The Industrial Revolution of Britain
The Agricultural Revolution
Britain needed more food
Farms were still run on the medieval strip system
Blocked their fields into thirds
“Fallow”-- Leaving a field unplanted, “plant two, one fallowed”
New ideas of machinery were being developed
Disadvantages of the Old System
People have to walk over your strips to reach theirs
Field left fallow
No hedges or fences
No proper drainage
Because land in different fields takes time to get to each field
Animals can trample crops and spread disease
Difficult to take advantage of new farming techniques
So What?
This is an inefficient system
Only produces enough food for you and your family
There is very little extra
Towns are growing, and the people in towns need feeding so extra food is needed
No corn is being imported because of the war with France, so more corn is needed
A revolution is any fundamental change of reversal of conditions, a great and sometimes violent change (or innovation)
Great Changes
Or innovations
First, there was enclosure. Then there was the new machinery, such as the seed drill and horse plow, not to mention marling and selective breeding…
Enclosures?
This meant enclosing the land (fencing today)
The open fields were divided up and everyone who could prove they owned some land would get a share
Dividing the open land into small fields and putting hedges and fences around them
Everyone had their fields and could use them how they wished
Open land and common land would also be enclosed and divided up
If you could prove you owned the land if you had the money for fences and hedges, and if you could afford to pay the commissioners to come and map the land, not to mention the cost of an Act of Parliament
So, did people want to enclose their land?
Well, some did and some didn’t.
If they disagreed it was hard luck
If the owners of four-fifths of the land agreed they could force an act of Parliament– there was a great increase in the number of these in the eighteenth century, from 30 a year to 60, then from 1801 to 1810 there were 906, nearly 3 million hectares were enclosed
Were there winners and losers? YES
The better/well-off farmers and land owners gained the money– the rich got richer and the poor got poorer
People who had no written proof of ownership lost their land altogether. Some couldn’t afford to pay for fences and had to sell their land. These people either became laborers on other people's land or headed for the towns to try and get a job
One farm laborer said: “All I know is that I had a cow and the Act of Parliament has taken it from me.” There were riots in some villages
New farm equipment will mean fewer people needed on the farms
What other new ideas were there?
Crop rotation
Marling
Seed drill
Publicity
Improved farm equipment
Publicity?
Books were written on farming, there were model farms set up— King George III set up one at Windsor
The Board of Agriculture was set up and Arthur Young, the new secretary, went around the country recording the progress of the revolution others could read his report to find out more
Agricultural shows with competitions were held and people could exchange ideas and see the latest things
But it wasn't all good news
New machines meant fewer people were needed to work the land, so there was unemployment
Enclosure meant people lost land, in turn lost their homes
Nowhere to grow food and little work, so, they moved to towns
Land was key— more opportunities and privileges
Was it a revolution?
Well, there were some dramatic and rapid changes in some villages but the whole thing was quite gradual
After all, farming had been changing slowly for a long time. Enclosures had been happening even in Tudor times. So perhaps it was more evolution than revolution
Hmm…
What does the word “revolution” mean?
Scientific Revolution, American Revolution, French Revolution, Industrial Revolution…
Change
Long-term and short-term changes
How did technological discoveries and developments of the Scientific Revolution change society?
Scientific discoveries, new machines, printing press, exploration…
Each period of history built on each other or the previous
Introduction
Many European economies, during the 1700s, were based on mercantilism and were very labor intensive
The lasting effects of the Scientific Revolution and a more peaceful Europe led to a demand for more change…
Industrial Revolution: a period of increased output of goods made by machines and new inventions
It was a slow, long, uneven process from hand tools to complex machines
How were inventions such as the sewing machine, anesthetics, measuring the speed of light, and the Bunsen Burner made possible?
British Led the Rise of Industry
Why did the IR begin here? Britain had many advantages…
Manpower— population (labor) boom, city workers
Materials— coal, iron ore, and other natural resources (water)
Money— from trade and war to investment, no war on English soil since 1620
Markets— large colonial empire, trade agreements, England had colonies on 5 continents, 1763
Modes of transportation— roads, rails, shipping
With any invention, it starts large and gets smaller
British revolutionized the textile (cotton) industry
One invention led to another…
Flying Shuttle, Spinning Jenny, Water Frame, Spinning Mule, Power Loom, Cotton Gin (Eli Whitney) (Patents not created yet)
These inventions were too expensive for home use
Welcome to factory life!
Increased cotton and linen output
1785 = 40 million yards
1850 = 2 billion yards
Economic Effects of the Industrial Revolution
Goods were produced more efficiently
The supply of goods increased
Prices of goods decreased
More consumer demand due to lowered prices
Jobs were created in factories and rail lines
Social changes as well!
Social Effects of the Industrial Revolution
The industry changed Europe’s way of life
Urbanization: a movement of people to cities
Did they come by choice?
Yes, and no… changes in farming, demand for workers
Overcrowding
Manchester: 17,000 in 1750… 70,000 in 1801!
Dirty and disease-ridden factories
City governments were corrupt and inefficient
Cities were unsafe
Tenement housing: shabby apartment buildings
No light, no running water, many to one room, no sanitation system
Hazards of Factory Life
Long work days (12-16 hours)
No safety devices (loss of limbs, lives)
Pollution (coal dust, lint into the lungs of workers)
Women were paid less than men
Many employees preferred women to men
Thought they could adapt to machines better, easier to manage
Grim family life (“double-shift”)
Children suffered in Mills and Mines
Were “trappers”--- cleared the ventilation shafts
Orphaned children worked for food and board
Many families needed the extra money
Many were beaten, and very few received an education
Factory Act of 1833: minimum 13 years old, work maximum 8 hour days
One of the first legislation acts Parliament passed to prevent a revolt
Middle Class Expanded
Rise of factor owners, shippers, and merchants
Lived in nice housing, dressed and ate well, women did not work
Viewed the poor as lazy or ignorant; responsible for their own money
Women did their housework but were not allowed to give that appearance
Political Effects of the Industrial Revolution
Capitalism vs. Socialism
Capitalism = individuals, rather than governments, control the factors of production (land, labor, capital); businesses are privately owned (Adam Smith)
Adam Smith used the term Laissee-Fare
“Government let businesses do what they want.”
The socialist government owns the means of production and operates them on behalf of the people (Robert Owen)
Reform movements, unions, anti-trust laws (parliament/legislative)
Was the Industrial Revolution a blessing or a curse?
Low may, unemployment, horrible living conditions, need for reform
New factories opened, created more jobs, wages rose, travel increased, horizons widened, opportunities increased
Conditions improved over time!