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Act of Union
The Act of Union unified England and Scotland. It gave Scotland the benefits of the English’s trading economy. The Parliament of Great Britain was also formed. This Act was indicative of the continuing centralist society and the strength of England’s economy. -
Charles Townsend’s farming innovations
Charles “Turnip” Townsend was a pioneer in the English agricultural revolution. He was an ambassador to Holland, where he learned about how to plant turnips and clover while keeping the soil healthy through crop rotation. His techniques helped bring in great amounts of profit for certain farmers. This is an example of change as it shows innovation, but it can also be considered continuation since the Dutch already made use of these techniques. -
Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht ended the War of Spanish Succession between France and many other European powers. The treaty represented a change in Europe because it greatly affected European countries. For example, France ended expansionist policy and England’s economy grew a lot richer by expanding. -
Prussia makes elementary education mandatory
Prussia was inspired by Protestant teachings that said everyone should be able to read the Bible. They made boys and girls go to school, increasing literacy rates. This was a change as before, only the rich and mostly male would be given an education. Education also began to be seen as a way to teach subjects to serve the state their whole lives. -
The South Sea Bubble
The South Sea Company was a British stock exchange company that traded in South America. In 1720, there was over speculation about the company’s stock. This led to financial problems for many English investors. The presence of a joint stock company was a continuation of Dutch economic practices in Europe. -
The Mississippi Bubble
The Mississippi Company had a monopoly from the French in French trade with Louisiana. The company took on France’s national debt in exchange for shares. The stock eventually collapsed and the national debt in France piled up, leading to the Revolution later. This is a change towards more financial problems for some European powers and will eventually cause great social and political change as people grow tired. -
Navigation Acts of 1763
These acts said that English colonists in America had to exclusively ship their products to England. It also said that any foreign goods to be sold in America had to go through England first. This was a continuation of mercantilist policies that dominated European colonies. France, under the reign of Louis XIV, also adopted similar policies. -
James Hargreaves’ spinning jenny patent
The spinning jenny helped pave the way for the increased mechanization of the textile industry. It was operated by hand like previous technology. However, the jenny could spin multiple threads at a time. This was a change towards industrialization in England. -
Enclosure Act of 1773
This act enabled the enclosure of land, at the same time it also removed the right of commoners' access. It created legal property rights to land that was publicly open to commoners before. It caused many commoners to go into poverty and become proletariat as they had to work from dawn to dusk through agencies that served rich landowners. This is a continuation of the mistreatment of the lower class and exploitation of the lower class’ labor. -
Edward Jenner creates smallpox vaccine
British doctor Edward Jenner creates the smallpox vaccine. He created it by using the cowpox virus and introduced the idea of inoculation. This is an example of a scientific innovation. Jenner’s creation shows a change towards progress concerning public health.