Industralization+and+the+Enclosure+Movement

The enclosure movement was one of the reasons why industrialization happened in Europe. Before the landowners introduce the system of the enclosure; the idea of the open field system was very popular especially in France and Germany. The poor peasants that did not have a land of their own were able to collect some food that was left behind with the open fields, but with the enclosure movement the fields were now closed and the small peasants had no way of living anymore. This caused people to move to the cities and a massive urban population occurred which led to the industrial revolution. With the enclosure and the new innovations about farming, more food was produced and the population of rural workers with no land increased contributing to the development of industry in rural areas. Enclosure started in England and Low Countries first and then it spread to the rest of Europe. English agriculture had a radical transformation, and by 1870 farmers were producing 300 percent more food than in 1700. This increased in production provided food for the urban population that was increasing so rapidly. Enclosure movement was the first step of the industrialization that happened in England and most of Europe.