Major technological innovations changed the social and economic conditions. Explain with reference to the Agrarian and Industrial Revolution.

The first great change started in 1750, the Agrarian Revolution had originated in Britain and changed the way that farming was carried out. Before then the methods of farming was very primitive and time consuming. Production weren’t enough to meet the needs of a growing population so changes had to be made. In1931 a man named Jethro Tull invented a seed drill, a machine that scatters seeds evenly and prevented wastage. This invention sparked a train of new ideas to improve farming. Other inventions included a crop rotation system that was used to restore fertility of the soil and improve its quality. Robert Bakwell selectively breed stock to make the animals bigger and better. Arthur Young started a farming journal and in 1831 a machine was invented that could cut and bind what. All these changes meant more, better quality goods being produced and it took much less time and effort.  

Another Revolution that paralleled the Agrarian was the Industrial Revolution. This also began in Britain and by the mid 1800’s had spread through Western Europe and USA. The Industrial Revolution invented great machines and built factories, which meant that instead of making goods at home, by hand people suddenly had to go to work. The demand for clothes was the first step that sparked the industrial revolution. As more factories were built, more coal and iron were needed to power the machines; men had to be hired to go further down mines. The steam engine was invented to help with transportation and more train tracks were built.

All these new inventions caused drastic changes in society. People had to work in factories rather than at their own pace at home. Factories were built in towns and huge numbers of rural workers urbanized and made up the new working class. Machines did not need much strength to work and this led to the exploitation of very young child and women. Due to the boom in urban population, living space became very cramped, slums being appearing spreading disease and overcrowding.

By the end of the 19th century the changes in Britain had not only made it a wealthy nation but also allowed it to spread and become the biggest and most powerful empire in the world. Food, clothing, transportation and communication had improved immensely and became the foundation stones of the changes in technology happening daily in our world.