The Enclosures in England: An Economic Reconstruction

"The Enclosures in England: An Economic Reconstruction" by Harriett Bradley Fitt is a historical examination of the enclosure movement in England, a period where common farmlands were converted into private, enclosed fields, drastically altering both the agriculture and society. The book questions common explanations for the movement, such as increased wool prices driving the change. The author disagrees with this idea, noting that wool prices actually decreased during crucial periods of transition. She claims that the real reason was that common-field land was becoming less productive due to long periods of farming using poor methods. To support this theory, the author plans to use historical evidence to provide a more detailed explanation of the enclosure movement and propose that the lack of fertile soil played a large part in it.