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The Industrial Revolution Recent Titles in Greenwood Guides to Historic Events, 1500–1900 The Second Great Awakening and the Transcendentalists Barry Hankins The Age of Napoleon Susan P. Conner The American Civil War Cole C. Kingseed The Scientific Revolution and the Foundations of Modern Science Wilbur Applebaum The Mexican War David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler The Abolitionist Movement Claudine L. Ferrell Maritime Exploration in the Age of Discovery, 1415–1800 Ronald S. Love The Trail of Tears and Indian Removal Amy H. Sturgis Darwin’s The Origin of Species Keith Francis The Age of Romanticism Joanne Schneider The Reformation Era Robert D. Linder Slave Revolts Johannes Postma The Industrial Revolution LEE T. WYATT III Greenwood Guides to Historic Events, 1500–1900 Linda S. Frey and Marsha L. Frey, Series Editors GREENWOOD PRESS Westport, Connecticut London Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wyatt, Lee T. The industrial revolution / Lee T. Wyatt III. p. cm.—(Greenwood guides to historic events, 1500–1900, ISSN 1538-442X) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-313-33769-7 (alk. paper) 1. Industrial revolution—Great Britain—History—18th century. 2. Industrial revolution—Great Britain—History—19th century. 3. Industrial revolution—United States—History—19th century. 4. Agriculture—Economic aspects—Great Britain— History. I. Title. HC254.5.W93 2009 338.9’034—dc22 2008029501 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright C 2009 by Lee Wyatt III All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2008029501 ISBN: 978-0-313-33769-7 ISSN: 1538-442X First published in 2009 Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881 An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. www.greenwood.com Printed in the United States of America The paper used in this book complies with the Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National Information Standards Organization (Z39.48–1984). 10987654321 CONTENTS Series Foreword by Linda S. Frey and Marsha L. Frey vii Preface xi Chronology xv Chapter 1 Historical Overview 1 Chapter 2 The Way We Were: On the Eve of the Industrial Revolution 11 Chapter 3 The Agricultural Revolution in Great Britain 25 Chapter 4 The Industrial Revolution in Great Britain 39 Chapter 5 The Industrial Revolution in America 79 Chapter 6 The Industrial Revolution on the Continent in the Late 19th Century 119 Chapter 7 The Industrial Revolution beyond the West 143 Biographies 157 Primary Documents 205 Annotated Bibliography 243 Index 255 Photographs follow page 156. SERIES FOREWORD American statesman Adlai Stevenson stated, ‘‘We can chart our future clearly and wisely only when we know the path which has led to the present.’’ This series, Greenwood Guides to Historic Events, 1500– 1900, is designed to illuminate that path by focusing on events from 1500 to 1900 that have shaped the world. The years 1500 to 1900 include what historians call the early modern period (1500 to 1789, the onset of the French Revolution) and part of the modern period (1789 to 1900). In 1500, an acceleration of key trends marked the beginnings of an interdependent world and the posing of seminal questions that changed the nature and terms of intellectual debate. The series closes with 1900, the inauguration of the twentieth century. This period witnessed profound economic, social, political, cultural, reli- gious, and military changes. An industrial and technological revolu- tion transformed the modes of production, marked the transition from a rural to an urban economy, and ultimately raised the stand- ard of living. Social classes and distinctions shifted. The emergence of the territorial and later the national state altered man’s relations with and view of political authority. The shattering of the religious unity of the Roman Catholic world in Europe marked the rise of a new pluralism. Military revolutions changed the nature of warfare. The books in this series emphasize the complexity and diversity of the human tapestry and include political, economic, social, intellec- tual, military, and cultural topics. Some of the authors focus on events in U.S. history such as the Salem witchcraft trials, the Amer- ican Revolution, the abolitionist movement, and the Civil War. Others analyze European topics, such as the Reformation and Counter-Reformation and the French Revolution. Still others bridge cultures and continents by examining the voyages of discovery, the Atlantic slave trade, and the Age of Imperialism. Some focus on viii Series Foreword intellectual questions that have shaped the modern world, such as Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species, or on turning points such as the Age of Romanticism. Others examine defining economic, religious, or legal events or issues such as the building of the railroads, the Second Great Awakening, and abolitionism. Heroes (e.g., Meriwether Lewis and William Clark), scientists (e.g., Darwin), military leaders (e.g., Napoleon Bonaparte), poets (e.g., Lord Byron) stride across the pages. Many of these events were seminal in that they marked profound changes or turning points. The Scientific Revolution, for example, changed the way individuals viewed themselves and their world. The authors, acknowledged experts in their fields, synthesize key events, set developments within the larger historical context, and, most important, present well-balanced, well-written accounts that integrate the most recent scholarship in the field. The topics were chosen by an advisory board composed of historians, high school history teachers, and school librarians to support the curriculum and meet student research needs. The vol- umes are designed to serve as resources for student research and to provide clearly written interpretations of topics central to the sec- ondary school and lower-level undergraduate history curriculum. Each author outlines a basic chronology to guide the reader through often-confusing events and presents a historical overview to set those events within a narrative framework. Three to five top- ical chapters underscore critical aspects of the event. In the final chapter the author examines the impact and consequences of the event. Biographical sketches furnish background on the lives and contributions of the players who strut across the stage. Ten to fif- teen primary documents, ranging from letters to diary entries, song lyrics, proclamations, and posters, cast light on the event, provide material for student essays, and stimulate critical engagement with the sources. Introductions identify the authors of the documents and the main issues. In some cases a glossary of selected terms is provided as a guide to the reader. Each work contains an annotated bibliography of recommended books, articles, CD-ROMs, Internet sites, videos, and films that set the materials within the historical debate. Reading these works can lead to a more sophisticated under- standing of the events and debates that have shaped the modern world and can stimulate a more active engagement with the issues that still affect us. It has been a particularly enriching experience to work closely with such dedicated professionals. We have come to know and value even more highly the authors in this series and our Series Foreword ix editors at Greenwood, particularly Kevin Ohe and Michael Hermann. In many cases they have become more than colleagues; they have become friends. To them and to future historians we dedicate this series. Linda S. Frey University of Montana Marsha L. Frey Kansas State University This page intentionally left blank PREFACE There is no drudgery about labor unless you make it your master. —From Manufacturer and Builder, Vol. 24 (November 1892), 242 Beginning in the last half of the 18th century and extending into the early 20th century, first Great Britain and then Western Europe, the United States, and several other parts of the globe experienced the vibrant stirrings of a major technical and economic transformation. This development was in great measure the culmination of forces that had gained momentum in Western civilization during the Ren- aissance of the 14th and 15th centuries and continued with the dra- matic discoveries of the Scientific Revolution over the next 200 years. The theoretical and analytical mysteries unlocked by the scien- tific community laid the foundation for the application of more prac- tical techniques and approaches to harness the new sources of power, the reduction on the sole reliance on traditional sources of labor, and the creation of new organizations and enterprises. The result was the emergence of a new demographic, economic, political, and social map of the Western world and the unparalleled increase in wealth and national prosperity after 1750. In the 1820s British and French writers coined the phrase Industrial Revolution to identify the changes in manufacturing and production that had initially occurred in Great Britain and by the early 19th century had appeared in the new American republic and on the continent of Europe. These writers compared the dramatic impact of industrialization to the political and social upheaval caused by the French Revolution. Two decades later, Friedrich Engels rein- forced the use of the term in his influential work, The Conditions of the Working Class in England. Indeed, historians have long debated the causes, characteristics, expansion, and results of the economic