What were the advantages and
disadvantages of the factory system?
L/O – To describe what the factory system was and to judge
whether factories were a change for the better or worse
Definition
Factory System = a way of
producing goods by
manufacturing them with
machines in a factory rather
than by hand at home
Key Words - Recap
Problems with the Domestic System – Recap
Arkwright and the first factory
• In 1769, Richard Arkwright
invented the Water Frame.
It was great but had one
problem – it couldn’t fit
into people’s homes!
• Arkwright’s solution was to
put his huge machines into
specially created buildings –
known as factories or mills.
• His first opened in 1771 at
Cromford in Derbyshire.
The Factory System
• Some factories were huge. This textile mill, built in
1850 by Sir Titus Salt just outside Bradford, was
one of the largest of its time.
From Water to Steam Power
• By 1800, it was clear that the
factory system was a much better
way of producing goods than the
domestic system.
• The problem was that owners
wanted to run their machines 24
hours an day, 365 days a year.
• Early factories used water power
– a huge wheel turned by a river
which drives machinery.
1. Read Source A. Explain
what the problem was
with water power.
Full steam ahead!
• Water power was just not reliable
enough – so factory owners turned
to a new form of power that
scientists had been developing – the
steam engine!
• Not only was steam power faster
and more reliable, it also meant
factories no longer had to be built
next to fast-flowing rivers.
• By 1850, Britain became known as
‘the workshop of the world’ as it
produced over 2/3 of the world’s
cotton and ½ the world’s hardware.
2.) Look at the diagram. Explain in
your own words how steam power
works.
Causes and Consequences of Factories
New inventions had
to be housed
somewhere
1.) Describe the reasons whyHuge
factories
profits were
for factory
were created in the first place.made
What
do
owners
you think was the most important cause?
Enclosure meant
there was a lot of
unemployed people
willing to work in
factories
One worker could
produce 60x more
cloth than a whole
family – prices of
goods became cheaper
Growing population
meant that factories
would be
guaranteed to make
a profit
Britain became rich
and could afford a
massive empire
Invention
of steam- what the consequences of
2.) Explain
power meant that
building
factories were. Which was the
factories
could be
built anywhere
most important consequence?
Workers had to
work in terrible
conditions for little
pay and no holidays
Advantages & Disadvantages of the
Factory System
• By 1850, the Domestic
System was no more and
nearly all goods were
produced in factories.
• But what were the
advantages and
disadvantages of the
Factory System?
• Cut out and stick the cards
into your books to show
whether they are
advantages or
disadvantages
Advantages of factories Disadvantages of
factories
Factories provided
paid work for
women.
Wages were very
low.
Advantages & Disadvantages of the
Factory System
• Now look at your
finished table.
• Sum up the advantages
and disadvantages.
• Were factories a
change for the better
or worse? Explain your
opinion, showing you
have thought about
both points of view
Advantages of factories
Disadvantages of
factories
Britain became the
most powerful
country in the world.
Accidents in
factories killed and
injured people
Britain became
rich and could
afford an empire.
Demand for cotton
encouraged slavery
in the USA
Small towns
became important
cities very quickly.
Workers houses
were overcrowded
and had no toilets
Factories
stimulated other
industries like coal
Men, women and
children had to
work 14-hour days
Plenary
1. What was the Domestic System?
2. What was the Factory System?
3. Why were the first factories built?
4. What were the benefits of factories?
5. What were the disadvantages of factories?
Did we meet our learning objective?
L/O – To judge whether factories were a change for
the better or worse