The Second Agricultural Revolution's increased agricultural yields allowed a shift away from subsistence farming, leading to a decrease in subsistence farming rather than an increase.

The Second Agricultural Revolution, also known as the British Agricultural Revolution, took place first in England in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. From there it spread to Europe, North America, and around the world. It involved the introduction of new crop rotation techniques and selective breeding of livestock, and led to a marked increase in agricultural production. It was a necessary prerequisite to the Industrial Revolution and the massive population growth of the last few centuries.

The mechanized reaper was invented in the 1830s by Cyrus McCormick. It quickly spread around the United States and was instrumental the growth of commercial farming in the plains of the central United States. To provide clarification, a “reaper” is a tool used by farmers to cut and gather crops.