Industrial Revolution
Its Impact and Importance
Objective: To know about the changed that
happened in Britain during the Industrial
Revolution. To analyze and interpret on various
changes that happened in the field of transport and
industry and its impact.
What is Industrializations?
The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing
processes in the period from about 1760 to sometime between 1820 and
1840. This transition included going from hand production methods to
machines, new chemical manufacturing and iron production processes,
improved efficiency of water power, the increasing use of steam power,
and the development of machine tools. It also included the change from
wood and other bio-fuels to coal. Textiles were the dominant industry of
the Industrial Revolution in terms of employment, value of output and
capital invested; the textile industry was also the first to use modern
production methods.
The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain, and spread to Western
Europe and North America within a few decades. The precise start and
end of the Industrial Revolution is still debated among historians, as is
the pace of economic and social changes. Economic historians are in
agreement that the onset of the Industrial Revolution is the most
important event in the history of humanity since the domestication of
animals, plants and fire.
Contribution of the Industrial Revolution to UK and
to the World
A number of factors contributed to Britains role as the birthplace of the
Industrial Revolution. For one, it had great deposits of coal and iron ore,
which proved essential for industrialization. Additionally, Britain was a
politically stable society, as well as the worlds leading colonial power,
which meant its colonies could serve as a source for raw materials, as
well as a marketplace for manufactured goods.
As demand for British goods increased, merchants needed more costeffective methods of production, which led to the rise of mechanization
and the factory system.
Feudalism- farmers were no longer bound to the land
Guild system- the guild for a particular trade could no longer control
who set up a new business
The system of customary prices- The market is much more free, instead
of the old system where changing the price because of a shortage was
seen as profiteering.
Agricultural changes
Enclosure -The abolishment of the old system of communal farming and
its replacement with family farms. Supposedly everyone had the same
share of land as before, but the smallest farmers didn't have enough to
survive as an independent farm and they went out of business and went
looking for work. Took place 16th century to about 1820.
Changes in transport
The growth of the Industrial Revolution depended on the ability to
transport raw materials and finished goods over long distances. There
were three main types of transportation that increased during the
Industrial Revolution: waterways, roads, and railroads. Transportation
was important because people were starting to live in the West. During
this time period, transportation via water was the cheapest way to move
heavy products (such as coal and iron). As a result, canals were widened
and deepened to allow more boats to pass. Robert Fulton made the first
steam-powered engine to power a steamboat, and in 1807 he
demonstrated its use by going from New York City to Albany via the
Hudson River. His steamboat was able to carry raw materials across the
Atlantic Ocean by the mid 1800's. The roads also improved immensely
during this time period. Previously, people traveled using animals or by
foot, but there were many problems with the conditions of the roads. In
1751, turnpikes were created for easier transportation, especially for the
horse-drawn wagons. John Loudon McAdam made "macadam" road
surfaces which consisted of crushed rock in thin layers. Thomas Telford
made new foundations in roads with large flat stones. Soon after, roads
across America were improved based on these techniques. The closest to
trains were horses, commonly used to pull freight cars along rails. In
1801, Richard Trevithick made the first steam locomotive. These
improvements on waterways, roads, and railroads all made traveling
safer, and it allowed goods to be moved more efficiently.
Changes in Industry
By the mid-18th century, population growth and increasing foreign trade
created a greater demand for manufactured goods. Mass production was
achieved by replacing water and animal power with steam power, and by
the invention of new machinery and technology. Among other
innovations, the introduction of steam power was a catalyst for the
Industrial Revolution. James Watts improvements to the steam engine,
and his collaboration with Matthew Bolton on the creation of the rotative
engine, were crucial for industrial production: machinery could now
function much faster, with rotary movements and without human power.
Coal became a key factor in the success of industrialization; it was used
to produce the steam power on which industry depended. Improvements
in mining technology ensured that more coal could be extracted to power
the factories and run railway trains and steamships. Britains cotton and
metalworking industries became internationally important, but the
manufacture of glass, soap and earthenware also flourished.
The early mechanization of the textile industry and the applications of
new technologies, including Richard Arkwrights water frame for the
cotton spinning wheel, revolutionized production in the textile mills.
More efficient ways of weaving cotton helped Manchester become the
most important British Centre of the cotton industry (often called
Cotton polis) and the worlds first industrial city. Paper money issued
in Lancashire shows the importance of the textile industry in the county.
Problems faced by people during Industrial
Revolution:
The growth of cities led to horrible living conditions. The wealthy fared
far better than the industrial workers because they could afford to live in
the suburbs on the outskirts of the city. However, for most of the factory
workers, cities were dirty, crowded places where epidemics frequently
broke out.
Overcrowded row homes created to house the workers and their families
contributed to these conditions. Government reports of the time
indicated people sleeping as many as six to one bed.
The sanitary conditions in early industrial cities were filthy as well.
Since the municipal governments did not concern themselves with
cleanliness at the time, the cities did not have proper waste disposal
systems, and people threw trash and sewage directly into the streets. The
burning coal of the industrial factories coated cities in a layer of grime
and polluted the air, and water supplies were polluted by waste.
Conditions in factories were deplorable as well. Those workers who had
come from agricultural backgrounds were faced with a big adjustment.
While farming required irregular hours and periods of work alternating
with rest, the factory system required constant labor. Factory owners
were faced with the task of breaking the habits of these workers and
getting them accustomed to time-based labor.
Positive and Negative Change of Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution brought about a greater volume and variety of
factory-produced goods and raised the standard of living for many
people, particularly for the middle and upper classes. However, life for
the poor and working classes continued to be filled with challenges.
Wages for those who labored in factories were low and working
conditions could be dangerous and monotonous. Unskilled workers had
little job security and were easily replaceable. Children were part of the
labor force and often worked long hours and were used for such highly
hazardous tasks as cleaning the machinery. In the early 1860s, an
estimated one-fifth of the workers in Britains textile industry were
younger than 15. Industrialization also meant that some craftspeople
were replaced by machines. Additionally, urban, industrialized areas
were unable to keep pace with the flow of arriving workers from the
countryside, resulting in inadequate, overcrowded housing and polluted,
unsanitary living conditions in which disease was rampant. Conditions
for Britains working-class began to gradually improve by the later part
of the 19th century, as the government instituted various labor reforms
and workers gained the right to form trade unions.
