The Industrial Revolution Begins
(1750-1850)
World History Chapter 5
Dawn of the Industrial Age
– Before the industrial revolution, the production of goods either took place within the home,
or by individual hand labor by skilled tradesmen. Because of this, even ordinary objects could
be precious. Also, this limited the number of goods available, as everything was made by
hand.
•
Life Changes as Industry Spreads
– Industry, in terms of the Industrial Revolution, was the ability to use powered tools, or modern
techniques to make large numbers of items, from bolts of cloth to tons of iron.
– We can think of the industrial revolution as a revolution in that it made stunning changes in
society, yet it is different from other revolutions in that it happened slowly, over a long period
of time.
– For purposes of definition, the industrial age starts roughly in the early 18th century (around
1712) when steam power was commercially successful. The first steam engines were used to
pump water out of mines so that more coal could be mined.
– From this point on, changes became more rapid, and it changed the way we lived. Not all
inventions were powered, but each change made work more efficient, allowing fewer
individuals to complete more work.
Agriculture Spurs Industry
•
Farming Methods Improve
– Farming had little changed from the beginnings of agriculture, until
scientific method was used to help create better conditions for
growing, with new tools such as the Seed Drill. Other methods
were to use new fertilizers, and new crop rotations to best utilize
the growing conditions.
•
Enclosure Increases Output but Causes Migration
– Enclosure means to enclose the commons, or bring those areas
which were communally farmed into private ownership. Under
private ownership, large tracts of land can be farmed more
efficiently, especially with the newer tools.
– Because fewer people were needed to farm the land, this caused
migrations into the urban areas, making slums worse, but also
providing the labor needed for the next phase of industrial
expansion.
•
Population Multiplies
– Because of more efficient farming methods, better shipping, and
better storage, more food became available to the people of
Europe. Not only more food, but also a better balanced diet. This
in turn led to healthier people who get fewer diseases, have more
children, and live longer. As a result, populations started to grow to
sizes unthinkable a generation before. Within 100 years, Britain’s
population doubled, and Europe’s population grew by 50%.
– Better hygiene and sanitation added to this phenomenon, enabling
people to live close together without spreading disease. This was
necessary as cities became more crowded, larger, more compact,
and higher.
New Technology Becomes Key
• The Energy Revolution
– In 1712, Thomas Newcomen built the first successful
steam engine, but it was James Watt (1764) who
improved on the design so that it was about 3 times
more efficient, and the steam engine became the
engine of industry.
• The Quality of Iron Improves
– Until the Industrial Revolution, most iron was
smelted by using charcoal (prepared wood). With
the availability of coal becoming more common, it
was discovered that iron could be made cheaper and
of better quality when using coal.
– Iron could be made in larger quantities with coal
than with charcoal, and this became the source of
desperately needed iron for tools, railroad ties,
buildings, machines, engines, and all of the other
wonders coming from the Industrial Revolution.
Britain Leads the Way
– Agricultural changes led to many farmers not having a job, which in turn led them to seek
employment in the cities and mines, fueling the demand for more coal, factories, and machine
workers.
•
Natural Resources Abound
– Britain was fortunate to have large deposits of coal, iron, copper, and tin.
– Britain has many navigable rivers, and with newly added canals, it is easy to reach most parts
of Britain by sea.
– Ease of transport made it cheap to move raw materials and goods.
•
The Effects of Demand and Capital
– Part of Britain’s lead in industrialization was due to it’s empire, stretching around the world,
including Canada, the British West Indies, Hong Kong, India, and much of the Middle east and
Africa.
– The empire provided not only raw materials, but also markets for goods, and the wealth
generated from trade allowed for vast sums of capital (cash) to be used to create the new
factories, railroads, mines, shipping, and businesses to run them.
•
•
Capital (money, stocks)
Enterprise (Business, company, corporation)
–
•
British East India Company
Entrepreneur (businessman, venture capitalist)
The Textile Industry Advances
– The first of the large scale industries was in
textiles, or cloth. Wool cloth, cotton cloth, silk
cloth, all were made by hand.
– Putting out system
• Inventions Speed Production
–
–
–
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Flying shuttle (1733) – makes cloth
Spinning Jenny (1764) – makes thread
Water Frame (1769) – introduces water power
Cotton Gin (1793) – prepares cotton
• Factories are Born in Britain
– The new machines were too large to be operated
by individuals, so bringing them together in large
sheds near fast moving rivers for power became
the standard. Thus the first factories were born.
The Transportation Revolution
– The new entrepreneurs needed better roads and transport systems to move raw materials to
factories, and finished goods to market. To achieve this, they paid to have new turnpikes built,
new canals to connect rivers, and stronger bridges to handle the flood of new traffic.
•
Canals Boom
– From 1763 to the 1830’s, boats were the best way of moving large quantities of goods.
– When a new canal cut the price of coal in Manchester by half, entrepreneurs built dozens of
canals across Britain, though many did not receive much traffic and went bankrupt.
– The obsession with canals ended when steam locomotives became available.
•
Welcome the Steam Locomotive
– By the early 1800’s , the steam locomotive was becoming a viable means of transport, and the
first rail line from Liverpool to Manchester in 1830 changed the way goods were moved.
– Within just a few decades, dozens of rail lines crisscrossed Britain, Europe, and North America.
•
One Thing Leads to Another
– The availability of newly mass produced cheap goods created demand for more goods,
changing economies from agriculture based to industrial based within a few decades.
Social Impact of the Industrial
Revolution
– Promise of a better life (has it succeeded?)
• People Move to New Industrial Cities
– Urbanization
• New Social Classes Emerge
• Capital and Labor
– The Industrial Middle Class
– The Industrial Working Class
• Tenements (Cheap multi-story apartments)
– Workers Stage Futile Protests
• Unions
• Smearing the Luddites
– Workers Find Comfort in Religion
Life in the Factories and Mines
• Factory Workers Face Harsh Conditions
– Long hours (12-16/day)
– Unsafe conditions
– Factory Whistle
• Miners Face Worse Conditions
– Coal dust
– Cave-ins
• Children Have Dangerous Jobs
– Climbing on and under machinery
– Hauling coal
• The Results of Industrialization
– Are we there yet?
New Ways of
Thinking
• Laissez-Faire Economics
– Malthus Population Theory
– Ricardo (Economics as the dismal
science)
• Iron Law of Wages
– Increases in wages to the poor will
only result in large families.
– The poor should improve their lot
through hard work, not
government hand outs.
• Utilitarians for Limited Government
– Goal of society as the greatest good
for the greatest number
– All laws and actions should be
judged by how much happiness or
pain it brings
Socialist Thought Emerges
• Are Utopians Dreamers?
– All work shared, benefits shared
• Robert Owens Utopia
– Cotton mill in Scotland
– “Conditions in which people live shape their lives”
– Reduced working hours
– Homes for workers
– No child labor, free schooling
– Company store
Karl Marx: The Communist Manifesto
– Scientific Socialism. Class struggle is between those
who have, and those who have not.
– While the haves control the means of production and
therefore control society.
– In order for there to be equality, the workers (havenots) needed to rise up and seize the means of
production, and set up a classless society where there
would be no war or conflict.
• Marxism in the future
– Marxism briefly flourishes (?)
– Marxism looses appeal (?)