Britain leads the Way Industrial Revolution

Why Britain? Resources New Technology Economic Conditions Political and Social Conditions

Resources Britain was a small nation in area – Large supplies of coal to power steam engines – Plentiful iron supplies to build machines Labor supply – Enclosure movement displaced people Available for work in factories.

New Technology 1700s, Britain had skilled mechanics eager to meet demand for practical inventions Technology was an important part of the industrial revolution Combined with capital (money) and demand it paved the way for industrialization.

Economic Conditions An overseas empire helped the British economy to prosper. Slave trade gave business class capital to invest in other enterprises: – Shipping – Mines – Railroads – Factories

Economic Conditions Population explosion increased demand General economic prosperity made consumer goods affordable.

Political and Social Conditions Britain had a stable government – Fostered economic growth Build a strong navy – Protected its empire – Protected overseas trade routes Religious attitudes encouraged thrift and hard work Non-religious focused on worldly concerns – Possessions and making money!

Changes in the Textile Industry Industrial Revolution took hold in Britain’s largest industry – textiles Cotton cloth from India became popular Putting Out System – Raw cotton was distributed to peasants – Spun into thread and weaved into cloth Skilled artisans then finished and dyed cloth

Major Inventions “Putting Out” system very slow production New inventions revolutionize industry – Flying shuttle – Spinning jenny – Water-frame

Flying Shuttle – allowed a single weaver to weave much wider fabrics – and it could be mechanized, allowing for automatic machine looms. – It was patented by John Kay (1704–c. 1779) in 1733.

Spinning Jenny a multi-spindle spinning frame. It was invented in 1764 by James Hargreaves to produce yarn, with a worker able to work eight or more spools at once.

Water-frame name given to a water- powered spinning frame developed by Richard Arkwright who patented the technology in The design was partly based on a spinning machine Driven by water wheel.

First Factories Large sheds located near fast moving streams for water power

Revolution in Transportation Entrepreneurs needed faster and more reliable means of transporting goods Capitalist invested in turnpikes – privately built roads. – Charged a fee for use Canals were built to connect rivers and inland towns to coastal ports

Steam Locomotive Steam locomotive allowed goods to be transported over land instead of by water First major rail line – Manchester to Liverpool, England By 1870, rail lines crisscrossed Britain, Europe and America.

On Sea Steam power applied to ships Robert Fulton, an American, used James Watt’s steam engine to power a ship The Clermont – sailed up the Hudson River in New York – Travelled at five miles per hour

On Sea Steamships for ocean voyages was more difficult. – Large amount of space needed for coal. By late 1800s, steam powered freighters with iron hulls carried 10 to 20 times cargo of wooden ships.

Questions to Ponder Describe four factors that helped bring about the Industrial Revolution in Britain. How did the Industrial Revolution transform the textile industry? How did transportation improve in the early 1800s? Give three examples.