The Industrial Revolution

CAUSES:Why Britain? Why then?

Industrial Revolution

Labour

Natural resources

Colonialism

Proto-Industry

Inventions

Legal –Financial – conditions Political –

Transport

1. Population Growth

01700s: Population increased steadily01800s: Doubling of population

every 50 years

Larger number of labour available for industriesBigger market for consumer goods

2. Agricultural revolution

0Enclosure0Invention of seed drill (Jethro Tull)0Crop rotation system

This led to:More efficient food

productionCheaper foodMore disposable incomeLess workers needed in rural areas Urbanisation

Jethro Tull’s Seed drill

3. Natural conditions

0Plenty of coal and iron available

0Natural waterways

4. Transportation

0Large navy0Canals0Railroads

5. Colonialism

0Expansion of trading and economy in general 0Empire expands Access to more natural resources

6. Legal conditions

0No internal tariffs0Patent laws encourage invention

7. Financial conditions

0Effective central bank (1694)0Well-developed credit markets0Plenty of capital

8. Political conditions

0Constitutional monarchy0Relative stability0Economic growth

9. Proto-industry

0Cottage system in textile industry0Division of labour

10. Major technological advances

0 ”Know How”: inventions and ideas0Spinning Jenny (James Hargreaves)0Steam engine (James Watt)0Steel-making (Henry Bessemer)