1. Chapter 7, Section 2 Britain Leads the Way

2. Lesson Objectives
Explain why Britain was the starting point for the Industrial Revolution.
Describe the changes that transformed the textile industry.
Identify the different methods for transportation during this time period.

3. Reasons why Britain was the starting point of the Industrial Revolution
Resources – small nation in area, large in natural resources
Coal – power steam engines
Iron – build new machines
Labor supply
Workers needed to mine coal & iron, build factories, run machines
Freed many people from farm labor
Led to population boom

4. Reasons why Britain was the starting point of the Industrial Revolution
New technology -Plenty of skilled mechanics, eager to meet growing demands for new practical inventions

5. Reasons why Britain was the starting point of the Industrial Revolution
Economic conditions
Trade from growing overseas empire helped Britain’s economy prosper
Slave trade
Business accumulated capital or money (wealth to invest in enterprises)
Shipping, mining, railroads, factories
Population explosion – increased demand for goods
Economic prosperity – helped make new consumer goods affordable to every class

6. Reasons why Britain was the starting point of the Industrial Revolution
Political & Social Conditions
Stable government
Supported economic growth
Strong navy to protect empire
Religious attitudes
Some religious groups – encouraged thrift & hard work which made for successful business
Others weren’t concerned w/ the afterlife – were risk-takers & wanted material wealth

7. Britain’s textile industry
Changes that transformed the textile (cloth) industry Industrial Revolution began in Britain’s largest industry
Britain’s textile industry
Cotton cloth imported from India
Developed “putting out” system
Raw cotton distributed to peasant families
Peasants spun it into thread & wove it into cloth
Skilled artisans in towns finished & dyed cloth

8. Changes that transformed the textile (cloth) industry Industrial Revolution began in Britain’s largest industry
As demand for cloth grew, inventors created devices which simplified textile industry
John Kay
“Flying shuttle”
Weavers wove faster
James Hargreave
Spinning jenny (1764)
Spun many threads at same time
Richard Arkwright
Waterframe
Used power to speed up spinning

9. Changes that transformed the textile (cloth) industry Industrial Revolution began in Britain’s largest industry
Manufacturers built long sheds to house machinery
Located near rapidly moving streams
Provided water power to run machines
Late machines were powered by steam engines
Spinners & weavers came to work in first factories (place that brought together workers & machines to produce large quantities of goods)

10. New technologies that were part of the revolution in transportation
With increase in production, businessmen needed faster, cheaper ways to move goods from place to place
Capitalists invested in turnpikes
Privately built roads
Charged travelers a fee to use
Other capitalists dug canals
Linked rivers
Connected inland towns w/ coastal ports

11. New technologies that were part of the revolution in transportation
On land ~ steam locomotive> growth of railroad
1800’s George Stephenson
Steam-powered locomotive
Rail carriage along iron rails
Railroads did not have to follow the course of rivers
Tracks go where rivers don’t
Allowed factory owners to move goods over land
(1830) World’s first rail line
From Liverpool to Manchester, Eng.
By 1870, rail lines all across Eng. America & Europe

12. New technologies that were part of the revolution in transportation
On sea ~ steam power to improve shipping
Robert Fulton (1807)
Used Watt’s first steam engine to power the Clermont up the Hudson R.
Traveled 5 mph
Late 1800’s steam-powered freighters
With iron hulls
Carried times cargo of wooden ships