The Industrial Revolution KEY EVENTS

OBJECTIVE(S): Explain why the Industrial Revolution developed in Great Britain first Explain why the Industrial Revolution developed in Great Britain first Identify some of the key resources of the Industrial Revolution Identify some of the key resources of the Industrial Revolution Identify some of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution Identify some of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution

V. An examination of the first country to industrialize, Great Britain, serves as a case study of the key events of the Industrial Revolution. A. The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain.

1. England had all of the pre-conditions of industrialization before any of the other countries in Europe, allowing it to industrialize first.

2. From England, the Industrial Revolution spread to the other European countries once they were ready for it.

B. The textile industry—or clothing—was the first to mechanize.

1. Several key inventions made the processing of raw materials, production of cloth and the manufacture of clothing more efficient.

a. Processing of cotton and wool into thread:, James Hargreaves’ spinning jenny, Richard Arkwright’s water frame (loom), Samuel Compton’s spinning mule (a spinning jenny and water frame combined into one machine) and Eli Whitney’s cotton gin.

b. Production of cloth: John Kay’s flying shuttle and Edmund Cartwright’s power loom.

2. These machines were too large to be in homes and too expensive for the average person to buy.

So factories had to be built to house them and industrialists—people who invest in industry— had to finance the construction of them and buy the machines.

C. Over the course of the Industrial Revolution, new forms of power came into use.

1. Water power a. Early factories were powered by water wheels, using rivers and streams. So early factories had to be built in places were the conditions were right.

b. Many of the early industrial cities in Great Britain sprang up in places where there were not cities before. Cities like Leeds, Manchester, etc., were new industrial cities.

2. Steam power a. The steam engine, perfected by James Watt, became the next important source of power.

b. The steam engine, powered by large coal furnaces, allowed factories to be built anywhere, not just near water.

c. The steam engine was also used for transportation.

Railroads and steam ships became important components of industrialization as they were used to move raw materials and finished products quicker and cheaper than before.

3.Electricitya. After steam power, electricity became the next great power source.

b. Electricity, like steam power, allowed factories to be built anywhere.

c. Once the infrastructure for electrical power was built for businesses, it also came into use for everyday people, drastically changing the way people lived.

4.Petroleuma. Later in industrialization, oil became an important resource.

b. Oil is still used in business, especially in the transportation of raw materials and trade goods.

D. Other important industrial resources 1. Wool and Cotton

a. Wool, taken from sheep, was used to spin thread and make cloth for clothing. European countries raised sheep for their wool.

b. As industrialization continued, cotton became the preferred material for making thread to be woven into cloth.

Cotton grows in warm climates and most of it had to be imported from outside of Europe because their climate was not well suited for growing it.

2.Coala. Once the steam engine started to be used in factories, coal became an important resource.

Coal had to be mined— not an easy process— and there were many problems associated with its use, not the least of which was pollution.

b. Massive quantities of coal were need to power industry.

c. Coal was also used for transportation.

Steam ships and railroads—which were built specifically for industry—used tons of coal too.

3.Irona. During industrialization, the preferred material for products shifted from wood to metal.

b. At first, iron was the strongest and easiest to work with. But it was heavy.

b.

4.Steela. Steel is an alloy—a mixture of metals—and is stronger and lighter than iron.

b. Steel became the chief material of industrialization as everything—from pots and pan to battleships— started to be made with it.