Economic Developments Flashcards
Britain before and after industrialization
INDUSTRIALIZATION
1783- Britain was in the process on industrialization. Industries developed from small scale production of goods (iron coal cotton) to large scale production in factories and iron foundries. However some historians argue that the change was more gradual than revolutionary. 1780-1812.
Between 1780s and 90s there was a sharp increase in imports and exports- increase in economic activity.
1780s crucial turning point - annual growth of industrial output increased to 3-4% from long-term 2%
POPULATION
1801- 10.9 million
1811- 12.6 million
Increase in birth rate, decrease in death rate due to : agricultural improvements : increase in food productions,better quality food and low prices - rise in living standards , better health, fewer infant deaths and increased longetivity.
More young men had jobs and moved away from their families allowing them to have families earlier.
COTTON
1783- rapid growth in the cotton industry.
Before cloth production relied on wool and linen manufacturing. However those were really small scale productions most of which were in people’s homes or workshops by spinning wheel and hand loom. (DOMESTIC SYSTEM OF PRODUCTION //// COTTAGE INDUSTRY)
*Slow
*Lacked quality control
* Limited production
*Little prospect of expansion
However as the population grew, there was an increased demand for clothing and textiles. Therefore there was many technological advancements in manufacturing cotton and textiles. Cotton clothing was better than linen and wool - cheaper, comfortable and easier to wash.
Lancashire in North England and Lanarkshire in Scotland. (It had fast flowing rivers used to produce power to run the machines. Canal system connected cotton factories for redistribution. Also imported from West Indies.
Samuel Crompton MULE 1779
Hargreaves SPINNING JENNY
((Produced exceptionally high quality yarn - strong and fine. Waterpower allowed widespread manufacturing in factories. The mechanisation of the spinning process was a great success but left the weaving process behind. So the power loom operated by steam power ( discovered in 1789 by Edmund Cartwright) was fully large scale mechanised in 1820 = balance between spinning and weaving large productions.
IRON AND COAL
The technological developments for cotton in 1780s gave a vital boost to the iron industry. Cotton was growing therefore there was also a demand for iron improvements. Output of pig iron rode from 68 000 tons in 1788 to 250 000 tons in 1804. Iron factories were built on edge of coal fields to access their essential source of fuel cheaply and easily. Black country, South Wales, South Yorkshire and Clydeside. (Many small towns had to develop into large industrial cities with growing population)
John Wilkinson - entrepreneurial ironmaster built up large scale ironworks to meet the increasing demands for industrialization. Built first iron bridge across Severn and first floating iron boat.
Cotton and iron depended on coal, cheap fuel to power steam engines. Coal replaced wood as fuel.
Rose from 7million tons in 1780s to 14 million tons in 1812
TRANSPORT AND CANALS
Vitals in transporting raw materials to factories/ and manifactured goods to wide market in order for industrialization growth to continue. 1780’s - height of canal era - construction of network of canals across the country. This allowed heavy and bulky goods to be transported quickly and cheaply - easier than road or river. Fresh agricultural produce was carried by canal to newly expanding towns and centres. Cans also attracted entrepreneurial business men e.g. Josiah wedgwood he was a letter who invested in the canals as he needed to transport his goods.
Cans seems as amazing improvements. However they were difficult and expensive to construct and could only follow limited routes - they could freeze in water and be slow to operate. So while canals encouraged the process of industrialization and allowed to happen at a very important time it did not last very long. It lasted about 70 years. From 1759. Instead railway was taken up to transport coal to the nearest factory.
CHANGES OF POWER
Before power was from - man,horse, wind and water. Industrialization allowed water power to power factories however it wasn’t transferrable as it had to be near a source of water. Once steam power was discovered manufacturing and transportation was revolutionised. It allowed massive increase in the volume of goods produced in every area of manufacture and provided the technology to create the means of moving goods to anywhere.
STEAM POWER
The steam engine evolved through time to solve earlier problems such as haulage and flooding in coal mines. However James Watt was the man who invented a steam engine which had a separate condenser to cool steam and make the engine more efficient. This was significant as it was a massive obstacle before. In 1781 he improved it by inventing rotary motion in it the engine - made it more effective and significantly helped cotton manufacture. Steam power became the predominant in the production and use of industrial power.
Watt himself lacked organising ability and access to sufficient resources. He teamed up with Matthew Boulton- bold far sighted Birmingham business man who financed watt. Key process in industrialization- successful partnership which brought together business ability and inventiveness to produce a major technological advances. By the 1800 Boulton and watt had hundreds of engines in Britain. Less than a third in cotton industry. Along with tin mines, coal mines, ironworks,breweries,distilleries and in the engineering of the canals. CHEAP AND PLENTIFUL GOODS, revolutionised the speed and accessibility of transport, later brought development of railway and engineering.
C.P. Hill “extended the range of man’s economic activities”
AGRICULTURE
For centuries agriculture was the main source of economic activity, employment and income. By 1800 there has been a steady increase of people working on land. However in percentage terms it had fallen to less than half of the total labour force. This is because of the population growth. For the first time in Britain more people were employed by the industry than land.
Agriculture was in improving - by 1800’s on average a worker was producing enough to feed 2.5 people - before it was 1.7. (Explaining population,higher food prices -farmers keep up production as much as possible to earn more money)
Experiments in scientific stock breeding improved the quality of farm animals and produced bigger quantities of meat.
Mechanical improvements came slowly to farming unlike in the factories. Seed drill, a horse - drawn hoe, lighter weight plough. Nothing very significant.
ENCLOSURE
New system of dividing agricultural land into compact fields closed by fenced, hedges or walls. Replaced the old open fields where land was divided into strips. It resulted in higher crop yields and healthier livestock
Historian Williams and Ramsden argue that “ enclosure quickened the pace of agricultural improvement”
While the old open field system was seen as inefficient, enclosure allowed crop rotation development ensuring that all land was under cultivation every year. Root crops e.g. turnips introduced to provide winter feed for cattle and as a bonus they put manure back into the soil, it was rich enough for wheat and corn the following year and improved the condition of the soil.
DOWNSIDES OF ENCLOSURE
It emphasised inequality in the country side,more land was in the hands of fewer people, the hard working smallholding class virtually disappeared. Social structure of the landowner who rented out his land to several tenant farmers, who employed the landless agricultural labourers for pitiful wage. Not all smallholders who sold land thrived - some investeed in industrial enterprises with mixed success, many drifted to northern industrial centres and contributed to a rising shift of population. While there was much higher work on farms, the poor wages Les to demoralisation so many people were forced to fall back on poor relief.
