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.
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.