Chapter Three

Question 1

What was there a rise of in the decades of 1780s and 90s?

Answer 1

Rise in both imports and exports, indicating a rise in economic activity.

Question 2

What were the reasons for economic growth?

Answer 2

Development in trade, availability of capital, raw materials, agricultural improvements, political stability, scientific and technological invention, free movment of people and goods, growth in population.

Question 3

What brought a growth in trade?

Answer 3

Shipbuilding, exploration, discovery of new overseas markets and colonization. Stimulated development of banking and finance. English Trading Company East India Company enjoyed a trade monopoly in India.

Question 4

What was a result of the thriving trade industry?

Answer 4

Capital was available at low rates of interest to set up new enterprises.

Question 5

What was a result of the population growth?

Answer 5

Large labour force available, increased demand for food, clothing, housing and other commodities.

Question 6

Where was the growth of the Cotton Industry most profond?

Answer 6

Lancashire and Lanarkshire

Question 7

What was the domestic system of production?

Answer 7

Small scale operation, carried out in homes using spinning wheel and hand loom. Process was slow, lacked quality control, production was limited.

Question 8

What was developed in 1769?

Answer 8

Arkwright’s Water Frame, heralded start of factory system of production.

Question 9

What was developed in 1779?

Answer 9

Samuel Crompton’s Mule, cross between the water frame and Hargreaves’ ‘Spinning Jenny’. Produced high quality yarn. Widespread by 1820s, most important spinning invention.

Question 10

What was developed in 1789?

Answer 10

Edmund Cartwright’s power loom, operated by steam power.

Question 11

How were cotton, iron, coal, and canals linked?

Answer 11

Cotton mills required iron to run the machines, and iron foundries needed coal to run them. Canals distributed raw materials to factories, and the finished goods to the population.

Question 12

What did the canal industry enable?

Answer 12

Heavy and bulky goods to be transported cheaply and easily, new areas opened up, entrepreneurial businessmen could transport their own goods.

Question 13

What were the drawbacks of canals?

Answer 13

They were difficult and expensive to construct, only followed a limited route, froze in the winter and were slow to operate. The railways replaced them.

Question 14

What were the main sources of power before the late eighteenth century?

Answer 14

Man, horse, wind and water. Water meant the manufacturer had to build their factory close to the source of power.

Question 15

Which new power source was found?

Answer 15

Steam. Allowed a massive increase in the volume of goods produced in almost every area of manufacturer

Question 16

Who were involved in the steam engine?

Answer 16

James Watt, who invented rotary motion in 1781 and Matthew Boulton, who financed the enterprise. By 1800 they had hundreds of engines in operation in Britain and less than a third were on the cotton industry.

Question 17

What was the traditional industry of employment?

Answer 17

Agriculture. By 1800, for the first time however, more people were employed in Industry than farming.

Question 18

What was enclosure?

Answer 18

System of dividing agricultural land into compact fields closed in by fences, hedges or walls.

Question 19

What were the impacts of enclosure?

Answer 19

Resulted in higher crop yields, healthier livestok, crop rotation could be developed, ensuring all land was under cultivation every year, producing a good selection of crops. Increased overall production and profits. Greater variety of fresh food.

Question 20

What improvements occured in agriculture?

Answer 20

Spreading manure improved soil quality, experiments in scientific stock-breeding improved quality of farm animals and produced bigger quantities of meat.

Question 21

What mechanical improvements occured in farming?

Answer 21

Improvements came slowly. Seed drill, horse drawn hoe, lighter-weight plough.

Question 22

What were the drawbacks of enclosure?

Answer 22

Emphasised inequality in country, as more land was in the hands of fewer people. Smallholding class disappeared to towns, leaving landowner and tenant farmers who employed landless labourers for a pitiful wage, many were forced to fall back on poor relief.