Enclosure Acts
Definition
The Enclosure Acts were a series of laws passed in Britain during the Second Agricultural Revolution that allowed landowners to consolidate and enclose common lands, often by fencing them off. This resulted in the displacement of many small farmers and the transition from communal farming practices to more efficient methods.
Analogy
Imagine you and your friends have been playing soccer on a large open field for years. Suddenly, someone comes along and builds a fence around the field, claiming it as their own. Now, you can no longer play freely and must find another place to play.
Related terms
Agricultural Revolution: A period of significant change in agricultural practices that led to increased productivity and efficiency.
Common Lands: Areas of land that were shared by multiple people or communities for grazing livestock or growing crops.
Land Consolidation: The process of combining smaller plots of land into larger ones, often done through enclosure acts.
"Enclosure Acts" appears in:
Subjects (2)
Are you a college student?
Study guides for the entire semester
200k practice questions
Glossary of 50k key terms - memorize important vocab
Resources
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.