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Agricultural Revolution
The Agricultural Revolution began in the 1600s and continues today. Improvements in agricultural methods such as enclosure movement, crop rotation, and using manure as fertilizer increased the yield of farms. This allowed for more people to be feed, which improved their quality of life. In addition, peasants continued to live in poor condition, however, the agricultural revolution helped them improve their situation. -
Popularity of Nuclear Family
Although it is unclear whether extended families were common before the 1600s, it was clear that they were very uncommon after this time. Young people preferred to move out of their parent's homes after marriage and start a family apart from them. This is different than the norm in most nations in Asia, but it is unclear whether this was a change in Europe or a continuity. In order to move into their own homes, married couples had to be financially stable, so people got married later. -
Growth of World Trade
The Atlantic economy was built around the 18th century and was led by Britain. Great Britain was formed in 1707 when England and Scotland merged to form a unified kingdom. They led Europe in trade and colonies. European countries grew their economies via trade and mercantilism. Although this has been true throughout history, there was a remarkable increase in the 1700s. -
Disappearance of the Bubonic Plague
Ever since the disease's emergence in the 14th century, outbreaks continued until 1721. In 1721, yet again the plague struck Europe, France specifically, and killed 40,000 people. However, this was the last time that the plague would severely impact Europe. This allowed the population to increase in the coming years. -
Growth of Cottage Industry
The growth of the population increased the number of rural workers, and this, in turn, developed the industry in rural areas. Farming families needed to supplement their earnings with other work, so they turned to selling products they could make at home. Peasants and poor Europeans had always made their own clothing and certain processed foods, but the difference was that they were selling these products to others. It is also called the "putting-out system." -
Population Explosion
The population began to grow rapidly in Europe. The growth in population caused economic changes in the 18th century because there were more mouths to feed and more people to employ. The population grew more than it ever had because of better agriculture practices, less disease, and less war. The increase in population sped up the process of industrialization in order to accommodate these people. -
Atlantic Slave Trade
During the age of mercantilism, the Atlantic slave trade reached its peak. In order for mercantilism and colonization to be extra profitable for the mother country, cheap or free labor was essential. The slave trade was a profitable aspect of European economies of the time. Slave trade continued like this for many years before it was banned in America in 1807. -
Illegitimacy Explosion
One specific change over time was the increase in late marriages and births out of wedlock. For example, illegitimacy rates in Germany rose from 2% in 1750 to 25% in 1850. The reasons that people were getting married later in life were because of economic instability and men were emigrating to the new world. In addition, men promised women marriage in return for sex, but they rarely followed through on the marriage. -
Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations
Adam Smith began to popularize the ideas of capitalism and free trade. This book established the framework for modern economics and was highly critical of mercantilism. He denounced monopolies and campaigned for free trade. His outspoken work caused colonists to rebel like they never had before. It can be argued that this book led to the American Revolution. -
Smallpox Vaccine
Although people continued to have a "demonic" view of disease, medicine was beginning to shift towards science with the invention of the smallpox vaccine. Bloodletting, purging, and faith healers were still common during the 18th century, but this was a major step towards medical advancement. There continued to be limited knowledge of how the disease spread and how to cure it. Jenner was given money by the British government for his discovery.
