Going through the history of man we realize that humanity has undergone a lot of revolution. Agriculture seems to have played a significant role in effecting the evolution. The revolution of agriculture led to industrial revolution as well as the rise of global capitalism that had both negative and positive impacts to humankind.

During the Old Stone Age (Paleolithic), man depended on hunting, collecting honey, digging up roots, and gathering fruits and berries for food. They were more of food collectors rather than food producers (Strayer pp. 12). As agriculture advanced, people started adopting new methods of farming and could use machines that made work more manageable. The man could produce surplus food from a small piece of land which led to food security. Societies became civilized, and they developed the art of writing. Capitalism promoted trade both locally and internationally which increased interactions among humans with diverse cultures. The Neolithic man was more innovative because he had to find new methods of increasing production and that led to the introduction of modern farming techniques and technology. M’Connel and, for instance, became apprentices in the Lancashire cotton industry in 1780. They were able to invest in the business and made a lot of profits. With an initial capital of 1770 they were able to accumulate, and by 1810 it had risen to 88000 (Fulcher, pp.4). These accumulations of wealth made humans more powerful and healthy. People were able to live a more presentable life as they could settle down and do their farming. Mesopotamia and Egypt, for instance, adopted irrigation that increased production despite their arid conditions. Before 3500 BCE, there were no formal chiefs, kings, nobles, soldiers of priests. But between 3500 BCE to 500 BCE which marked the first civilizations, humans developed cities and states as they had begun settling rather than moving from one place to another. They were able to establish themselves, and that led to the emergence of kings and other leaders who would lead others on important issues. Kings, chiefs and other leaders were a necessity because they had to organize for soldiers who would protect them from invasion (Strayer, pp 96). The power of a state was measured mainly by its ability to maintain peace and stability in their territories and defending their regions from attack.

Despite humankind gaining from the industrial revolution and the rise of global capitalism, some disadvantages came with all these processes of “civilization” as we tend to call it. The indigenous man had his culture which was lost, and humankind had to adapt to the new religion of agriculture and settlement. The process led to unequal societies that were characterized by the wealthy and the less-privileged (Fulcher, pp.14). Equality eroded, and oppression of the poor was inevitable. The poor had no voice and had to suffer in the hands of the wealthy people. Women became subjects to men as they were initiated with the reproduction role rather than productive responsibilities. Unlike the Paleolithic man where both genders shared respective duties, the duties of men in the civilized world were more emphasized than that of women. The invention of machines replaced human labor, and that even disadvantaged the underprivileged who depended on working on the farms of the wealthy (Strayer, pp. 737) Society became a man eat man society where the issue of brotherhood and kinship did not have much importance unless you had something to offer in return. Activities of humans have led to the destruction of certain inhabitants. The lands and waters that were once fertile have been destroyed by modern agricultural practices such as the use of fertilizers and chemicals (Strayer, pp. 738)

Conclusion.

Agricultural revolution has played a significant role in enhancing technology as a result of the industrial revolution. Trading activities and interaction of communities have become an everyday lifestyle, and people can appreciate the differences that exist amongst them. We, however, need to look into what humankind has lost overtime as a result of these revolutions and find a way to try and preserve the unique culture that the Paleolithic man had.

References

Fulcher, James S. A. T. U. O. L. Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction. , 2015. . Oxford UP, USA, Print.

Strayer, Robert W. Ways of the World: A Brief Global History with Sources, Combined Volume. , 2012. Internet resource.

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