The Industrial Revolution (1750 – 1850)

• A period intense and rapid technological advancements

• Brought permanent social and economic changes

• England was the first and fastest nation to industrialize

1. Why was

England able to

industrialize so

quickly?

1. An Agrarian Revolution

2. Population growth

3. Investment Capital

4. Natural Resources

5. Colonial Empire

Agrarian Revolution

• Scientific revolution brought better understanding of agriculture• Eg; Crop Rotation

• Farming Inventions• Seed drill

• Expansion of farmlands

• Periods of good weather

• New crops (potato)

Population Growth/Shift

• Increased food supply led to increase in population

• Enclosure movement – landowners evicted families from common lands

• People moved to cities in large numbers, labour supply increased

Investment Capital

• The Capitalist economic ideas of Adam Smith were prominent

• Laissez-faire market economy allowed business to operate free from government control

• Entrepreneurs had money to invest in business ventures

Natural Resources

• Many rivers for power/transportation

• Abundance of coal and iron ore, essential for manufacturing

• Many natural harbours for shipping

Colonial Empire

• England’s colonies were essential to industrialization

1. They were the source of many raw materials

2. They provided markets to export finished goods

The British Empire in 1750

2. Describe causes and

consequences of changes in

cotton production

Flying Shuttle

• 1733

• John Kay

• Allowed weaving looms to be operated a faster pace

• Doubled worker productivity

• Increased demand for thread/yarn, which could not be met, until…

Spinning Jenny

• 1766

• James Hargreaves

• Was able to spin cotton fibre into thread at a faster rate

• Threads were considerably weak

Water Frame

• 1767

• Richard Awkwright

• Water-powered spinning device

• Faster than previous methods, with stronger thread

The Luddites

• A group of English textiles workers led by Ned Ludd

• Destroyed the weaving machines that were taking their jobs.

• luddite - one whom opposes new technologies

Decline of Cottage Industry

• Many farmers in their countryside home also produced textiles goods in their spare time – Cottage Industry

• These were time consuming to make, but could be sold at a high price

• New inventions made it quicker and easier to produce cloth and fabric• Inventions?

• Mass production kills the cottage industry

Urbanization

• With the death of collective farming and then cottage industry vast migration to city centers took place

• With large populations in cities, factory owners had a large supply of cheap labour

• Cities became overcrowded and dirty

3.Describe the factory model

and working conditions

4.What major societal changes

were due industrialization?

What characterized factory work?

• Low wages

• Dangerous working conditions

• Long Hours

• No benefits/insurance

• Child Labour

The rise of labour unions

• The labour movement began with the realization that workers had more power collectively.

• By forming and joining Labour Unions employees could place greater demands on their employers, with the threat of strike action if demands were not met.

• Unions have been effective based on their strength and size and the availibity of outside labour (Scabs).

• In some cases employers hired strikebreakers to use threats and violence to intimidate strikers and force people back to work.

5. Who was Robert Owen? How

does he compare/contrast

with Adam Smith and Karl

Marx?

Three Ideas – Three Guys

• Laissez-Faire – Adam Smith

• Utopian Socialism – Robert Owen

• Scientific Socialism – Karl Marx

Robert Owen (1771 – 1858)

• British textile factory owner

• Appalled by the suffering created by the factory system

• Felt he could improve conditions, so he did

• His factories offered:• Reduced working hours• Better working/living conditions• Worker participation in management/profit sharing• Health care & education• Payment during periods of unemployment

• Owen’s businesses prospered under this model of Utopian Socialism and he encourage other factory owners to follow.

Adam Smith (1723 – 1790)

• Scottish economist & philosopher

• Wrote “The Wealth of Nations”

• Advocated for free-markets and laissez-faire economics

• Described “The Invisible Hand”

Karl Marx (1818 – 1883)

• German philosopher & economist

• Wrote “The Communist Manifesto” in which he described society being made up of two classes

• Proletariat – labour force

• Bourgeoisie – Elite factory owners

• Believed the workers (proletariat) were enslaved and cheated by the wealthy elites (bourgeoisie)

• Predicted class warfare which would result in communism

The Big Ideas

• What is the relationship between imperialism and industrialization in 19th century?

• Has imperialism been a constructive force in the world?

Colonial possessions in the Caribbean

Colonial Possessions in North America

The Scramble for Africa

Colonial possessions in Africa

The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Triangular trade

What is going where?

Triangular Trade

• England• Imports: Cotton, Tobacco, Rum, Sugar, Molasses

• Exports: Finished goods (textiles, metal goods)

• African Colonies• Imports: Finished goods (textiles, metal goods)

• Exports: Slaves

• American/Caribbean Colonies• Imports: Slaves

• Exports: Cotton, Tobacco, Rum, Sugar, Molasses

Origins of the Slave Trade

• Trade – The act of importing and exporting goods to/from a nation

• Mercantilism – Nations amassing wealth by exporting more goods than they import

• Raw Materials – Natural resources used to make finished goods (cotton → clothing)

• Colonialism – Empire establishing colonies in other parts of the world for the purpose of 1) extracting natural resources/raw materials for trade and 2) Creating markets for export

What do these images tell us about slavery?

Auction Advertisement - 1769

Abolitionism – The movement to end slavery

• Became prominent in England

• Caused great division in the US

Josiah Wedgewood

Aunt Jemima - Misrepresentation

• The stereotypical character trope of “mammy” was used by the Quaker Oats company for marketing

• Depicted the “happy slave”

“Gordon” – Escaped Slave

• 1863 Gordon was found by Union Army soldiers in Louisiana

• Photographed and used to inspire abolitionist feelings and recruit soldiers for the Union Army

Abolishment of Slavery

• 1833 – England• Slave trade ended

• All slaves in England and colonies given their freedom

• Slave owners compensated by Government

• 1861 – 1865 - US Civil War fought over the issue of “states rights”• Emancipation Proclamation, executive order by Abraham Lincoln gave slaves

their freedom

• Southern States proclaimed independence, fought for it and lost