Agricultural Revolution

Historians consider the Hongwu emperor to be one of the greatest emperors of China. From the start of his rule, he took great care to distribute land to small farmers. It seems to have been his policy to favor the poor, whom he tried to help to support themselves and their families. For instance, in 1370, an order was given that some land in Hunan and Anhui should be distributed to young farmers who had reached manhood. To preclude the absorption of this land by unscrupulous landlords, it was announced that the title to it was not transferab ...

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Ming Dynasty, Ming Dynasty - Origins, Ming Dynasty - Exploration to isolation, Ming Dynasty - Ming military conquests, Ming Dynasty - Agricultural Revolution, Ming Dynasty - Commerce Revolution, Ming Dynasty - The Ming Code, Ming Dynasty - Scrapping Prime Minister Post, Ming Dynasty - Decline of the Ming, Ming Dynasty - Building the the Great Wall, Ming Dynasty - The Network of Secret Agents, Ming Dynasty - Fall of the Ming Dynasty

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The Neolithic, (Greek νέος (neos) = new + λίθος (lithos) = stone, or "New" Stone Age) was a period in the development of human technology that is traditionally the last part of the Stone Age. The name was invented by John Lubbock in 1865 as a refinement of the three-age system. The term is more commonly used in the Old World and its application to cultures in the Americas and Oceania is problematic. It follows the terminal Pleistocene Epipalaeolithic and early Holocene Mesolithic periods, beginning ...

Including:

• Neolithic - Origins and regional development
• Neolithic - Social organization
• Neolithic - Farming
• Neolithic - Technology

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A significant and far-reaching shift in human subsistence and lifestyle was to be brought about in those areas where crop farming and cultivation were first developed, then gradually improved. In these areas, the previous reliance upon a more nomadic hunter-gatherer subsistence technique was at first supplemented, and then increasingly replaced by, a reliance upon the yield produced from cultivated lands. These developments are also believed to have greatly encouraged the growth of settlements, since it may be supposed that the increased nee ...

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Neolithic, Neolithic - Origins and regional development, Neolithic - Social organization, Neolithic - Farming, Neolithic - Technology

Read more here: » Neolithic: Encyclopedia II - Neolithic - Farming

The term Neolithic Revolution was first coined in the 1920s by Vere Gordon Childe to describe the first in a series of agricultural revolutions to have punctuated human history. This period is described as a "revolution" not so much in the sense that its uptake or spread was rapid, but rather to denote the great significance and degree of change brought about to the communities in which these practices were gradually adopted and refined. This involved a gradual transition from a hunter-gatherer mode of subsistence which was pra ...

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Neolithic Revolution, Neolithic Revolution - Agricultural transition, Neolithic Revolution - Incentive to settle, Neolithic Revolution - Emergence of civilization, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of plants, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in Asia, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in the Fertile Crescent, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in Africa, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of animals, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of animals in China's yellow river valley, Neolithic Revolution - Social change, Neolithic Revolution - Disease, Neolithic Revolution - The beginnings of technology, Neolithic Revolution - Subsequent revolutions

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Agriculture gave humans more control over their food supply, but required settled occupation of territory and encouraged larger social groups. These sedentary groups were able to reproduce at a faster rate due to the added convenience of raising children in such societies. The children accounted for a denser population, and introduced specialization by providing diverse forms of labour. The development of larger societies called for a means of governmental organization. Food surpluses made this possible by feeding chieftains as they focused on work, rather than producing sustenance. In addition, domesticated ...

See also:

Neolithic Revolution, Neolithic Revolution - Agricultural transition, Neolithic Revolution - Incentive to settle, Neolithic Revolution - Emergence of civilization, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of plants, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in Asia, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in the Fertile Crescent, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in Africa, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of animals, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of animals in China's yellow river valley, Neolithic Revolution - Social change, Neolithic Revolution - Disease, Neolithic Revolution - The beginnings of technology, Neolithic Revolution - Subsequent revolutions

Read more here: » Neolithic Revolution: Encyclopedia II - Neolithic Revolution - Social change

When hunter-gathering began to be replaced by sedentary food production it became more profitable to keep animals close at hand. Therefore, it became necessary to bring animals permanently to their settlements. The animals' size, temperament, diet, mating patterns, and life span were factors in the desire and success in domesticating animals. Animals that provided milk, such as cows and goats, offered a source of protein that was renewable and therefore quite valuable. The animal’s ability as a worker (for example ploughing or towing), as ...

