1. The Economic Revolution Government Policy

2. Laissez-Faire Government Policy English parliament – 2 main parties Tories – rich landowners Whigs – represented the middle-class business people The business people (the Whigs) caused the government to follow a ‘laissez-faire’ policy

3. Laissez-Faire Government Policy What was it? – The idea that business and industry are as free as possible from government regulation – Thought that competition and self-interest would provide the greatest good for the greatest number of people (motivation)

4. Laissez-Faire Government Policy Positives – Motivated business people – Allowed industries to be bigger Negatives – Business owners wanted to keep the wage paid to workers as low as possible to increase their profits

5. New Technologies – Textile Industry Textile industry – All cloth used to be made from plant or animal fibres – Britain’s climate good for sheep; enclosure meant larger herds – High quality wool could be harvested cheaply and turned into cloth in nearby communities – In demand in other countries

6. New Technologies - Textile Industry Wanted to branch out into other materials such as cotton Inventions – Led to efficiency and less of a need for human labor – Large factories began to form

7. Inventions InventionInventorSignificance Flying ShuttleJohn Kay Had large looms that could be operated by one person (needed two people before) Made weaving faster Spinning JennyJames Hargreaves Allowed a spinner to spin off a number of threads at the same time One spinner could do the work of several spinners Water FrameRichard Arkwright A method of spinning yarn using rollers It improved the strength of yarn being spun MuleSamuel Crompton Combined the features of the Water Frame and the Spinning Jenny

8. Steam Power for industries used to come from running water to power water wheels – Problem – only good if the factory was small Steam engine was produced – More practical and efficient – Produced power with very little waste

9. Iron and Coal Industries Iron Industry – Abraham Darby invented a way to make better cast iron It was easier and cheaper to make than other metal products It had many uses Large cast-iron factories were built

10. Iron and Coal Industries Coal Industry – Abraham Darby used a form of coal (coke) to make better iron – Everyone burned coal for heat (cheap fuel) – Many people worked in coal mines

11. The Transportation Revolution

12. Roads Turnpike system – Sections of roads were built by private companies who charged a fee (toll) for people to use them Macadam Roads – Roads made from 3 layers of graded stone (largest stone on bottom, fine granite gravel on top – no mud buildup because of the slope)

13. Canals Linked rivers together throughout Great Britain Reduced the cost of shipping by 75%

14. Railways 1829 – George and Robert Stephenson built a locomotive called the “Rocket” Could pull a small train Fastest man made transport system at the time Railways became the most important means of transportation by the end of the 1800s