Industrial Revolution

Definition• Industrial Revolution describes the

historical transformation of tradition into modern societies by industrialization of the economy.

• Defining feature- Increase per capita production made possible by the mechanization of manufacturing and other processes that were carried out in factories.

The Revolution in Great Britain

Britain’s Advantages1) Richly endowed with coal and iron ore2) Easily navigable waterways and easily

negotiated coasts3) Located in a prime spot for international trade4) Did not have domestic tariffs which helped to

increase internal trade5) Political liberty was guaranteed6) Upward social mobility became common helping

to give an incentive for the accumulation of wealth

7) Protestant Noncomformists formed the middle class encouraging industry and thrift

8) New knowledge brought about inventiveness and willingness to accept change

Industrialization is directly related to agrarian reform!

They are related due to the fact that an agrarian

revolution allows a relatively small agrarian labor force to feed a larger manufacturing

work force!!

The revolution in land use dramatically increased

agricultural production in Great Britain.

The Enclosure Movement

• Increased the efficiency of farmlands• New forms of husbandry arose such

as crop rotation and switching land between cultivation and using them as pastures

• Productivity increased

Population Growth in Great Britain

• Population nearly double in 18th century and again by 1850!

• Population growth sometimes retards economic development.

• Britain’s standard of living was well above subsistent. Therefore, the growth in population enlarged the demand for consumption and had a beneficial effect on economic development.

The Technological

Revolution

Need Gives Rise to Innovation

British entrepreneurs were unable to meet the increased demand for goods by traditional methods of production. The domestic handicraft system of manufacture gave way to factory-based mechanization.

Cotton textile industry was the first to be fully mechanized thanks

to… • John Kay’s flying

shuttle

• James Hargrave’s spinning jenny

• Richard Arkwright’s water frame

• Samuel Compton’s mule

• Edmund Cartwright’s machine loom

The Evolution of Factories

• First factories driven by water!• James Watt improves the steam engine

and helps it to be put into use• Steam power led to a greater need for

iron ore and coal• Each breakthrough created a need for

another type of breakthrough

Capital, Commerce, and Transportation

• Inventors=Need for an entrepreneur with capital and a vision to exploit innovation

• British industrialization financed by domestic capital.

• Transportation- British roads were improved

- Canals came about- The invention of the locomotive brought about the railroad

• All of these created a production increase!

The Spread of Industrializatio

n

French Revolution helps the Spread!

• Prussia richer than France in minerals helping it to develop rapidly.

• By German unification, Germany was a powerful industrial nation.

• Most important British innovation was the railroads.

Social Effects

“short-term misery for long-term gain”

The Bad

• Factory labor was hard and dangerous.• Exploitation of women and children was

common.• Workers became dependent on market

forces.• City polluted and housing crowded and

unsanitary• Water supply and sewage disposal were

deficient.

Making the Bad, Good!

1. Governments introduced measures such as factory legislation, sanitary provisions, and social welfare programs.

2. The workers found ways to improve their work and living conditions.

3. Workers developed labor unions and political organizations to protect their interests.

The Good•The Industrial Revolution solved the problem of the poverty trap and the cycle of low income, low consumption, low demand, and low production.

The End