See also:

Neolithic Revolution, Neolithic Revolution - Agricultural transition, Neolithic Revolution - Incentive to settle, Neolithic Revolution - Emergence of civilization, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of plants, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in Asia, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in the Fertile Crescent, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in Africa, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of animals, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of animals in China's yellow river valley, Neolithic Revolution - Social change, Neolithic Revolution - Disease, Neolithic Revolution - The beginnings of technology, Neolithic Revolution - Subsequent revolutions

Read more here: » Neolithic Revolution: Encyclopedia II - Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of animals

Once agriculture started gaining momentum, humans were unknowingly altering the genetic make-up of certain cereal grasses (wheat and barley) that would favour greater caloric returns through larger seeds. Plants that possessed traits such as small seeds, or bitter taste would have been seen as undesirable. This process known as domestication allowed crops to adapt and eventually become larger and more useful to the human population. Once early farmers perfected their agricultural techniques, their crops would yield surpluses which nee ...

See also:

Neolithic Revolution, Neolithic Revolution - Agricultural transition, Neolithic Revolution - Incentive to settle, Neolithic Revolution - Emergence of civilization, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of plants, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in Asia, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in the Fertile Crescent, Neolithic Revolution - Agriculture in Africa, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of animals, Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of animals in China's yellow river valley, Neolithic Revolution - Social change, Neolithic Revolution - Disease, Neolithic Revolution - The beginnings of technology, Neolithic Revolution - Subsequent revolutions

Read more here: » Neolithic Revolution: Encyclopedia II - Neolithic Revolution - Domestication of plants

Neolithic peoples were skilled farmers, manufacturing a range of tools necessary for the tending, harvesting and processing of crops (such as sickle blades and grinding stones) and food production (e.g. pottery, bone implements). They were also skilled manufacturers of a range of other types of stone tool and ornaments, including projectile points, beads, and statuettes. Neolithic peoples in the Levant, Anatolia, Syria, northern Mesopotamia and Central Asia were also accomplished builders, utilising mud-brick to construct houses and villages ...

See also:

Neolithic, Neolithic - Origins and regional development, Neolithic - Social organization, Neolithic - Farming, Neolithic - Technology

Read more here: » Neolithic: Encyclopedia II - Neolithic - Technology

Several developments within the chemical, electrical, petroleum, and steel industries took place. Mass production of consumer goods also developed at this time, for the mechanisation of manufacture of food and drink, clothing and transport and even entertainment with the early cinema, radio and gramophone both served the needs of the population and also provided employment for the increasing numbers. This increasing production, however, was a factor leading up to the Long Depression and the so-called "New Imperialism". See also:

Second Industrial Revolution, Second Industrial Revolution - Revolutions, Second Industrial Revolution - Dating the era, Second Industrial Revolution - Communication, Second Industrial Revolution - Engines, Second Industrial Revolution - Germany, Second Industrial Revolution - Industrial workers, Second Industrial Revolution - End of the second phase, Second Industrial Revolution - Historical uses

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This stage leads to an increase in population and rapid fall in death rates. The changes leading to this stage in Europe were initiated in the Agricultural Revolution of the 18th century. Countries in this stage include Nigeria, Kenya and Bangladesh. The decline in the death rate is due initially to two factors: First, improvements in the food supply brought about by higher yields in agricultural practices prevent death due to starvation. These improvements in agricultural productivity included crop rotation, selective breeding, ...

