Industrial Revolution PDF

Introduction to the Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was a major change that transformed societies: Shifted from farms to factories (rural → urban). Ended slave trade. Made Great Britain very rich. No wars or uprisings. Started in Great Britain (17...

Introduction to the Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was a major change that transformed societies: Shifted from farms to factories (rural → urban). Ended slave trade. Made Great Britain very rich. No wars or uprisings. Started in Great Britain (1700s). Introduced new ways of living and working. Before the Industrial Revolution: The Cottage Industry Before factories, goods were made at home: Most people were farmers (1600s). Families made cloth (textiles) at home using hand tools. Merchants provided raw materials like wool and cotton. Families spun thread using a spinning wheel and wove cloth using a loom. The finished cloth was sold back to merchants. By the early 1700s, demand for cloth increased. The cottage industry couldn’t keep up, leading to new inventions. New Inventions and Their Impact 1733: Flying Shuttle (John Kay) → Wove cloth faster. 1764: Spinning Jenny (James Hargreaves) → Spun 16 threads at once. 1769: Water Frame (Richard Arkwright) → Spun cotton even faster. 1780s: Spinning Mule (Samuel Crompton) → Made thread stronger & finer. Key Figures of the Industrial Revolution Richard Arkwright → Built cotton mills (factories) powered by water. James Watt → Invented the steam engine (1769), which used coal to power machines. Eli Whitney → Invented cotton gin (1793), which removed cotton seeds quickly. o Increased demand for cotton → more slavery in the U.S. o Civil War & Thirteenth Amendment later ended slavery. Rise of Other Industries Textiles → England’s top industry by the late 1700s. Other industries grew: o Coal & Iron Mining → Helped make machines & buildings. o Coal burned hotter than wood, making stronger iron. o More coal mines opened → Iron demand increased. Working Conditions in Factories & Mines Factories were dirty, crowded, and unsafe. Men, women, and children worked 12-14 hours daily. Workers were paid low wages. Some employers built homes & schools for workers. Coal mines were even worse: o Cave-ins & accidents were common. o 5-6-year-old boys worked in dark tunnels for 12 hours daily. Agricultural Innovations Potatoes helped increase food supply & population. Enclosure Acts → Rich landowners fenced off farmland → Small farmers lost land and moved to cities for jobs. Crop Rotation → Switching crops each year to keep soil healthy. New farming inventions: o 1733: Seed Drill (Jethro Tull) → Planted seeds faster & better. o Iron & Steel Plows (Charles Newbold & John Deere) → Stronger than wooden plows. o Threshing Machine (Andrew Meikle) → Separated grain from stalks. o 1834: Mechanical Reaper (Cyrus McCormick) → Harvested crops much faster. o Late 1800s: George Washington Carver promoted soybeans, peanuts, and sweet potatoes for food & industry. Growth of Capital & Banking Factories needed money (capital) to build and grow. Some businessmen borrowed money from family & friends. Others mortgaged land (used property as a loan guarantee). Banks grew → Held money, exchanged coins, and gave loans to businesses.