The world has experienced many changes in past generations; this paper will briefly outline different stages in life between 1500 and 1800 according to Blainey (2002) and will conclude with my reflection on how life has changed since 1800.
According to Blainey” life in 1800 was spent by most families scavenging and hunting for food, living off grains in the form of damper, cereal, and soup” ( 2000, p 410).Gathering food including bird eggs and wild berries would be how daily life revolved (Blainey 2000, p 410). Families had very little assets, with a peasant perhaps lucky enough to own a cow and a small portion of land. (Blainey 2000, p 410).
Until approximately 1200 years ago all humans were hunters and gatherers the term hunters and gatherers came from hunting animals and gathering vegetation (Macionis 2012, p 107). During this period there was never a problem with power or wealth as all the items that would be accumulated were perishable.
Horticulture became the new technology as hand tools were introduced to cultivate plants, the hoe to cultivate soil and the digging stick to poke holes in the ground to plant seeds and grains (Macionis 2012, p 108).
Pastoralism (technology based on the domestication of animals) was introduced; some people combined both Horticulture and Pastoralism allowing them to produce a variety of foods creating a more dependable food supply generating more resources than required (Henslin 2011, p138). Less people were required to produce food allowing them to engage in a new division of labour (Henslin 2011, p138). People began to make tools, jewellery and weapons developing a surplus of objects stimulating trade and setting the stage for inequality (Henslin 2011, p 138).
Battles evolved between groups and families as some had accumulated more goods of value than others, creating a variety of valuables for them to war over (Henslin