Industrial Revolution Overview

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Questions and Answers

What marked the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain?

The invention of steam power
The agricultural revolution (correct)
The development of the cottage industry
The establishment of factories

How did mechanization impact textile production?

It centralized production in homes.
It decreased production speed.
It eliminated the need for factories.
It made spinning and weaving faster. (correct)

What was a significant consequence of the new farming methods during the Industrial Revolution?

A decrease in food production.
A shift of population from rural to urban areas. (correct)
Rejection of machinery in agriculture.
An increase in the number of farmers needed.

Why did factories emerge during the Industrial Revolution?

Due to the size of new machines. (A)

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Which of the following resources contributed to Britain's industrialization?

Abundant natural resources (D)

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What was the role of the cottage industry before the Industrial Revolution?

It involved families producing goods at home. (C)

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What effect did large landowners taking over small farms have during the agricultural revolution?

It led to the creation of tenant farming. (C)

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What was a primary factor that differentiated Britain's industrialization from other countries?

The presence of all necessary factors of production. (C)

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Flashcards

Industrial Revolution

A period in history beginning in the mid-1700s in Britain where machines replaced hand labor, leading to mass production, factory work, and urbanization.

Agricultural Revolution

A shift in farming practices in Europe, where new methods and technologies increased food production, leading to fewer farmers needed and population growth.

Cottage Industry

A system where merchants supplied raw materials to families who spun and wove textiles at home, returning finished goods to the merchants.

Mechanisation

The process of using machines and tools to replace manual labor, making production faster and more efficient.

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Factories

Buildings designed to house machines and workers, where large-scale production of goods takes place.

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Factors of Production

The combination of land, labor, and capital needed for production, which Britain had during the Industrial Revolution, allowing it to industrialize first.

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Enclosures

The practice of large landowners taking over small farms, creating bigger fields, while smaller farmers lost land and became tenant farmers.

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Seed Drill

A tool that helped plant seeds more efficiently, contributing to increased crop yields and the Agricultural Revolution.

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Study Notes

The Industrial Revolution

People transitioned from small farming villages to buying goods from stores. This shift occurred in Great Britain during the mid-1700s.
Farming practices in Europe evolved, leading to increased efficiency and a reduced workforce needed for agriculture.
This change meant many people moved to cities to find work.

The Textile Industry and Cottage Industry

The Industrial Revolution began in Britain's textile industry.
British merchants imported raw cotton from India, processing it into thread and cloth.
The cottage industry involved sending raw cotton to peasant families who spun and wove it, then returned the finished cloth to merchants.
This process was slow, prompting the development of faster methods like the spinning jenny and water-powered looms.

Innovations in Manufacturing

Inventors created tools and machines to speed up spinning and weaving.
The spinning jenny spun many threads simultaneously, leading to high production levels.
Water-powered looms automated the weaving process.
The need for these large machines made it necessary for businesses to build factories next to water sources and larger factory buildings.

Agricultural Revolution as Catalyst

The early 1700s saw wealthy landowners enclose common lands, creating large fields (enclosures).
This forced many poor farmers off their land, creating tenant farmers or prompting them to seek work in cities.
Improved farming techniques (e.g. seed drill by Jethro Tull) increased farm output and food availability, boosting population.