CAUSES OF INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION Flashcards
What was the industrial revolution
period from 1750-1900 when Britain underwent social and economic changes from cottage basted industry to factory
banking as a cause of the IR
- banking funded business ventures and start ups
-small banks grew in 18th C (120-1780–>800 by 1800) - all this new money stimulate economic activity and gave wealthy more money stop spend on ideas
why were banks secure in Britain
- due to the exchange of receipts for gold deposits
what did better technology do in the agricultural industry
-better tech such as threshing machine 1786 made farming more efficient
-meaning less people were needed to feed a growing population —> allowing for a surplus of labour which could become the workforce for the IR
agricultural revolution
- in the 18th C the revolution led to increased crop yields and pop growth
-1750=6mill –> 1800=18mill–>1850=28mill
-all this population= more workforce
mathematical equation agricultural revolution
more food–> less famine–> better public health—> better workforce
technology as a cause of IR
- more machines were driven by the technological breakthrough of James watt ( steam engines)
- Samuel cromptons spinning mule 1779 transformed cotton industry
what were steam engines used for
- used to pump water out of coal mines which was much quicker
-coal fueld the factories
raw materials as a cause
-britain had an abundance of coal (provides 3x more energy than wood)
-with steam engine aiding the process of extraction
-factories were water powered in the early stages of IR but changed to fossil fuels
transport networks / small country
-good transport links are seen as a basic requirement for IR
- Britain is a small country meaning less travel time= stimulating economy more
Change in canals over time
- Britain had many canals which was much quicker than horse back
-connecting seaports to inland trade and facilitating the movement of coal and goods. - over 4k miles in length 1800
significance of roads
- consumer demand needed quality roads
-from 1700 length of roads increased from 300-15k in 1780
railways
- railway networks replaced canals in 1830s as they were quicker
-transforming trade + transport, fostering the movement of goods and people
PEACE/WAR
-britian was isolated from many years allowing them to develop without interference
-war did give periodic boosts to textile and armaments industries
iMPACT OF IR: Class structure
- led to the growth of MC ( factory owners and businesses who aquired wealth)
and growth of WC (tied to factory labour, low wages)
Impact of IR : urbanisation
-urbanisation saw a massive growth in urban areas EG bham
- urbanisation and population density increased since cottage industries couldn’t compete with cheaper factory production
impact of ir: family
-children put to work at a young age (10-14 faced 15 hours of work a day no pay)
- children were sold off to relieve family of economic burdens
impact on women
- mc women supported their husbands and husbands were breadwinners
- wc women had to work + child care (sexual assault and cutting hair as punishment in workplace)
impact on housing
-urbanisation created cheap dwellings (back to backs) only 4 meters wide
- notts had 13k dwellings by 1840
-crmped space poor quality with limited natural light
-use of candles created smoky atmosphere and health issues
impact on sanitation /disease
- overcrowding meant wells were a premium
- sewage couldn’t cope with rising demand
- cesspits soaked into the ground contamination water supply leading to cholera outbreak (1831 killing 30k )
