Chapter 5: The Age of Industrialisation (Proto-Industrialisation & 19th Century Europe)

Flashcards cover proto-industrialisation, main features of 19th-century European industrialisation, the role of labour, and reasons for preferring hand labour over machines.

What is proto-industrialisation?

A phase before factories where merchants from towns financed peasants and artisans in the countryside to produce for an international market; it allowed them to stay in the countryside, use family labour, and supplemented shrinking cultivation income.

Why did merchants turn to the countryside during proto-industrialisation?

Guilds in towns held monopoly rights to produce and trade certain goods, making it hard for new merchants to operate in towns.

What role did peasants and households play in proto-industrial production?

They produced goods for merchants in exchange for advances, enabling them to remain on their countryside plots and continue cultivation using family labour.

How did proto-industrial production affect peasants' income?

It supplemented shrinking cultivation income and allowed fuller use of family labour.

What monopoly rights did guilds hold and what was the consequence for merchants?

Guilds had monopoly rights to produce and trade in specific products, pushing new merchants to the countryside to bypass town restrictions.

Which industries were most dynamic in 19th-century Britain, and how did leadership shift?

Cotton and metals were dynamic; cotton led up to the 1840s, then iron and steel led the way as railways expanded from the 1840s in Britain and 1860s in colonies, increasing demand for steel.

What portion of the workforce was employed in technologically advanced sectors by the end of the 19th century?

Less than 20 percent.

What was the status of industrial output in textiles with regard to factories vs domestic units?

While textiles were dynamic, a large portion of output was produced outside factories in domestic units.

Where did growth in non-mechanised sectors come from?

Growth came from small innovations in food processing, building, pottery, glass, tanning, furniture making, and production of implements.

How did technological changes spread across industry, and what challenges did they face?

Changes occurred slowly; new technology was expensive, merchants and industrialists were cautious, machines often broke down and repairs were costly, and did not spread dramatically.

Why did some industrialists prefer hand labour over machines?

There was no shortage of human labour and wages were manageable; they avoided machines that would replace labour and require large capital investment.

How did seasonality influence the use of hand labour?

Demand for labour was seasonal; e.g., gas works and breweries were busier in cold months, so more workers were needed during peak times.

Why were seasonal workers commonly employed in industries with fluctuating production?

Industrialists preferred hiring seasonal workers to match seasonal demand rather than maintaining a constant workforce.

Why were some products produced by hand rather than by machine in mid-19th-century Britain?

Because many items required hand skills for intricate designs; machines were suited to standardised mass-market goods; e.g., many varieties of hammers and axes required human skill.

How did status influence preferences for handmade goods in Victorian Britain?

Handmade items were seen as refined and were preferred by the upper classes; they were better finished and individually made, while machine-made goods were often for export to colonies.

How did the abundance of labour affect access to jobs in the city?

Access depended on existing networks and relations; having a relative or friend in the city increased chances of getting a job quickly.

What was the effect of seasonality on workers after the busy seasons?

Long periods without work between seasons; some workers returned to the countryside, but many sought odd jobs.

How did workers react to the spinning jenny in woolen industry, and why?

Workers feared unemployment and attacked the machine; the spinning jenny threatened those who survived on hand spinning.