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Jethro Tull's Inventions
In 1700, British inventor Jethro Tull invented the seed drill. This was a device which mechanically planted seeds in orderly rows. This saved time and made farming more efficient by removing the human aspect of attempting to orderly plant seeds. Tull also developed the horse-drawn hoe. This was a hoe which was dragged behind a horse in order to plant in orderly lines. -
Acts of Union
The Acts of Union formally joined the Parliaments of England and Scotland into one entity, the government of Great Britain. The English felt that organizing Scotland more fully into their nation would prevent them from attempting to crown their own monarch, undermining English power. The Scottish felt that closer ties with the economically stronger England could strengthened and protect their economy. Some accused the Scottish Parliament of accepting bribes in order for the deal to go through. -
Molasses Act Passed
The Molasses Act was one of the major examples of the British Navigation Acts, which attempted to strengthened British control over their colonies. Mercantilism promoted increasing nation exports, and forcing colonies to only purchase British imports aided this system. The American colonies rejected to the law, feeling it harmed their economy, as the large rum industry in New England would be harmed by higher Molasses taxes. Many colonists smuggled molasses in order to avoid the taxes. -
Illegitimacy Explosion
The illegitimacy explosion was a sudden increase in births out of wedlock in the late 1700s, roughly beginning around 1750. Community controls such as religion broke down around this time, while wages and poor economic fortunes further contributed to the societal change. The amount of out-of-wedlock births actually was not that high relative to the whole populations, but represented a sharp increase over the prior amount of out-of-wedlock births. The overall trend would continue towards today. -
The Industrial Revolution
The industrial revolution was the change of society in the late 1700s as new inventions began to lead to greater industrialization. Prior to this, Europe had been mostly agrarian and agricultural. New advancements in technology lead to the increase of industrial manufacturing. This encouraged the growth of capitalism and drove people to move towards the city, usually into environments which were less healthy, though it began to encourage a middle class. -
Enclosure Acts
In the medieval era, lands were divided up in long tracks from manor land. This method, known as the open field system, was inefficient and wore soil out. One part of this system was common land, where land was set aside for community use. The Enclosure Acts took this common land into private ownership, while consolidating the manor land into one large farm. -
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American Revolution
Following years of growing resentment over taxes, American colonists ultimately decided to rebel against the British government. War broke out at the Battle of Lexington and Concord, and lasted until the Treaty of Paris in 1783. Colonists wished to establish a democracy, while the British Crown wished to hold a closer control of their colonies. The war ultimately lead to the creation of the United States of America. -
"The Wealth of Nations" is Published
Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations" was published in this year, establishing several theories in economics. The book is credited as an essential thesis on capitalism, namely as a response to mercantilism. Smith provided reforms for divided and organizing labor, increasing productivity, and free, open markets. The book is one of the most cited economic texts in history. -
French Revolution
The French Revolution was the overthrowing of the French monarchy. Lower-class Frenchmen were tired of a perceived lack of a voice in government and excessive spending by the monarchy. The country was in great debt after years of warfare. Famine had also become an issue after years of poor harvests due to misguided regulations. -
Transatlantic Slave Trade and its Eventual Ban
The transatlantic slave trade was the pattern of the trade of slaves from Africa to colonies in the Caribbean and Americas. Slaves were used on plantations in the colonies, which needed a cheap labor base to maintain profit. The slave trade was extremely brutal for African slaves, who were subject to a plethora of abuses. They eventually formed an entire social caste in the colonies, a group of second-class citizens in the country with a unique culture. The trade was banned in Britain in 1807.