See also:

Demographic transition, Demographic transition - DTM Summary, Demographic transition - Stage Two in detail, Demographic transition - Stage Three in detail, Demographic transition - Stage Five?, Demographic transition - Source

Read more here: » Demographic transition: Encyclopedia II - Demographic transition - Stage Two in detail

The economic impact of the digital revolution has been large. Without the World Wide Web (WWW), for example, globalization and outsourcing would not be nearly as viable as they are today. The digital revolution radically changed the way individuals and companies interact. Small regional companies were suddenly given access to much larger markets. Concepts such as On-demand services and manufacturing and rapidly dropping technology costs made possible n ...

See also:

Digital Revolution, Digital Revolution - Brief history, Digital Revolution - Technological basis, Digital Revolution - Socio-economic impact, Digital Revolution - Concerns

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Scottish clan - Inheritance and authority. The Scottish Highland clan system incorporated the Celtic/Norse traditions of heritage as well as Norman Feudal society. Chieftains and petty kings under the suzerainty of a High King ruled Gaelic Alba, with all such offices being filled through election by an assembly. Usually the candidate was nominated by the current office holder on the approach of death, and his heir-elect was known as the tanist, from the Gaelic tanaiste, or second, with the system be ...

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Scottish clan, Scottish clan - Origins of the clans, Scottish clan - The Highland clan system, Scottish clan - Inheritance and authority, Scottish clan - Legal process, Scottish clan - Social ties, Scottish clan - Clan management, Scottish clan - Disputes and disorder, Scottish clan - Civil wars and Jacobitism, Scottish clan - Decline of the Clan system, Scottish clan - Romantic revival of interest, Scottish clan - Lowland clans, Scottish clan - Clan membership tartans and badges, Scottish clan - Clan lists and maps, Scottish clan - Sources

Read more here: » Scottish clan: Encyclopedia II - Scottish clan - The Highland clan system

Political revolutions are often characterised by violence, and vast changes in power structures that can often result in further, institutionalised, violence, as in the Russian and French revolutions (with the "Purges" and "the Terror", respectively). A political revolution is the forcible replacement of one set of rulers with another (as happened in France and Russia), while a social revolution is the fundamental change in the social structure of a society, such as the Protestant Reformation or the Renaissance. However, blurri ...

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Revolution, Revolution - Social and political revolutions, Revolution - Ancient revolutions, Revolution - Liberal revolutions, Revolution - Socialist and/or Communist revolutions, Revolution - Eastern European anti-Communist/anti-dictatorship revolutions, Revolution - Islamist revolutions, Revolution - Color revolutions, Revolution - Cultural intellectual and philosophical revolutions, Revolution - Technological revolutions

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Lincoln Lincolnshire - Earliest History: Lindon. The earliest origins of Lincoln can be traced to the remains of an Iron Age settlement of round wooden dwellings (which was discovered by archaeologists in 1972) that have been dated to the 1st century BC. This settlement was built by a deep pool (the modern Brayford Pool) in the River Witham at the foot of a large hill (which today is t ...

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Lincoln Lincolnshire, Lincoln Lincolnshire - History, Lincoln Lincolnshire - Earliest History: Lindon, Lincoln Lincolnshire - Roman History: Lindum Colonia, Lincoln Lincolnshire - Medieval Lincoln, Lincoln Lincolnshire - The Georgian Age, Lincoln Lincolnshire - The Industrial Revolution, Lincoln Lincolnshire - The 20th Century, Lincoln Lincolnshire - Economy, Lincoln Lincolnshire - Tourism, Lincoln Lincolnshire - Education, Lincoln Lincolnshire - Media, Lincoln Lincolnshire - Sport, Lincoln Lincolnshire - External References

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While there have been huge benefits to the digital revolution, especially in terms of the accessibility of information, there are a number of concerns. For those living in the present, the digital revolution has ushered in an new age of mass surveillance, generating a range of new civil and human rights issues. From the perspective of the historian, a large part of human history is known through physical objects from the past that have been found or preserved, particularly in written documents. Although digital information is e ...

