend returned to England from Holland around 1700 and relayed information he had gained from living there. Farmers in Holland had known about the benefits of the four field crop rotation system for a long time however it had not been introduced to the rest of Europe. The introduction of the four field system was one of many new ideas introduced to England by the Dutch. The new innovations gave way to the agricultural revolution. -
Creation of the Seed Drill
The seed drill was invented by Jethro Tull in 1701. The seed drill was used to plant seeds by using a rotating cylinder that cut small groves in the ground where seeds were then dropped into the hole. The seed drill replaced the traditional way of planting seeds by hand. The seed drill greatly reduced the amount of workers needed to seed an acre of land, allowing for more work to be put towards production of goods. -
Steam Engine
The steam engine was invented by Thomas Newcomen in 1712. The steam engine was instrumental in the industrial revolution because it was the basis for various other inventions. The steam engine became the power source for a myriad of other machines. The steam engine also made factories that produced items on a large scale much more profitable. -
Great Plague of Marsialle
The plague of Marseilles was the last major outbreak of the black plague in western Europe. This represents that even though there had been many improvements in the control of diseases by governments, there were still outbreaks. The population of Marseilles didn't recover until 1750. The plague arrived on a ship, despite the improvements in the restrictions on incoming ships. -
Invention of the Flying Shuttle
The flying shuttle was invented by John Kay in 1733 as a way to speed up the process of hand weaving. The flying shuttle was used in the cottage industry and was used to improve the loom. Textiles were the main products of the cottage industry and the flying shuttle helped improve the rate at which textiles were produced. -
British East India Company Defeat Mughal Empire
The British East India Company's acquisition of India created a monopoly that furthered England's economic success. The spices and exotic items imported from India became a staple in the diets of both the rich and poor. However some of the manpower needed for such operations wouldn't have been possible without the agricultural revolution and the excess of manpower in England at the time. -
Spinning Jenny
The spinning jenny spun cotton and was invented by James Hargreaves. The spinning jenny was part of the industrialization of the textile industry. The spinning jenny made spinning cotton faster than ever, and soon women were working on large versions of spinning jenny's all over Europe. -
Inclosure acts
Now spelled enclosure, the inclosure acts were a series of acts passed by the British government supporting the enclosure movement. The enclosure movements supported the idea of bringing together more land under one landowner. This allowed for more crops to be produced, and for land to not have to lay in fallow for a year. -
Adam Smith Publishes Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
Adam Smith was a prominent economist of his time and wrote in favor of a small government. Smith believed that the government should stay out of economics and leave that to the private sector. Smith's beliefs were present in the passing of policies that granted more and more power to employers and lessened the protections for the workers. Smith also wrote about the "invisible hand", an idea that was basically the idea of supply and demand. -
Smallpox Vaccine
The smallpox vaccine was invented by Edward Jenner in 1798. The vaccine played an important role in the population growth in the 18th century. Before the vaccine smallpox was an extremely deadly disease that affected a large number of the population. The population growth that the vaccine facilitated was important in providing the manpower to cause the industrial revolution and to create a more industrialized society.