Industrial Revolution: Causes, Inventions, and Social Impact

Agricultural Revolution

New farming techniques like the seed drill (Jethro Tull) and crop rotation increased food production and supported population growth.

Population Growth

Better diets and medical advances increased population, creating a large labor force.

Natural Resources

Abundant coal and iron in Britain powered machinery and construction.

Capital and Investment

Wealth from trade and colonies provided funds for factories and inventions.

Geography and Infrastructure

Britain's rivers, harbors, and railways supported transportation and trade.

Industrialization

Shift from hand tools to machine production.

Factory System

Concentration of production in one location.

Urbanization

Movement of people to cities.

Textile Industry

First major industry to industrialize.

Steam Engine

Invented by James Watt; key to powering factories and trains.

Capitalism

Economic system based on private ownership and profit.

Entrepreneur

Person who invests money in new business ventures.

Water Frame

Invention that used flowing water to power machines that made cotton into thread.

Eli Whitney

Invented the cotton gin; sped up cotton processing.

Locomotive

An invention that used the power of a steam engine to move goods along rails.

Adam Smith

Wrote The Wealth of Nations; supported capitalism and laissez-faire economics.

Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels

Wrote The Communist Manifesto (1848); criticized capitalism and called for worker revolution.

Robert Owen

Early socialist; created model factory communities with better working conditions.

Public Health Issues

Contaminated water supply, air pollution from coal, unsafe housing and sanitation.

Living Conditions

Working-class families lived in tenements with little ventilation or running water.

Diseases

Diseases like cholera and typhoid spread quickly.

Factory workers

Faced long hours (12-16 hours/day), low wages, and unsafe conditions.

Child labor

Common practice with children as young as six working in mines or mills.

Luddite Movement

Workers who destroyed machinery that threatened their jobs.

Trade Unions

Organizations that fought for workers' rights.

Collective Bargaining

Negotiation between workers and employers.

Factory Act (1833)

Limited child labor and working hours.

Mines Act (1842)

Banned women and children from working underground.

Ten Hours Act (1847)

Limited workday for women and children to 10 hours.

Public Health Act (1848)

Required towns to provide clean water and sewage systems.

Sadler Report (1832)

Exposed factory abuses; inspired factory reform.

Florence Nightingale

Improved sanitation and healthcare practices.

Charles Dickens

Exposed poor conditions through literature (Oliver Twist).

Spread of Industrialization

Began in Britain and spread to Europe, the United States, and Japan.

Economic Changes

Rise of middle class, increased production and trade.

Social Changes

Growth of urban working class; new roles for women in factories.

Environmental Impact

Pollution, deforestation, and resource depletion.

Cheap labor

Population growth provided a workforce for factories.

Capital

Money to start a business, essential for industrial growth.

Tenements

Dark, poorly ventilated, dirty living spaces that were overcrowded.

Sanitation issues

No garbage collection, open privies, and dead animals contributed to poor living conditions.

Working conditions

Characterized by long hours, unsafe conditions, and low pay.