Chapter 20 The Revolution in Energy and Industry PDF

The Revolution in Energy and Industry Chapter 20 Industrialization begins in Britain, then spreads to much of the rest of the world. Causes of the Industrial Revolution Changes in agriculture and agricultural technology in England increased food production. Some new worl...

The Revolution in Energy and Industry Chapter 20 Industrialization begins in Britain, then spreads to much of the rest of the world. Causes of the Industrial Revolution Changes in agriculture and agricultural technology in England increased food production. Some new world crops, such as the potato, had a greater yield of food than older crops. Enclosure, where wealthy land owners controlled large areas of farmland, allowed them to try out new agricultural techniques. Crop rotation, livestock breeding, and land improvement all increased farm output. More food supported more people; population increased. The enclosure movement also put small farm owners out of business, however. This forced them to look for work elsewhere, especially in cities. Causes of the Industrial Revolution European attitudes toward new technology, exploration, and trade made industrialization easier, especially in Britain. Curiosity regarding the first two and aggressive desire to control and profit from the latter led to the application of technology and inventiveness. In Britain the aristocracy was less rigid; (relative) social mobility was available. Britain also had a growing canal system, rivers, and harbors, which made water travel much easier. Political changes following the French Revolution altered government policies regarding trade. Some inefficient regulations were undone, and the relative peace that followed promoted commerce and innovation.  New Technologies Mass production: the making of many identical items by breaking the process into smaller, repetitive tasks. Pioneered by Josiah Wedgwood in his ceramics factory in 1759. Mechanization: the use of machines to do work previously done by hand. First used in the textile industry; machines were used to spin cotton into thread, and later to weave textile products themselves. Factories became more and more common, and an increasingly important source of both manufacturing and employment. Iron manufacturing was greatly increased by new heating and metalworking techniques. The use of coal, which was plentiful in Britain, allowed heating iron to be done more cheaply. The use of interchangeable parts increased the efficiency of production.  New Technologies The textile industry was the first to utilize machinery at every step of its production process. The cotton gin separated the raw cotton from seeds and other plant material. The spinning jenny and water frame could spin cotton into yarn and yarn into threads. Power looms could spin the thread into cloth. Sources of power initially included water power, in which streams turned water wheels, which powered the machinery. But this was potentially unreliable; what if there was a draught and the stream dried up?  New Technologies The steam engine revolutionized energy production. James Watt improved upon previous designs, which made the steam engine useful for pumping water out of mines, powering machinery, and improving transportation (starting with steam boats). Communications technology improved with the invention of the telegraph. In 1851 the first submarine cable was laid across the English Channel.  The Impact of Coal In coal, Britain had found a plentiful supply of fuel. But coal mines often flooded, so a way to effectively pump water out was needed. The earliest steam engines were very inefficient and burned a lot of coal; but at a coal mine coal was basically free and the steam engine could be used to pump out water. James Watt’s design increased efficiency, making it so that with less coal the engine could still power machines effectively. Burning coal releases many pollutants, however, and its use created many environmental problems for Britain over the years.  The Railway Age Begins Once the steam engine was incorporated into overland travel the first locomotives made their appearance. Example: In 1829 George Stephenson’s Rocket, hauling 13 tons of cargo, set the then-amazing speed record of 24 miles per hour! Trains and railroads revolutionized overland travel and trade. It helped manufacturers by making shipping faster and cheaper. Railroad construction also created hundreds of thousands of new jobs. This also increased the range of some products (like food) and the ability of people to travel more easily between the countryside and the city. This graph of human population growth demonstrates one impact of industrialization on human history. The Impact of Industrialization Urbanization increased rapidly as more people moved from the country into cities. London, with a population of 500,000 in 1700, had more than 2.3 million inhabitants by 1850; New York went from a population of 100,000 in 1815 to 600,000 in 1850. This sudden urban growth led to serious environmental issues: pollution increased and sewage systems were insufficient for the new population numbers. Living conditions were horrific in many densely populated, poor areas of cities; organized municipal reform eventually improved them over the course of many years. In the country, deforestation and intensive farming degraded the environment. The Impact of Industrialization Working conditions in factories were difficult: 16 hour work days, unsafe working environments, low pay. Women were paid less than men; children were paid less than that and were often beaten if they made mistakes. Safe environments and high wages are expensive; often the drive to be as profitable as possible led to difficult and dangerous environments for workers. The increased productivity of factories led to a drive to acquire greater quantities of raw materials, with globe-altering consequences. The increase in textile production, for example, increased the demand for cotton; this increased the demand for slaves to work on cotton plantations, which increased the profitability of the slave trade. This would later lead to an increase in European imperialism as well.  Economic and Political Beliefs The workers typically did not benefit from the social philosophy of the middle class. As a result, the typical worker response was rioting, until workers began to organize into unions. Workers’ unions basically want two things: higher wages and safer working conditions. Gradually government regulation began to improve working conditions. The Factory Act of 1833 imposed limits upon child labor. The Mines Act of 1842 prohibited the employment of women and children underground. Generally, the British managed to seek reform through accommodation, but elsewhere in Europe governments failed to soften the hardships of industrialization.