The Industrial Revolution

Why did the Industrial Revolution begin in Britain?

Britain had coal, iron, water, labour, capital, good transport, and a growing population. These resources made large-scale industry easier.

Why was coal important to industrialisation?

Coal powered steam engines and factories. It also helped produce iron more efficiently.

Why was iron important to industrialisation?

Iron was used for machines, tools, bridges, railways, and factory equipment.

How did water help early industrialisation?

Rivers powered water wheels and helped transport raw materials and finished goods.

How did the Agricultural Revolution help industrialisation?

Better farming increased food production and population. Fewer farm workers were needed, so many moved to towns for factory jobs.

What is capital?

Money that can be invested in businesses, factories, machines, and transport.

Why was Britain's geography useful for industrialisation?

Britain had rivers, ports, canals, and later railways that made transporting goods and resources easier.

What was the Spinning Jenny?

A machine invented by James Hargreaves that allowed one worker to spin several threads at once. 1764

Why was the Spinning Jenny important?

It greatly increased the speed of yarn production.

What was the Water Frame?

Richard Arkwright's water-powered spinning machine that produced strong cotton yarn. 1769

Why was the Water Frame important?

It encouraged production to move into large factories near rivers.

What was the Spinning Mule?

Samuel Crompton's machine that produced strong, fine thread by combining features of earlier spinning machines. 1779

What was the Power Loom?

Edmund Cartwright's machine that mechanised weaving and allowed cloth to be produced much faster. 1785

Why was James Watt important?

He improved the steam engine, making steam power much more useful for factories and transportation. 1769

How did steam power change factories?

Factories became less dependent on rivers because steam engines could power machinery in more locations.

How did new technology affect production?

Machines increased the speed and scale of production and helped lower the cost of goods.

Why was the textile industry one of the first to industrialise?

There was strong demand for cloth, and spinning and weaving could be mechanised effectively.

What was the cottage industry?

A system where people produced goods in their homes or small workshops using hand tools.

What was the factory system?

A system where many workers and machines were brought together in one building for large-scale production.

How did textile production change during industrialisation?

It moved from homes and small workshops to mechanised factories.

Why were early factories often built near rivers?

Rivers provided water power for machinery.

Why were later factories often built near coalfields and towns?

Coal powered steam engines, while towns provided workers and transport connections.

Who was Samuel Slater?

A British textile worker who brought knowledge of textile machinery to the United States and helped establish an early US textile mill.

What important event is linked to Samuel Slater in 1790?

He helped establish a successful textile mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Why did industrialisation grow in the United States?

The US had natural resources, rivers, inventions, a growing population, a large market, and expanding railroads.

How was industrialisation different in the North and South of the US?

The North developed more factories and industrial cities, while the South remained heavily dependent on agriculture and cotton.

What was the cotton gin?

A machine invented by Eli Whitney in 1793 that separated cotton fibres from seeds much faster.

What was the economic effect of the cotton gin?

Cotton became easier and more profitable to process, so cotton production increased greatly.

How did the cotton gin affect slavery?

Increased cotton profits encouraged plantation expansion and increased demand for enslaved labour in the American South.

How were cotton, slavery, and British textile factories connected?

Enslaved workers produced cotton in the American South, and much of that cotton supplied textile production.

Which continental European country industrialised early?

Belgium.

Why did Belgium industrialise relatively early?

It had coal, iron, textile industries, and was close to Britain.

What industries became important in Germany?

Coal, iron, steel, and railways.

What was the Ruhr region?

A major German industrial region with large coal deposits.

What was the Zollverein?

A German customs union created in 1834 that reduced trade barriers between many German states.

Why was the Zollverein important?

It made trade easier and helped create a larger market for German industry.

How did France industrialise compared with Britain?

France industrialised more gradually, and agriculture and small workshops remained important for longer.

Why did some European countries industrialise more slowly than Britain?

They had different access to coal, capital, transport, markets, technology, and political conditions.

What is urbanisation?

The growth of towns and cities as more people move to urban areas.

Why did urbanisation increase during the Industrial Revolution?

Factory jobs attracted people from rural areas into industrial towns and cities.

What problems were caused by rapid urbanisation?

Overcrowding, poor housing, bad sanitation, polluted water, air pollution, and disease.

How did industrialisation change social classes?

It expanded the industrial middle class and created a large urban working class.

Who was part of the industrial middle class?

Factory owners, merchants, managers, and professionals.

Who was part of the industrial working class?

Factory workers, miners, and labourers.

What were typical early factory working conditions?

Long hours, low wages, dangerous machinery, poor ventilation, repetitive work, and little protection.

Why did factories employ many women?

Employers could often pay women lower wages than adult men.

Why were children employed in factories and mines?

They were cheap labour, families needed income, and their small size was sometimes useful around machinery or underground.

What problems did child workers face?

Long hours, injuries, dangerous machinery, exhaustion, and little opportunity for education.

What is a labour union?

An organisation of workers formed to protect workers' interests and improve working conditions.

Why did workers form labour unions?

To campaign for higher wages, shorter hours, safer conditions, and greater bargaining power.

What is collective bargaining?

Workers negotiating with employers as a group instead of individually.

What is a strike?

When workers stop working to pressure employers to meet their demands.

Why did factory owners resist labour unions?

They feared higher wages, lower profits, disrupted production, and losing control over workers.

Why did some governments initially resist unions?

They feared strikes, social disorder, and disruption to industry.

What was the Factory Act of 1833?

A British law that restricted child labour in textile factories and introduced factory inspectors.

What child labour rule did the Factory Act of 1833 introduce?

Children under 9 were banned from working in the textile factories covered by the Act, and children aged 9-13 had limits on their working hours.

Why was the Factory Act of 1833 important?

It showed the government taking greater responsibility for regulating factory conditions and child labour.

What was the Mines Act of 1842?

A British law that banned women and girls and boys under 10 from working underground in mines.

Why was the Mines Act of 1842 important?

It reduced the use of vulnerable workers in dangerous underground mining conditions.

What is the connection between the Agricultural Revolution and factories?

Better farming → more food → population growth → fewer farm workers needed → more people available for factory work.

What is the connection between coal and industrialisation?

Coal → steam power → more powerful factories and improved transportation.

What is the connection between mechanisation and mass production?

Machines → faster production → more goods → lower production costs → growth of factories.

What is the connection between factories and urbanisation?

Factories created jobs → people moved to cities → cities grew rapidly.

What is the connection between poor working conditions and labour reform?

Poor conditions → workers organised → unions and strikes → pressure for government reforms and labour laws.

Explain one reason Britain industrialised first.

Britain had large coal deposits. Coal powered steam engines and factory machinery, giving Britain a reliable energy source for large-scale industry.

Explain how steam power helped industrialisation.

Steam engines powered factory machinery and reduced factories' dependence on rivers, allowing industry to expand into more locations.

Explain one effect of the cotton gin.

The cotton gin made cotton processing faster and more profitable, which increased cotton production and contributed to the expansion of slavery in the American South.

Explain why urbanisation happened during the Industrial Revolution.

Factories created large numbers of jobs in towns, so rural workers moved to cities looking for employment.

Explain why workers formed labour unions.

Individual workers had little power against factory owners, so they organised together to demand better wages, shorter hours, and safer conditions.

Explain why industrial reform laws were introduced.

Dangerous working conditions, long hours, and child labour caused workers and reformers to demand government action.