Agriculture in Depression 1870–1940

A concise 1995 study which shows how British agriculture was affected by, and reacted to, international competition after 1870.

Richard Perren (Author)

9780521557689, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 28 September 1995

94 pages
21.5 x 13.7 x 0.7 cm, 0.12 kg

"...it successfully offers a short synthesis of recent literature for the student of English economic, nineteenth-century, or rural history." Agricultural History

This concise 1995 survey of British agriculture between 1870 and 1940 shows how, after a period of comparative prosperity, British farmers faced a period of depression. The prime cause of this was the increase in world food supplies and the competition from cheaper producers. The author explains how this agricultural depression affected all groups in British farming in different ways. He shows how farmers reacted to the increased international competition, and demonstrates how low wages for farmworkers speeded the drift of labour from the land towards the towns, resulting in growing rural depopulation in some areas. The book provides a succinct survey of the recent literature on the subject, outlining the major areas of controversy and disagreement among scholars. A comprehensive bibliography is provided to help the reader pursue the subject in more detail.

List of tables
1. Prosperity before 1873
2. The great agricultural depression of 1879–96
3. Gainers and losers before 1914
4. Temporary revival, 1914–21
5. Depression of the 1920s and 1930s
6. Tariff protection and other assistance
7. The structure of rural society
8. Conclusion
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Economic history [KCZ]