The Industrial RevolutionORIGINS and CAUSES of the Industrial

Revolution in Great Britain

…took place during the 18th and 19th centuries, was a period during which mostly agricultural and rural societies in Europe and America became INDUSTRIAL and URBAN.

The INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

* Prior to the Industrial Revolution, which began in Great Britain in the late 1700s, MANUFACTURING was often done in people’s homes, using hand tools or basic machines. INDUSTRIALIZATION marked a shift to powered, special-purpose machinery, factories and mass production.

* The IRON and TEXTILE industries, along with the development of the steam engine, played central roles in the Industrial Revolution, which also saw improved systems of transportation, communication and banking.

* While industrialization brought about an increased volume and variety of MANUFACTURED GOODS and an IMPROVED STANDARD OF LIVING for some, it also resulted in often grim employment and living conditions for the poor and working classes.

* What are the ORIGINS of the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain? (EQ #1)

5.) GEOGRAPHY, NATURAL RESOURCES and a STRONG NAVY… 4.) Great Britain had the ability to make CAPITAL INVESTMENTS!

6.) A STRONG, SUPPORTIVE and STABLE GOVERNMENT allowed for growth!

1.) An AGRARIAN REVOLUTION that changed farming in Europe! 2.) POPULATION GROWTH in Great Britain during the 18th century!3.) The BRITISH EMPIRE had a wide SUPPLY of MARKETS…

AGRARIAN REVOLUTION

1.) The ENCLOSURE MOVEMENT spread to England in the 17th century (process of privatizing ‘common land’) – wealthy farmers bought land from small farmers!

* MOVEMENT LED TO: 1.) Larger farms 2.) More efficient farms3.) URBANIZATION

* THINK – “WHY did the ENCLOSURE MOVEMENT have these effects?”

* Europe underwent an AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION… which would help lead to the INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION!

AGRARIAN REVOLUTION2.) Charles ‘Turnip’ Townsend: wealthy landlord from Norfolk – encouraged CROP ROTATION

* GROW MORE CROPS and get a BETTER YIELD FROM THE LAND (if a crop was not rotated, the nutrient level in the field would go down – yield of the crop from the field decreased)

* Beneficial agricultural cycle!

* WHAT DID THIS NEW TECHNIQUE LEAD TO? 1.) Increased food for animals 2.) …more manure = better crops

AGRARIAN REVOLUTION3.) Jethro Tull perfected the SEED DRILL (1701) that ECONOMICALLY sowed the seeds in neat rows… (more seed taking root = more crops)

* Tull's methods were adopted by English landowners (helped form the basis of modern agriculture)

* Before the seed drill, common practice was to plant seeds by hand… besides being WASTEFUL, planting was IMPRECISE and led to a POOR DISTRIBUTION OF SEEDS, leading to LOW PRODUCTIVITY!

4.) Robert Bakewell, 18th century English Agriculturalist, well known for SELECTIVE BREEDING of sheep and cattle (larger cattle, better cattle = more food!)

POPULATION GROWTH* The AGRARIAN REVOLUTION:

1.) …MORE FOOD! 2.) = MORE people being fed!3.) = MORE people surviving! …MORE STABILITY throughout society4.) ENCLOSURES sent people OUT OF COUNTRYSIDE INTO CITIES

* Factors led to a POPULATION BOOM in GREAT BRITAIN during the 18th century!

BRITISH EMPIRE and the SUPPLY of MARKETS* …world’s leading colonial power, which meant that its colonies could serve as a SOURCE FOR RAW MATERIALS, as well as a MARKETPLACE FOR MANUFACTURED GOODS!

“A MARKET is any place where the SELLERS of a good or service can meet with the BUYERS of that good or service where there is potential for a transaction to take place.”

* Population boom caused DOMESTIC DEMAND to RISE…MORE people need MORE food, clothes, etc.

CAPITAL INVESTMENTS

* “WHAT IS CAPITAL?” MATERIAL WEALTH… in the form of money or property.

* British COLONIAL EXPANSION during the 17th century led to the development of INTERNATIONAL TRADE, the creation of NEW FINANCIAL MARKETS and the ACCUMULATION OF CAPITAL!

* NEW WEALTH allowed for ENTREPRENEURS to make large investments of capital into the TEXTILE, COAL MINING and METAL INDUSTRIES

* EXAMPLE: “The textile industry, for instance, relied on raw material from America; finished goods were sold internally but also abroad, especially in India, where British colonial rule was able virtually to destroy the once flourishing Indian textile industry by forbidding the export of Indian textiles.”

GEOGRAPHY, NATURAL RESOURCES and a STRONG NAVY

NATURAL RESOURCES: “naturally occurring exploitable material” (coal, wood, water, minerals, etc.)

1.) RIVERS and CANALS for TRANSPORTATION and WATER POWER

3.) COAL provided for FUEL4.) IRON ORE strengthened MANUFACTURING

2.) GREAT BRITAIN as an ISLAND… PORTS ENABLED TRADE

5.) POPULATION provided for WORKERS6.) STRONG NAVY to protect ECONOMY

STRONG, SUPPORTIVE and STABLE GOVERNMENT* Great Britain used their POLITICAL STABILITY to their advantage; STRONG EMPIRE, STABLE GOVERNMENT at home and government that was SUPPORTIVE OF LAISSEZ-FAIRE ECONOMICS!

1.) Out of ALL THE WARS that had been fought during the 17th and 18th centuries – how many were fought in ENGLAND?

2.) Great Britain had ABOLISHED FEUDALISM (1660) – no feudal class to hold back the working class!

…led to a very large and free peasantry/working class in England!