British Industrialization Factors and Products

Factors Behind British Industrialization

• Britain industrialized first due to abundant natural resources, including coal and iron
• The Agricultural Revolution, featuring innovations like crop rotation and the enclosure movement, increased food production and freed up labor
• Political stability and strong financial institutions encouraged investment in industrial enterprises
• Britain's colonial empire provided raw materials, such as cotton, sugar, and tobacco, and access to international markets

Major Products & Patterns of Industrialization

• The steam engine revolutionized transportation and factory production, leading to increased efficiency
• The spinning jenny enabled mass production of textiles, accelerating the growth of the cotton industry
• The Bessemer Process made steel production faster and cheaper and aided the construction of railroads, bridges, and buildings
• These innovations fueled urbanization, mass production, and global trade expansion

Social Class System in 19th-Century Britain

• The aristocracy, wealthy landowners with inherited status, controlled politics
• The middle class, consisting of factory owners, merchants, and professionals, gained economic power and pushed for political reforms
• The working class, factory and mine workers, lived in poor conditions and fought for labor rights
• Industrialization widened the gap between the rich and poor but also created new opportunities

Changes in Women’s Roles

• Women worked in textile mills, factories, and domestic service, but for lower wages than men
• Women became active in labor unions and suffrage movements
• Middle-class women gained access to teaching, nursing, and clerical jobs
• Many women still faced limited rights and workplace exploitation

Political & Economic Liberalism

• Political liberalism advocated for constitutional government, individual rights, and democracy
• Economic liberalism emphasized free markets, capitalism, and minimal government interference
• Liberalism was popular among the middle class, but the working class often favored socialism

Nationalism & Its Spread

• Nationalism is the belief that people sharing a common language, culture, and history should form an independent nation
• The unification of Germany in 1871, led by Otto von Bismarck, unified smaller German states into one nation through wars

Russia in the 19th Century

• Russia had an autocratic political system under the Tsar
• Serfdom was abolished in 1861, but peasants remained poor, and industrialization lagged
• Unlike Britain and France, Russia resisted political change, leading to discontent

Differences Between Russia, Austria-Hungary & The Ottoman Empire

• Russia, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire struggled with multi-ethnic populations, political instability, and slow industrialization
• Russia was autocratic and rural, with slow industrialization
• Austria-Hungary faced nationalist tensions leading to political instability
• The Ottoman Empire, known as the "Sick Man of Europe," was losing territory and struggling with modernization

Relationship Between Industrialization and Urbanization

• Factory jobs led to migration to cities
• Cities like Manchester and London grew rapidly during this period
• Overcrowding, pollution, and poor living conditions resulted from urbanization

Key Reforms in Britain (Early 20th Century)

• Labour Reforms (1906-1914) improved working conditions and wages
• The Parliament Act of 1911 limited the power of the House of Lords
• Women's Suffrage in 1918 gave women over 30 the right to vote

Britain vs. France Political Systems (Late 19th & Early 20th Century)

• Britain had a constitutional monarchy with gradual reforms that expanded democracy
• France had a republican system with more radical political changes
• France experienced more political instability, while Britain reformed without revolution

Progressive Era Reforms (U.S.)

• Child Labor Laws restricted child labor in factories
• Antitrust Laws broke up monopolies
• Women's Suffrage in 1920, the 19th Amendment, granted women the right to vote

Social & Political Tensions: U.S. vs. Canada

• The U.S. faced racial tensions rooted in Jim Crow laws, labor strikes, and immigration issues
• Canada dealt with tensions between French and English-speaking populations, Indigenous rights, and autonomy from Britain

Immigration’s Role in Industrialization (U.S. & Canada)

• Immigration provided cheap labor for factories, railroads, and mines
• Immigration led to rapid urban growth and cultural diversity
• Immigration created social tensions over jobs and assimilation

Socioeconomic Trends in Latin America (1800s)

• Latin America experienced political instability with frequent military coups and dictatorships
• Latin American economies were export-based and dependent on cash crops
• Social inequality persisted, with wealth concentrated among landowners while peasants remained poor

Karl Marx & The Communist Manifesto

• Marxism criticized capitalism for exploiting workers
• It called for a class struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat
• It advocated for a workers’ revolution to establish a classless society

The Proletariat

• The proletariat is defined as the working class in industrial societies
• Marx believed the proletariat would overthrow capitalism

Relevance of Marx’s Ideas

• Marx's ideas inspired labor movements, socialism, and communist revolutions
• His ideas influenced worker rights and welfare policies despite being criticized by capitalists

Charles Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection

• Survival of the fittest means organisms with favorable traits survive and reproduce
• Darwin's theory influenced biology and social sciences

Darwin’s Theory of Organic Evolution

• This theory suggests all life evolved from a common ancestor
• The theory was controversial because it challenged religious views on creation
• Darwin's theory became the foundation of modern evolutionary biology