Unit 5, Topic 3: Industrial Revolution in Great Britain

The Industrial Revolution: Origins and Factors

Definition of the Industrial Revolution

  • Transition from agrarian to industrial economies.

  • Shift from handmade goods to machine-made goods.

  • Significance: Changed political power, reordered societies, and enriched industrial nations.

Start of the Industrial Revolution

  • Began in Great Britain around 1750.

Seven Factors Explaining Industrialization in Great Britain

1. Proximity to Waterways

  • Island nation with rivers and canals.

  • Enabled efficient transportation of manufactured goods.

  • King George II (paraphrased): "You can't bust a grumpy in England without running into water somewhere."

2. Geographic Distribution of Coal and Iron

  • Abundant coal reserves.

  • Coal powered increased iron production.

  • Iron used for bridges and railroads.

3. Access to Foreign Resources

  • Massive maritime empire providing raw materials.

  • North American colonies: timber.

  • India: cotton.

4. Improved Agricultural Productivity

  • Agricultural Revolution increased food production.

  • Improved planting methods: crop rotation (kept part of the land unplanted so that the fertility of the soil would be maintained).

  • Technologies: seed drill (seeds planted more efficiently and accurately).

  • New foods from the Columbian Exchange: potato (diversified diets, increased life expectancy).

  • Increased lifespan led to population spike.

5. Rapid Urbanization

  • Farming became mechanized, reducing the need for rural labor.

  • Industrial cities needed labor, leading to rural to urban migration.

  • Cities grew rapidly.

6. Legal Protection of Private Property

  • Laws protected entrepreneurs investing in manufacturing.

  • Encouraged investment and new businesses.

7. Accumulation of Capital

  • Wealth from the Atlantic slave trade.

  • Capitalists invested in industrial startups.

The Factory System

  • Definition: Goods mass-produced by machines in a single location.

  • Early factories powered by water (water frame).

  • Textile factories used the spinning jenny to operate looms.

  • Specialization of labor: Workers performed single, repetitive tasks.

  • Artisans replaced by easily replaceable workers.