Chapter 7, Section 2 Britain Leads the Way

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.

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

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

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

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

Changes that transformed the textile (cloth) industryIndustrial 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

Changes that transformed the textile (cloth) industryIndustrial 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

Changes that transformed the textile (cloth) industryIndustrial 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)

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

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

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 10-20 times cargo

of wooden ships