What was the impact of the Enclosure Acts and new farming practices?

The Enclosure Acts were laws passed by the British Parliament to enclose, or fence off, farm land that had been previously open. Many enclosure acts were passed from about 1600 to 1900, thereby shutting off peasants from common lands on which they could formerly graze their sheep and raise crops.

The Enclosure Acts were passed so that landowners could make higher profits from their land and increase agricultural productivity. Farmers began to use techniques that...

The Enclosure Acts were laws passed by the British Parliament to enclose, or fence off, farm land that had been previously open. Many enclosure acts were passed from about 1600 to 1900, thereby shutting off peasants from common lands on which they could formerly graze their sheep and raise crops.

The Enclosure Acts were passed so that landowners could make higher profits from their land and increase agricultural productivity. Farmers began to use techniques that resulted in higher yields and profits. 

In addition, peasants who formerly worked the land were forced to leave rural areas because their labor was not needed. As a result, they flooded into urban areas before and during the Industrial Revolution, often forming part of the new factory working class. They also often immigrated--first to Northern Ireland and then to British colonies in the New World. Therefore, the process of enclosure resulted in augmenting the processes of urbanization, industrialization, and immigration. In addition, many historians cite the process of enclosure as the beginning of capitalism and the end of feudalism, as lands that were formerly held in common (or held by lords and used by peasants) became the domains of individuals who used them to increase profits.