Industrial Revolution

Question 1

Why did the Industrial Revolution start?

Answer 1

Success in international trade created Britain’s high wage, cheap energy economy, and it was the spring board for the Industrial Revolution. High wages and cheap energy created a demand for technology that substituted capital and energy for labour. These incentives operated in many industries. In many ways, the Industrial Revolution is seen to have begun with the invention of the steam engine by James Watt in 1765.

Question 2

Name 3 health and hygiene conditions in the 19th century:

Answer 2

• Disease was very common, such as cholera and typhoid from the unclean water
• Raw sewage was dumped in the Thames, so it stank, causing parliament to close down
• There was mass pollution and smog, which led to bad air quality, soot stained buildings and a low life expectancy

Question 3

Name 3 social problems in the 19th century living conditions:

Answer 3

• Alchoholism- common method of dealing with Victorian life which led to antisocial behaviour
• Poverty- many people could not afford basic necessities
• Crime- the crime rate was high in the 19th century, pick pocketing, theft, garrotting and even murder!

Question 4

Name 3 housing problems in the 19th century living conditions:

Answer 4

• Overcrowding- more people than houses, many people even rented on a rota
• Houses did not have bathrooms, entire blocks would share a single privvy
• Houses were poorly constructed and maintained, the walls were usually just a single layer of brick, no heating or insulation.

Question 5

When was the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 5

1750-1900