Causes of the Industrial Revolution in Britain Flashcards
Define the Industrial Revolution
A period of time usually 1750-1900 when Britain experienced social and economic changes from cottage to factory based systems
Why is banking considered to be a cause of the Industrial Revolution?
Because it funded business ventures and start-ups
Why are Thomas Newcomen’s steam engine and the Spinning Jenny credited with making the Industrial Revolution possible?
Because the engine was the proto-type for steam-powered factories and the Spinning Jenny revolutionised the textile industry
How many banks had been established by 1784?
119
How many banks had been established by 1808?
800
Why was banking seen to be secure in Britain?
Because the exchange of receipts for gold deposits was the beginning of paper currency
What were county banks allowed to do alongside city banks in 1797?
Issue bank notes/paper currency
What was removed from small country banks in 1826 to enable them to grow into joint stock banks?
A cap on banks to give them the right to issue notes keeping banking localised
What was the name of the first joint stock bank?
Lancashire Banking Company 1826
Why was Britain credited with being the ‘workshop of the world’?
Because it was the first country to have an advanced industrial revolution by the mid 1800s
By how many million pounds of cotton did importations increase by between 1761 and 1833?
297 million
Name 2 machines which transformed the cotton industry? 2 marks
Samuel Crompton’s Spinning Mule in 1779 and Richard Arkwright’s Water Frame in 1769
Give 3 reasons/factors that caused the industrial revolution. 3 marks
Technology, banking, entrepreneurs, natural resources, small country/easy to travel to the coast, navigable rivers, peaceful country, stable government, protestant work ethic
Why was Lancashire good for cotton mills? 2 reasons.
Cool climate stopped the cotton thread from splitting and close to the port of Liverpool, slave trade port and access to trading links, eastern coast closer to American trade, Manchester to Liverpool railway built in 1830
In what areas of the UK did the industrial revolution thrive?
North west = textile manufacturing, north east = mining, Midlands = engineering
Why did the industrial revolution thrive in certain areas?
Cheap resources e.g. coal seams, close to ports for trade, slave trade ports
Which farming invention promoted greater productivity in agricultural areas?
Andrew Meikle’s trheshing machine in 1789
What is the main difference between the mechanisation in the agricultural south and the industrial north?
In the south it served to reduce the need for human labour while in the north it created a demand for it
How would you describe the south-west and south-east of Britain during the Industrial Revolution?
agricultural/farming/agrarian
What areas of the UK were transformed into industrial centres as a result of the Industrial Revolution?
Glasgow/Clyde Valley, Welsh Valleys, some parts of Cornwall exported tin, north east, north west, midlands
Which transportation systems were prevalent in the 1700s?
canals, roads, toll roads
When was did railways really begin to herald the dawn of a new transportation age?
1830s
Why was the Statute of Artificers Act repealed?
To stop the regulation of wages/a boost to laissez-faire policies
When were ‘laissez-faire’ economic policies in operation and what were they designed to do?
1800-1830 - designed to encourage business/production/the industrial revolution
How did the Industrial Revolution impact on the social structure of Britain?
creation of an urban working-class and the creation of the middle-class
When was the Great Exhibition?
1851
Why was the Great Exhibition important?
Because it showcased the inventions of the industrial revolution, international event, many thousands attended it
Name 2 ‘new’ industrial cities in England.
Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Bradford, Bolton, Halifax, etc.
What benefits did the industrial revolution bring to the urban working-class?
creation of class-consciousness, rise of trade unionism to protest rights, eventual rise in living standards.
What drawbacks did the industrial revolution bring to the urban working-class?
changes to working practices, break-up of families, loss of control over families, poor living and working conditions, wage-slaves rather than masters, etc
When was the Bank of England formed?
1864
What year were there 119 banks?
1784
What year were there 350 banks?
1799
Role of banks
. Issue banknotes
. Finance credit to local businesses and helped business set ups
What was banking like in the 18th century
Informal and performed by private companies or individuals
Why did banking help industrialisation
. Offered easy payment between businesses
. Safe and efficient means of transaction
. Economy grew as people deposited funds
How was banking growth limited?
Clause within the Bank of England Charter that defined the right of note issue to banks with more than 6 members - cap prevented larger joint stop banks
How many joint stock banks were there in 1866 and how many branches did they have nationwide
154 joint stock banks with 850 branches
What year did the amount of joint-stock branches reach 154
1866
What weight of cotton was imported in 1761
Over 3 million
What weight of cotton was imported by 1833
Over 300 million pounds
How many did the cotton industry employ in 1833
833,000 people
When was 3 million pounds of cotton imported?
1761
When was 300 million pounds of cotton imported?
1833
When was Richard Arkwright’s Frame made
1769
When was Samuel Crompton’s Spinning Mule made
1779
Who invented the steam engine
James Watt and Matthew Boulton
When was the steam engine invented
1778
Who invented the Spinning Jenny
James Hargreaves
When was the Spinning Jenny invented?
1764
Why could coal easily be attained
Close to the surface
What did John Macadam invent?
Tarmac
When was tarmac invented and why was this important for industrialisation?
1820s - roads could be used in all weather
Wheat did George Stephenson invent?
The locomotive engine
When was the locomotive engine invented?
1829
What did toll rods improve?
Speed but at an additional cost
When and where was the first factory set up?
Cromford in 1771
What % of the male population fought in the Napoleonic war?
10%
