The Second
Agricultural Revolution
Explore how technological innovation and new farming techniques transformed food production, fueled population growth, and set the stage for industrialization.
AP Human Geography
What Was the Second Agricultural Revolution?
The Second Agricultural Revolution was a period of dramatic agricultural transformation that took place roughly from the 1700s to the mid-1900s, primarily in Western Europe and North America. It preceded and overlapped with the Industrial Revolution, fundamentally changing how food was produced and distributed.
Why Does It Matter for Human Geography?
Population Boom
Higher crop yields meant more food, enabling rapid population growth and urbanization.
Rural-to-Urban Migration
Fewer farmers needed on land freed labor for factories, accelerating the Industrial Revolution.
Global Trade
Agricultural surpluses expanded trade networks and reshaped global economic patterns.
Key Innovations and Techniques
1
Seed Drill (Jethro Tull, 1701): Planted seeds in neat rows at controlled depths, drastically reducing waste compared to broadcasting.
2
Crop Rotation (Four-Field System): Rotating wheat, turnips, barley, and clover eliminated the need for fallow fields, boosting output.
3
Selective Breeding: Robert Bakewell pioneered the breeding of livestock for desirable traits: larger animals, more milk, better wool.
4
Enclosure Movement: Consolidating small, open-field strips into larger, privately owned farms increased efficiency but displaced peasant farmers.
5
Mechanization: Horse-drawn plows, threshing machines, and later steam-powered equipment replaced manual labor.
Timeline of Agricultural Change
1701
Jethro Tull's Seed Drill
Mechanized planting replaced wasteful hand-broadcasting of seeds
1730s
Viscount Townshend's Four-Field Rotation
Eliminated fallow years, kept soil fertile year-round with turnips and clover
1760s
Robert Bakewell's Selective Breeding
Systematically bred livestock for size, meat quality, and milk production
1750-1850
Enclosure Acts (England)
Parliament consolidated open fields into private holdings, displacing rural poor
1830s
McCormick's Mechanical Reaper
Harvesting grain became 5x faster, enabling large-scale commercial farming
1840s+
Chemical Fertilizers
Justus von Liebig's work on soil chemistry led to synthetic nutrient application
The Four-Field Crop Rotation System
The Enclosure Movement
First vs. Second Agricultural Revolution
| First (Neolithic) | Second | |
|---|---|---|
| When | ~10,000 BCE | 1700s-1900s |
| Key Change | Hunting/gathering → farming | Subsistence → commercial farming |
| Technology | Simple tools, irrigation | Seed drill, machines, fertilizers |
| Land Use | Settled villages, small plots | Enclosed, large-scale farms |
| Labor | More labor needed | Less labor needed (mechanization) |
| Result | Permanent settlements | Urbanization + industrialization |
The Agriculture-Industry Connection
How to Apply This on the AP Exam
1
Identify the revolution: If a question mentions mechanization, enclosure, crop rotation, or seed drills in the 1700s-1800s, it refers to the Second Agricultural Revolution.
2
Connect cause and effect: Link agricultural changes to population growth, urbanization, and industrial labor supply.
3
Distinguish from other revolutions: The First was about the origin of farming; the Second was about making it efficient; the Third (Green Revolution) was about high-yield varieties and chemicals in developing countries (1960s+).
4
Discuss spatial consequences: Enclosure changed land ownership patterns; mechanization changed rural landscapes; surplus labor reshaped urban geography.
5
Use specific examples: Name innovations (seed drill, mechanical reaper), people (Tull, Bakewell, Townshend), and places (England, Western Europe).
Example: Identifying the Revolution
Which agricultural revolution does this describe, and why?
1
Time period: 18th century (1700s) = fits the Second Agricultural Revolution.
2
Key clue: "Consolidated small plots into larger parcels" = the Enclosure Movement.
3
Consequence: "Migrated to cities" = rural-to-urban migration, a hallmark effect of the Second Agricultural Revolution driving industrialization.
Example: Cause and Effect Chain
1
Innovation: The four-field system eliminated fallow periods, allowing all land to be productive every year.
2
Direct effect: Crop yields increased significantly, producing food surpluses.
3
Population impact: More food supported a larger population with lower mortality rates.
4
Labor shift: Higher efficiency meant fewer workers needed on farms, creating surplus labor.
5
Urbanization: Displaced agricultural workers moved to cities for factory employment, fueling urban growth.
Example: Comparing All Three Revolutions
| First | Second | Third (Green) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scale | Local villages | National/regional | Global |
| Where | Fertile Crescent, multiple hearths | Western Europe, N. America | Developing world |
| Spatial Impact | Permanent settlements form | Enclosed farms, cities grow | Monoculture plantations |
| Migration | Nomadic → sedentary | Rural → urban | Subsistence → commercial |
Geographic Diffusion of Innovations
Common Mistakes to Avoid
✕ Confusing the Revolutions
The First Agricultural Revolution is about the origin of farming (Neolithic). The Second is about efficiency (1700s-1900s). The Third (Green Revolution) is about high-yield crops in the developing world (1960s+).
✕ Ignoring Social Costs
Students often focus only on increased yields. Don't forget the Enclosure Movement displaced farmers, created poverty, and forced migration to cities.
✕ Forgetting the Industrial Link
The Second Agricultural Revolution didn't just improve farming: it directly enabled the Industrial Revolution by freeing labor, increasing food supply, and generating capital.
Question 1 of 5
Which innovation is most closely associated with the Second Agricultural Revolution?
Jethro Tull's seed drill (1701) is a defining innovation of the Second Agricultural Revolution. Irrigation canals relate to the First, HYV rice to the Third (Green) Revolution, and slash-and-burn is a pre-agricultural technique.
Question 2 of 5
The Enclosure Movement in England most directly contributed to which of the following?
The Enclosure Movement consolidated common lands into private holdings, increasing efficiency but displacing small farmers who then migrated to cities for factory work. It did the opposite of promoting communal ownership or subsistence farming.
Question 3 of 5
The four-field crop rotation system improved upon the older three-field system primarily by:
The four-field system planted nitrogen-fixing crops (clover) and root crops (turnips) in place of fallow land, keeping all fields productive every year while naturally restoring soil fertility. It did not introduce irrigation or eliminate grain.
Question 4 of 5
Which statement best describes the relationship between the Second Agricultural Revolution and the Industrial Revolution?
The Second Agricultural Revolution preceded and enabled industrialization. Higher yields produced food surpluses and surplus labor, while enclosure displaced farmers into cities where they became factory workers. This was a positive feedback loop between agriculture and industry.
Question 5 of 5
A geographer studying 18th-century English landscapes observes that small, scattered farming strips were replaced by large, fenced parcels over several decades. This spatial transformation is best explained by:
The described transformation: small, scattered strips → large, fenced parcels: is the Enclosure Movement, a hallmark of the Second Agricultural Revolution. Shifting cultivation is a tropical subsistence technique, the Green Revolution occurred in the 1960s, and Von Thünen's model describes spatial patterns of land use rather than a historical land consolidation process.