Industrial Revolution s2

Industrial Revolution

 For 1000’s of years following the rise of civilization, most people lived and worked in small farming villages. However, a chain of event set in motion during the mid 1700’s will change that way of life for all time. Today, we call that period the Industrial Revolution.

 The I.R. started in Great Britain. Unlike most political revolutions, this movement was not swift, but lasted a long period of time. Simple hand tools turned into complex machines, and new sources of power replaced human and animal power.

 Around 1750, most people lived in simple cottages, worked the land, grew their own food and made their own clothes.

 The I.R. was made possible in part by a change in the farming fields of Western Europe.

 The Dutch led the way in this new agricultural revolution. They were the first to build Dikes to reclaim land from the sea. They used fertilizer from livestock to renew the soil.

 In Britain, a man named Jethro Tull, helped the agriculture revolution by inventing the seed drill. This machine allowed farmers to deposit seeds into the ground in straight lines rather than scattering seeds across the land and wasting them.

 As the A.R. took off, landownders got rid of farm hands and invested in these new machines and did the job themselves to make more money, leaving the farmhands out of work.

 These people moved to cities looking for work, and this would create a labor force that would run the new machines in the I.R.

 The Population Explosion: The A.R. contributed to a rapid growth of the population that continues today. According to statistical data, Europes population grew from an estimated 120 million, to 190 million in 100 years. Such growth had never been seen before.

 The population boom was due in large effect to the decline of deaths as opposed to the increase of the birth rate.

 The A.R. reduced the risk of famine! Also, people had better diets, women were stronger and had stronger babies.

 New Technology: New sources of energy along with new materials led to the I.R.

 The Energy Revolution: From the beginning of time, the energy for work was provided mostly by the muscles of humans and animals. During the 1700’s, people began to harness new sources of energy. One vital source was coal, used to fuel the steam engine.

 In 1712, Inventor Thomas Newcomen had developed a steam engine powered by coal to pump water out of mine shafts.

 Around 1769, Scottish engineer James Watt improved on Newcomen’s design and would become a key source to the I.R.

 Improved Iron: Coal was also a productive source of fuel in the production source of fuel in the production of iron, a material needed for construction of machines and steam engines.

 1709- Abraham Darby used coal to smelt iron, which means to heat it so hot, that the iron separated from its ore. This allowed him to make better quality iron and less expensive.

 Changes in Textile: The I.R. first took hold in Britain’s largest industry, textiles. As the demand for new cotton products grew, inventors came up with a string of remarkable devices that revolutionized the textile industry.

 James Hargreaves produced the Spinning Jenny in 1764, which spun many threads at the same time.  A few years later, Richard Arkwright invented the Waterframe, which used power from water to speed up the spinning Jenny.

 These new machines led to a new idea because they were to large for home use.

 Factories: Places that brought together workers and machines, to produce large quantities of goods.

 Working in the factory system: This was different than working on farms. Working hours were long, shifts often lasted from 12-16 hours. Many lost limbs, fingers and even their lives. If workers were sick or injured, they lost their jobs.

 Women Workers: Employers often preferred the hire women workers because they were easier to manage than men. Another big reason is that they could pay women less than men.

 Child Labor: Factories often hired many girls and boys. They were quicker and often needed to work to keep families from starving.

 Revolution in Transportation: The great revolution in transportation was the invention of the steam locomotive. It was this invention that made possible the growth of railroads.

 George Stephenson: Developed the steam powered locomotives to pull carriages along iron rails. The railroad did not have to follow the course of a river, and this meant that tracks could go places rivers did not, allowing factory owners to ship goods over land.

 By 1870, railroads criss-crossed Britain, Europe and North America.

 On the water, the steam powered boat became the improvement. American Robert Fulton used Watt’s steam engine to power his new boat. Fulton’s new steamboat, called the “Clermont” traveled at breath taking speeds of 5 M.P.H.  Benefits and Problems: Since the 1800’s, people have debated whether the I.R. was a blessing or a curse.

 One benefit was the formation of Labor Unions. Workers won the right to bargain by joining together.

 One problem was urbanization and the rise of crime. As cities grew, so did crime and the problems that come from it.