Britain's Industrial Revolution

Britain's Industrial Revolution

Beginning in 1750 and lasting till 1850, it transformed Britain from an agricultural society to an industrialised nation. Changes were majorly in working and living conditions, socio-political structures, job oppurtunities, economy and inventions. Britain would become the first country to industrialise

REPAIGO: Raw Materials

Britain had aquired a large quantity of necessary raw materials from its colonies. For example: cotton from india. Had iron which was used to make machines and build railways, coal to drive steam engines in factories.

Entrepreneurs and inventors

Part of the population known as individuals willing to set into new ventures had gained enough capital to invest in the sector of fatories, importation etc. There was newfound interest in science and technology for certain individuals.

Political Stability

Britain had been in relative peace since 1740 which allowed for economic and political activites alongside trade.

Agricultural Improvements

A growing population had increased the demand for food products and iomportance of agricultural activites in rural areas/ farmlands thence farm workers were paid more.

Improved transportation

Innovations like railways, canal, and roads facilitated the importation and exprotation of goods, raw materials and finished products in and out the country. 1660-1750

Growing Population

Around 1740, britain experienced a large growth in population due to improvements in agriculture, healthcare, and sanitation, which in turn increased labor supply for industrial activities. This increased the worforce for industries.

Overseas Trade

The exchange of goods between Britain and the british colonies proved to be beneficial due to increasing demand within britain for Wealthy merchants had capital to invest. Colonies served as sources of raw materials (e.g., cotton from India) and markets for finished goods.

Textile Industry

The first industry to embrace factories within Britain due to high demand for cloth.

It originated with the invention of the spinning jenny by James Hargreaves in 1764, which was utilized by women in a domestic system throughout the 1750’s with growing population - 20,000 and small enough for homes.

This invention would not be able to support the growing population, so the industry would give way to Arkwright’s water frame in 1769, which would be too tall to fit in houses, so it would be placed in the first ever factory BUILT BY ARKWRIGHT IN 1771

The power loom in 1785 by Cartwright would speed up the process of producing textiles on a large scale by merging the concept of the water frame and spinning jenny

Steam Industry

‘A reliable source of power was needed as the factory system started to develop.’

IN THE EARLY 1700’S TRADITIONAL FORM OF POWER WERE USED LIKE WIND AND WATER POWER TO WORK MACHINERY.

In 1712, Thomas Newcomen managed to build an ‘atmospheric engine’. (Used steam to work a pump that could be used to drain mines -COAL INDUSTRY)

Only could be used for pumping water because they were expensive to run and needed a lot of coal to work.

Led to Watt improving the engine to produce his rotary motion steam engine that wasted less energy to work through an extra condenser in 1781. USED FOR DRIVING MACHINERY IN TEXTILE MILLS AND OTHER FACTORIES.

NO MORE NEED FOR FACTORIES TO BE BUILT NEAR WATER FOR POWER

LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIRST RAILWAY IN 1825.

Impact of Factories

• Unskilled labor became common.

• Women and children comprised a significant portion of the workforce.

• Pauper apprentices (orphans) were often employed.

• Long working hours and harsh conditions.

• Unequal pay - for mill owners, the advantages of employing children were that they did not have to pay them as much as adults and they could crawl under machines and fix broken threads (fixers) as well as clean up loose cotton (scavengers).

• Two thirds of the workforce in 1833 was made up of women and children.

• Some of the children were pauper apprentices: orphans sent to work by the town’s authorities or workhouses that looked after them.

• Whole families worked together in the mill.

factory reform

Factory Reform

• Growing concern over working conditions in the 1830s.

• Campaigns for restricting working hours, especially for children.

• Opposition from factory owners who believed in laissez-faire.

• 1833 Factory Act:

  • No children under 9 could work in mills.

  • Children aged 9-13 limited to 12 hours a day.

  • No night shifts for those under 18.

  • Four factory inspectors appointed.

• Subsequent acts (e.g., 1853) further regulated working hour

Social Change

• Growth of populations within urban areas led to overcrowding and poor living conditions.

• Disease outbreaks (cholera and typhoid beginning in the 1830s-50s) were common due to unsanitary conditions and factories moving to cities to be near roads and railways and labor.

• Emergence of a middle class due to small businesses and merchants prospering with high demand for basic goods. WEALTH WAS NOW AVAILABLE TO NEW GROUPS OF PEOPLE.

• Thousands of skilled workers - Wool combers and weavers were put out of business by the sudden boost in textile machinery in 1785 after the power loom which was largely implemented in textile mills.

• Workers had to deal with irrational use of power by factory owners/managers and appalling working/living conditions.

Political change

• Demand for political representation for the middle and working classes in parliament, voting, business interests WHICH MOSTLY DEPENDED ON OWNERSHIP OF LAND IN THE 1930’s

• Reform Act of 1832: Increased the number of people who could vote and gave representation to industrial towns. THIS DID NOT ADDRESS POLITICAL DEMANDS OF WORKERS. GREAT MAJORITY OF THE MEN AND WOMEN STILL HAD NO RIGHT TO VOTE.