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Enclosure Act
The societal dynamics of Europe was changing, which is prevalent through this Act. Before this, there was an open field system, which allowed the peasants in a village to all work on it and gain some money and food. However, this Act shows a shift from traditional practices of community to more individualism. The landlords of these fields wanted to acquire more wealth so they fenced off their lands without caring for the impact it will have on families. -
Jethro Tull
The invention of the seed drill shows the change in Europe's economy. Before his invention, seeds were just thrown down and this method would reduce the amount of yield. However, with Tull's seed drill, seeds were aligned specifically and increased food production, which had a direct relationship with the economy. Food now was more reliable and the prices would go down. -
Cottage Industry
The cottage industry shows both change and consistency through earlier centuries. What stayed the same is that production was still taking place in people's homes instead of buildings designated for manufacturing. The difference is that this was the beginning of mass production, which allowed prices to go way down in Europe. Merchants employed people in these cottage industries and these industries worked based on the putting-out system. -
Foundling hospitals
Foundling hospitals were places for unwanted children to go instead of letting them die. These types of hospitals show changes in society. The value of family has decreased due to the rise of premarital sex and the exponential growth of illegitimate children. Before, children were more cherished and seen has hands to work on the farm but through the rise of these hospitals, it shows that the value of children was declining as farming declined as a job. -
Mercantilism
Mercantilism shows similarities with previous practices in Europe. With this new method of trading, there were so many regulations and its sole focus was to acquire gold and silver. However, before this official theory was presented, rulers such as Queen Elizabeth sent men over to Central America to mine gold and silver. Furthermore, the Europeans main goal was to have the ability to trade with Asia because gold and silver was the only thing they wanted. -
Agriculture Revolution
The Revolution saw consistency between earlier centuries but also differences. This revolution still made the European economy based on agrarian practices; however, this was the first time incorporating new methods and machines to created mass crop production. The increase in crops resulted in better health and more money in the families' pockets. It also saw a rise in illegitimate children and a decline in traditional family practices. -
James Watts
Watts's invention of the steam engine completely changed the European's economy. Because the steam engine allowed for industries to be in cities, away from water, it increased the mass production of textiles. In addition, the steam engine allowed for more effective transportation through trains. The increase in transportation not only was relatively cheap but helped a country form one identity and culture instead of having numerous ones based on regions. -
Consumer Revolution
The Consumer Revolution was a shift in society's priorities. Before, families were living solely by land and could not afford luxury goods. Nevertheless, this revolution saw an increase in Europeans consumption of luxury goods. This was due to the fact that the Agriculture Revolution increased health, more people were becoming educated, and trading increased with Asian countries. -
Cotton Gin
This cotton gin displayed a change in society and the economy. This invention showed a societal shift from the necessity of wool and the desire for cotton. Furthermore, the cotton gin allowed for the mass production of cotton textiles because now the seeds did not have to be removed by hand. The mass processing of cotton allowed cotton textiles to be much cheaper in England and permitted England to be the leader in cotton exportation. -
Edward Jenner
Smallpox was killing about 20 percent of the European population but Jenner's new method of vaccination helped reduce that number exponentially. He decided to give a person a mild form of the virus for the body to acquire immunity. His method helped society become healthier and life expectancies to increase. His method of treating viruses was completely different than previous medical treatments such as bloodletting.
