Britain Leads the
Way
Chapter 7 Section 2
Setting the Scene
Visitors crowded into London’s Crystal palace in
1851.
The palace was made for this occasion, its cavern
of glass and iron symbolized the triumph of the
industrial age.
Britain was the first to
industrialize making it a model
for other countries.
Why Britain?
Historians have identified a number of key factors
that helped Britain lead in the Industrial
Revolution.
• Resources
• Large supplies of coals to power machines.
• Plentiful Iron to build new machines.
• Farm labor had been freed, so workers were
available.
Why Britain?
(Continued)
• New Technology
• They had skilled mechanics to meet demand for new inventions.
• Ancient Greeks and Chinese had great advances in technology for
their time but did not move on to industrialization.
• Economic Conditions
• From the mid-1600s to 1700s the business class accumulated capital.
• Population rise boosted demands for goods.
• Political and Social Conditions
• Britain had a stable government that supported economic growth.
• Religion also played a role due to many entrepreneurs coming from
religious families who supported hard work.
Changes in the Textile Industry
The Industrial Revolution first took hold in Britain's largest
industry, which was textiles. They developed the putting out
system in which raw cotton was distributed to peasant families
who spun it into thread and then wove the thread into cloth.
• Major Inventions
• John Kay’s flying shuttle helped weaver work so
fast they soon outpaced spinners.
• Richard Arkwright invented the water frame
which used water power to speed up
spinning still further.
• The First Factories
• Spinners and weavers came each day to work in
John Kay
these first factories
• These factories created more cloth than the whole district had
made before.
Revolution in Transportation
When production increased some capitalists invested in
turnpikes which were privately built roads that charged a
fee to travelers who used them. Engineers also upgraded
bridges and harbors to help trade.
On Land
• The invention of the steam locomotive made it
possible for the railroads to grow.
• George Stephenson developed this
Steam Locomotive.
• The first major rail line was from Liverpool
to Manchester which opened in 1830.
George Stephenson
Revolution in Transportation
(Continued)
On Sea
• Other inventors applied steam power to improve
shipping.
• Robert Fulton used Watts steam engine
to power a steamboat that traveled at
a record breaking speed of more than
five miles and hour.
• Creating ships for ocean voyages was
Robert Fulton
much more difficult than building
railroad engines.
• But soon Iron hulls were carrying 10 o 20 times the
cargo of older wooden ships.
Looking Ahead
In Response to growing demand, inventors
developed machines that could produce
large quantities of goods more efficiently.
Supply of product increased and prices fell.
Lower prices meant that consumers could
purchase more goods. Thus bringing a tidal
wave of economical and social changes that
swept the industrializing nations of the
world.
Review and Vocab
• John Kay-Invented the Flying Shuttle which made weaving cloth quicker
and simpler.
• James Hargreaves-Invented the Spinning Jenny that spun many threads
at once.
• Richard Arkwright-Invented the water frame which used water power
to speed up spinning of thread.
• George Stephenson-Developed a steam powered locomotive to pull
carriages along an iron rail.
• Robert Fulton- used watts steam engine to power a steamboat that
traveled at a record breaking speed of more than five miles and hour.
• Capital-Wealth to invest in enterprises such as shipping, mines,
railroads, and factories.
• Factories-Places that brought together workers and machines to
produce large quantities of goods.
• Turnpikes-Privately built roads that charged a fee to travelers who used
them, different from a toll road because most toll roads are state or
government funded.