Question

Explain briefly what the open field system meant to rural people in eighteenth-century England.
Look at the system from the point of view of:
A) A rich farmer
B) A labourer
C) A peasant woman

Answer 1

Hint: During the Middle Ages, the open-field system was the most common agricultural method in much of Europe, and in some nations, it continued until the twentieth century. Under the open-field system, each manor or village had two or three large fields, each of which was divided into many small strips of property. Individuals or peasant families, known as tenants or serfs, cultivated the strips or selions.

Complete answer:
Many economists believe that the open-field approach was inefficient for agricultural productivity and resistant to technological progress. Everyone was required to follow the village's planting, harvesting, and construction rules. Agricultural techniques and economic behaviour were regulated by communal institutions, the manorial court, and the tenants. Now let us look open field system in the view of:

A) A rich farmer: As the price of wool rose, wealthy farmers wanted to increase their production in order to benefit. They were eager to develop their sheep breeds and provide them with nutritious nutrition. They wanted to be able to govern big swaths of land in compact chunks to allow for better breeding. As a result, they began partitioning and enclosing common land, as well as erecting fences around their properties. Villagers with modest homes on the commons were driven away, and the poor were barred from entering the fenced fields.

B) A labourer: The common lands were vital to the poor labourers' existence. They used to live with landowners, performing a variety of odd chores in exchange for food, lodging, and a modest wage. When the open field system was phased out, however, labourers were paid pay and only worked during harvest. Labour was allowed to hunt rabbits and catch fish for nutritious food, even in commonly shared land. This made them vulnerable to wealthy landowners and farmers.

C) A peasant woman: The open-field system was a good method for peasant women to live in a society where everything was shared between the rich and the poor. They would graze their livestock, pick fruits, and gather firewood in the communal areas. However, the elimination of open fields had a negative impact on all of these activities.

Note: Many changes occurred in England as a result of modern agriculture. The open fields vanished, and peasant customary rights were threatened. The wealthier farmers increased grain production, sold it on the global market, profited, and grew strong. The destitute flocked out of their villages in droves. Labourers’ earnings grew unsteady, their jobs insecure, and their livelihoods precarious.