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Module 5.3 outlines the evolution of farming, beginning with the First Agricultural Revolution, which was defined by the initial domestication of plants and animals. Humans transitioned from nomadic lifestyles to settled farming by identifying and breeding wild species in specific hearths, such as the Fertile Crescent and Mesoamerica. Following these origins, the Second Agricultural Revolution introduced critical mechanical advancements like the seed drill, steel plow, and mechanical reaper. This era also saw the rise of agrichemicals and improved transportation networks, which significantly boosted food surpluses and fueled the Industrial Revolution. While these innovations allowed for massive population growth and better diets, they also triggered profound social shifts and environmental challenges. Module 35 details how agricultural practices spread globally through diffusion and transformed human civilization.
Module Guiding Questions
How did the First and Second Agricultural Revolutions differ?
What were the major global hearths of plant domestication?
How did agricultural innovations impact urban populations and migration?
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Module Terms
Agrichemicals
Chemical compounds made from petroleum and natural gas for agricultural use, including fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.
Biodiversity
The variety and variability among species and ecosystems; a key factor in the location of early agricultural hearths.
Cash Crop
A crop grown specifically to be sold for profit rather than for use by the farmer and their family.
Columbian Exchange
The 15th- and 16th-century interaction and widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, and disease between the Americas, West Africa, and the Old World.
Demographic Collapse
The phenomenon of near-genocide or massive depopulation of native populations, often due to the introduction of foreign diseases.
Domestication
The multigenerational process of selectively breeding and caring for wild species to create genetically distinct domesticates.
Expansion Diffusion
A process where ideas or practices spread throughout a population from area to area in a "snowballing" fashion.
Fertile Crescent
An area in Southwest Asia (Tigris and Euphrates valleys) considered the earliest center for the domestication of seed plants.
First Agricultural Revolution
The prehistoric transition involving the domestication of plants and animals and the cultivation of seed crops.
Hearth
A center where new practices develop and from which those innovations spread or diffuse.
Herbicide
A specific type of pesticide designed to kill or inhibit the growth of unwanted plants (weeds).
Indus River Valley
An early center of domestication in present-day Pakistan and India; a site of early integrated crop/livestock farming.
Mechanical Reaper
A machine patented by Cyrus McCormick in 1831 used to harvest grain crops mechanically, greatly increasing yields.
Mesoamerica
A cultural region including Mexico and Central America; the hearth for crops like maize, tomatoes, and beans.
Nutrient Pollution
A consequence of overusing fertilizer where excess nutrients seep into groundwater or nearby waterways.
Relocation Diffusion
The spread of an idea or practice through the physical movement of individuals or groups from one location to another.
Runoff
The flow of rain or irrigation water over land, often carrying soil and agrichemicals into streams and marshes.
Scythe
An agricultural hand tool with a long, curved blade used for cutting grain in the fields before mechanization.
Second Agricultural Revolution
A period (late 1600s–1930s) characterized by improved methods of cultivation, harvesting, and storage through mechanization and chemicals.
Seed Drill
A machine invented by Jethro Tull in 1701 for planting seeds in neat rows at specific depths, reducing waste.
Subsistence Farmer
A farmer who raises a variety of crops primarily for their own family's use, often relying on bartering for surplus goods.
Synthetic Fertilizer
Industrially manufactured nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium used to stimulate plant growth.
Teosinte
A large wild grass native to Mexico and the wild ancestor of modern maize (corn).
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