Life in the Fertile Crescent
In Life in the Fertile Crescent, host Andrew Marr takes us back 16,000 years. The Earth is warming and modern life starts to take shape as people shift from hunting and gathering to farming. The first farmers in the Fertile Crescent figured out how to grow grains for food, which changed how they lived and what was possible for population growth. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Andrew Marr's History of the World, a story of human history that uses reenactments, modern footage, and storytelling to explain history’s greatest achievements.
Andrew Marr goes on an epic journey through 70,000 years of human history, telling the story of how great forces of nature and individual genius shaped the world we live in today. Learn more.
Lesson Express
Q: How was planting seeds a “leap of faith”?
A: The first people who planted seeds didn’t know exactly what would happen and if the seeds didn’t grow and produce food, they wouldn’t have had anything to eat and might have starved.
Q: How did the transition from hunting and gathering to farming mark a significant shift in human civilization?
A: People were able to stay in one place. The population could expand because they had a more reliable source of food.
Q: What were the effects of the farming revolution? Which effects were positive? Which were negative?
A: Student responses will vary. Students may mention that farming was harder than hunting and gathering; people became shorter; the change in diet resulted in tooth decay and the work resulted in arthritis; there was a population explosion and the farming revolution allowed people to create more food to feed more people.
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In 1831, Cyrus McCormick successfully demonstrated a machine that could harvest grain more quickly than workers using traditional tools. He patented his reaper in 1834 and later moved to Chicago, where he and his brothers founded the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. The company produced and shipped reapers across the country, helping farmers increase production and supporting westward expansion.
McCormick was also a successful businessman who offered customers credit, financing, and money-back guarantees. His reaper became popular around the world and helped reduce the need for farm labor, contributing to the growth of cities. After his Chicago factory was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, McCormick rebuilt it and continued developing his machinery.
In 1831, Cyrus McCormick successfully demonstrated a machine that could harvest grain more quickly than workers using traditional tools. He patented his reaper in 1834 and later moved to Chicago, where he and his brothers founded the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. The company produced and shipped reapers across the country, helping farmers increase production and supporting westward expansion.
McCormick was also a successful businessman who offered customers credit, financing, and money-back guarantees. His reaper became popular around the world and helped reduce the need for farm labor, contributing to the growth of cities. After his Chicago factory was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, McCormick rebuilt it and continued developing his machinery.