1. The Early Modern Age: A Prosperous Age By the 1500s the economy of England was thriving The population of England began to rise rapidly

2. Why? Much of it had to do with improvements in agriculture which had become more efficient It was now possible to produce more food with less people farming This freed people from the land so they could work in other areas

3. Middle Ages Farming Farming during the Middle Ages was not productive Middle Age farmers made use of small strip farms where they grew a variety of crops It was subsistence farming They would grow enough food to feed their families and then pay rent to their lords Anything left over would be sold to pay for other amenities

4. Needing More Food But the strip farming system in vogue during the Middle Ages was not going to be able to meet the growing population demands of England A new more efficient system was needed

5. So what was needed? The Old Strip farms needed to be replaced with big farms The small strip farmer needed to be replaced with a rich gentleman farmer

6. But how could it be done? Do you just kick the small farmers off the land Or Was there a more subtle way of doing it? When you want to get rid of someone you need to look for their weakness

7. Common Land – The Corner Stone of the Strip Farm One of the keys to the peasant farmer’s existence involved the use of the common land The Common land was public land Small peasant farmers would take their small herds of sheep and cattle to feed on the commons They would also collect wood, fish in the ponds, and even hunt in the forests

8. The Solution - The Enclosure Movement The government devised a strategy that would force small farmers off the land The government began a system of enclosure They fenced off the common land and put it up for sale So now the land was for sale and anyone could buy Peasants, however, could not even dream of making such a dream purchase So who do you think ended up buying the common land?? which involved enclosing or privatizing the Common Lands

9. Consolidation of Strip Farms Without the common land the small farmers could no longer subsist as farmers They sold off their land usually to their former lord who had bought the common land as well So the government got what it wanted. It consolidated the small inefficient farms and made them into efficient big farms

10. Where did the small farmer go? Once they sold their farms the former farmer and his family would take their meager possession and move to the city in search of work These unemployed farmers would fill the need for cheap labor in the growing industrial cities

11. Different Farm, Different Farmer Small subsistence farmers were replaced with rich gentleman farmers These farmers were not worried about putting food on the table, they were in farming to make a profit They did not grow a variety of crops, they specialized in one or two and grew them very well

12. Other Agricultural Improvements Improvements were made to soil Soil was aerated and mixed with fertilizer

13. Drainage Ditches Drainage ditches helped to deal with excess run-off

14. Marshes Marshes were drained to increase the amount of arable land

15. Potatoes and Corn New nutritious high yielding crops like potatoes and corn were introduced from the Americas A lot of crop could be grown in a little space

16. The Dawn of a New Era Changes on the farm led to changes in the cities Farms, because they were efficient, no longer needed much labor Hence the former farmer, found himself out of work in the country In the cities, however, there was a major demand for his services Unemployed small farmers filled the need for cheap labor in coal mines, factories, and textile mills

17. The Move From an Rural (Farming) to Urban (City) Society This era involved a massive movement from the farms to the cities It is a trend that continues today

18. Mass Migration to the Cities Canada 1851 - % of urban population – 13 Canada 1901 - % of urban population – 37 Canada 1951 - % or urban population – 62 Canada 2006 - % of urban population - 80

19. So what advantages does city life provide? Better employment prospects More entertainment choices Better selection of good and services More educational opportunities e.g. colleges, universities, trades schools Better health care services Greater social opportunities