Chapter Nine

Question 1

What factors make it hard to analyse the rate of Industrialisation in various Industries?

Answer 1

Change occurred slowly in most industries, rapidly in few. It was regional, not national and thus changes occurred in some places and not others, making a definitive analysis difficult.

Question 2

How can coal (one of the three main industries) be used to measure the growth of industry?

Answer 2

Coal was the main source of energy for industry, therefore it would follow that if coal production was rising then industry was expanding. Figures show that coal production was rising.

Question 3

By the 1830s, how much of the workforce was engaged in the cotton industry? How much of all British exports were textiles.

Answer 3

30% of the Industrial workforce was engaged in the cotton industry.
70% of all British exports were textiles.

Question 4

Which industry also reflected the growth of the export market?

Answer 4

Shipbuilding industry. It was developing, indicating the amount of exports was increasing. By 1830 the tonnage of ships built was 75,500.

Question 5

By 1832, what new ‘age’ had started?

Answer 5

The new age of consumerism. By 1832, there were new fast-growing industries, services and technologies mainly associated with the early development of the railway. There were further developments in steam power and more sophisticated machine tools and other machinery.

Question 6

How had trade been improved?

Answer 6

The end of the Napoleonic Wars caused the lifting of trade sanctions, and thus trade expanded rapidly. In the 1820s, trade improved due to Huskisson’s free trade measures

Question 7

After 1815, what did the Industrialisation process continue encouraging?

Answer 7

New thought, it brought new political pressures, emphasised distinctions between emerging industrial workforce and middle classes; continuing working class discontent and from it emerged new social grouypings and a new concept to society.

Question 8

What were the features of Cartwright’s steam driven power loom of 1789? The most far-reaching development in the cotton industry.

Answer 8

It was clumsy and inefficient. There were modifications to it in 1803, 1813 and 1820s to make it more reliable. Its important lay in its potential application for producing large quantities ofcloth under one roof. Latest modification in 1820s revolutionised cloth production and the amount of power looms in operation rose from 2400 in 1803 to 100,000 in 1833.

Question 9

What were the features of the hot-air blast furnace developed by James Beaumont Neilson in 1828? The most important technical improvement in the iron industry.

Answer 9

It allowed a better quality of iron to be obtained and raw coal could be used instead of coke, making the process cheaper and more efficient. At the time, its efficiency and advantagew to the iron trade was compared to Arkwright’s steam engine in the cotton trade.

Question 10

What were the conditions of coal mines?

Answer 10

Small and dangerous and the biggest killer was the methane gas. To improve safety Sir Humphrey Davy in 1813 created a safety lamp to prevent explosion and an air pump was devised to help ventilation but little else.

Question 11

What transport system did the steam engine aid?

Answer 11

The railway. This was needed for moving coal from the pit head to foundries, factories and other markets.

Question 12

What was the impact of the railways?

Answer 12

The immediate success prompted the railway companies to build railway lines across the country. It got the economy moving, transporting people and goods at speed and low cost. Increased the levels of employment as railway work required a labour force of thousands.

Question 13

When did the first railway line open? When did the first passenger railway using steam locomotives open?

Answer 13

1825 first railway line= Stockton to Darlington.

1830. first passenger railway using steam locomotives= Liverpool to Manchester.

Question 14

By 1812, how had agriculture transformed into an industry?

Answer 14

Large tenant farms were set up as businesses and well-organised tenant farmers were hiring agricultural labourers for seasonal work and producing goods for commercial market.

Question 15

What were the impacts of the Enclosure Acts?

Answer 15

Facilitated the industrialisation of agriculture as the farm land was reorganised. Quickened the pace of agricultural change, rent for enclosed land was charged at a higher rate- it was more valuable as the crops in enclosed fields gave higher yields, less land wasted, control over soil fertilisation, protection from hedging. Improved crop rotation, more mixed farming- arable livestock on same farm, greater variety of cattle fodder produced.

Question 16

Enclosure meant that farmers yielded higher profits, what did this enable them to do?

Answer 16

They had moneyt for expansion and the confidence to invest in the latest farming techniques and experiments.

Question 17

How did the War stimulate agriculture

Answer 17

Wheat prices roses, thus farmers planted even their less fertile land with crops to yield maximum profits. The War also kept the demand for wheat high due to trade restrictions (and rising population).

Question 18

After the War, what happened to agriculture due to the lesser demand and lower price of wheat?

Answer 18

The tenant farmers who had taken on long leases during the war when rents were high saw their profits fall, thus they cut wages and jobs. The Corn Laws were not enough to prevent the post-War agricultural depression. In the 1820s, there were many farming bankruptcies.

Question 19

What was an example of the slow progress of agricultural improvements in the 1800s?

Answer 19

Innovation would occur in one region, but it might be years before it was taken up in another. The Threshing machine, invented in 1778 was not used throughout the country until the 1820s, and by this time Meikle was dead and made no money.

Question 20

What principles did Lord Liverpool’s government work on? What impact did this have?

Answer 20

Laissez-faire: economy would function by the law of supply and demand and not state interference. Although lack of consistency- Corn Laws, protecting themselves. Meant in the 1820s there was an active economic policy of free trade and a rejection of mercantilism.

Question 21

What were the Free Trade Budgets of 1824 and 1825?

Answer 21

Important in the history of economic policy. First to apply principles of free trade. Customs duties lowered on raw materials in textile and metal industries, prohibitions on manufactured goods entering Britain abolished. Raw wool could be exported for first time.

Question 22

What was the Reciprocity Act of 1823?

Answer 22

It encouraged trade treaties with other countries on the basis of mutual tariff reductions.

Question 23

There was a commercial upturn in 1825. When this ended, what happened?

Answer 23

Heavy criticism of Huskisson’s free trade theories and of Liverpool’s Government economic policies. Optimism of previous years vanished, banks failed, businesses went bankrupt, distress among labouring classes whose wages were reduced or became unemployed.

Question 24

What was the effect of free trade measures in 1820s?

Answer 24

Stimulated industry, trade, lower prices in manufacturing, increase in volume of British exports and shipping, reduced smuggling, took Brit in direction of free trade.

Question 25

What were the effects of the commercial upturn of 1822-25?

Answer 25

Indirect taxes were reduced, excise duties abolished, import duties reduced

Question 26

Who were behind the free trade measures and who are they compared to?

Answer 26

Huskisson and Robinson. Compared to Peel and his reform of the criminal law.

Question 27

What was the Bank Act, 1826?

Answer 27

Made it legal for banks other than the Bank of England to operate as joint stock banks. Could issue notes, more robust foundation than smaller banks which failed in crisis.