See also:

Digital Revolution, Digital Revolution - Brief history, Digital Revolution - Technological basis, Digital Revolution - Socio-economic impact, Digital Revolution - Concerns

Read more here: » Digital Revolution: Encyclopedia II - Digital Revolution - Concerns

The transition involves 4 stages (Possibly 5). In stage one, a preindustrial society, death rates and birth rates are both high and oscillate rapidly according to natural events, such as drought and disease, to produce a relatively constant and young population. In stage two, that of a developing country, the death rates drop rapidly due to improvements in food supply and sanitation, which increase life spans and reduce disease. These changes usually come about due to improvements in farming techniques, access to techno ...

See also:

Demographic transition, Demographic transition - DTM Summary, Demographic transition - Stage Two in detail, Demographic transition - Stage Three in detail, Demographic transition - Stage Five?, Demographic transition - Source

Read more here: » Demographic transition: Encyclopedia II - Demographic transition - DTM Summary

Stage Three moves the population towards stability through a decline in the birth rate. In general, the decline in birth rates in developed countries began towards the end of the 19th century in northern Europe and followed the decline in death rates by several decades. Many countries are currently in this stage including India, Mexico and Brazil. There are several factors contributing to this eventual decline, although some of them remain speculative: In rural areas continued decline in childhood death means that at some point ...

See also:

Demographic transition, Demographic transition - DTM Summary, Demographic transition - Stage Two in detail, Demographic transition - Stage Three in detail, Demographic transition - Stage Five?, Demographic transition - Source

Read more here: » Demographic transition: Encyclopedia II - Demographic transition - Stage Three in detail

The underlying technology was invented in the last half of the 20th century and became economical for widespread adoption after the invention of the PC. The digital revolution transformed technology that previously was analog into a binary representation of ones and zeros. By doing this, it became possible to make multiple generation copies that were identical to the original. In digital communications, for example, repeating hardware was able to amplify the digital signal and p ...

See also:

Digital Revolution, Digital Revolution - Brief history, Digital Revolution - Technological basis, Digital Revolution - Socio-economic impact, Digital Revolution - Concerns

Read more here: » Digital Revolution: Encyclopedia II - Digital Revolution - Brief history

The revival of interest, and demand for clan ancestry, has led to the production of lists and maps covering the whole of Scotland giving clan names and showing territories, sometimes with the appropriate tartans. While some lists and clan maps confine their area to the Highlands, others also show Lowland clans or families. Territorial areas and allegiances changed over time, and there are also differing decisions on which (smaller) clans and families should be omitted. Some alternative online sources a ...

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Scottish clan, Scottish clan - Origins of the clans, Scottish clan - The Highland clan system, Scottish clan - Inheritance and authority, Scottish clan - Legal process, Scottish clan - Social ties, Scottish clan - Clan management, Scottish clan - Disputes and disorder, Scottish clan - Civil wars and Jacobitism, Scottish clan - Decline of the Clan system, Scottish clan - Romantic revival of interest, Scottish clan - Lowland clans, Scottish clan - Clan membership tartans and badges, Scottish clan - Clan lists and maps, Scottish clan - Sources

Read more here: » Scottish clan: Encyclopedia II - Scottish clan - Clan lists and maps

The central and southern Lowlands had been Brythonic, with the southeast coming under the Angles, then by 1034 Alba had expanded to bring the whole area under Gaelic Celtic rule. From the accession King David I (1124), the traditional social patterns of much of eastern Scotland began to be altered, particularly with the growth of burghs and the settlement of French feudal families on royal demesne lands. This process was of course very slow, but its cumulative effect over many centuries was to undermine the integrity of Gaelic in the areas affected, areas which later be ...

See also:

Scottish clan, Scottish clan - Origins of the clans, Scottish clan - The Highland clan system, Scottish clan - Inheritance and authority, Scottish clan - Legal process, Scottish clan - Social ties, Scottish clan - Clan management, Scottish clan - Disputes and disorder, Scottish clan - Civil wars and Jacobitism, Scottish clan - Decline of the Clan system, Scottish clan - Romantic revival of interest, Scottish clan - Lowland clans, Scottish clan - Clan membership tartans and badges, Scottish clan - Clan lists and maps, Scottish clan - Sources

Read more here: » Scottish clan: Encyclopedia II - Scottish clan - Lowland clans