Industrial Revolution

Question 1

What was the industrial revolution?

Answer 1

Between 1700s and 1800s, huge changes occurred in transport, farming and industry.

Question 2

What changed dramatically during the industrial revolution? What factors lead to it being so successful?

Answer 2

1. Lots of raw materials eg coal and iron and clay
2. Population increase - more people, greater economy eg 1800 to 1850 England and Wales doubled from 9 to 18 million. People moved from rural to urban ie 1750 15% lived in towns, 1900 85% lived in towns
3. Railway growth eg 2000 miles of rail connected london to other major cities which enabled much faster mode of transport for coal, iron, etc
4. Overseas trade - slave trade, cotton, easier to transport
5. Better transport - Steam engine for machines etc developed originally by Watts and Boulton in 1765/1776 and trains by Trevethick and Stephenson
6. Better professionals and entrepreneurs

Question 3

Why did the industrial revolution changes not impact Britain all at once?

Answer 3

1. People resistant to new machines / ways of working
2. Some industries developed at different rates
3. Cost was also a set back

Question 4

What invention changed the way of life in Britain during the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 4

The steam engine initially developed by James Watt in 1765 and later by Matthew Boulton 1776. The Boulton-Watt steam engine was developed for pumping water from mines, powering mills, factories, breweries etc

In 1800s, Trevethick and Stephenson applied the steam engine for steam trains. By 1854, english towns were connected by rail.

Question 5

What caused the population boom in Britain during Industrial Revolution / Victorian times?

Answer 5

1. Healthier and plentiful food
2. Young love
3. Cotton replaced wool and easier to clean / less germs
4. Better professionals eg mid wife, doctor, nurse
5. Vaccination eg Edward Jenner treated small pox vaccination im 1796, with no more small pox by 1870
6. Soap to clean germs
7. Taxed alcohol to reduce alcoholics
8. Cleaner cities ie water, sewerage, green space
9. More workers for factories
10. Clever children / entrepreneurs

Question 6

What were the conditions like during Victorian times?

Answer 6

1. Water supply - few toilets, sewerage cess pits, thames had human waste, dung, toxic waste and dead animals. Houses built too quickly - one toilet every 40 houses. The smell to empty cess pits was unbearable so had to be done at night. Dr john snow determined link between water pump in broad street, london and cholera
   2.sanitation - sooty fogs, human sewage and horse dung. Great stink in 1850s exacerbated by heat wave. Frequent floods.
2. Diseases - cholera, typhoid, smallpox, scarlet fever and measles. Originally they though the smell spread the disease as poor areas were smellier and death rate was higher. Later contaminated water and unhygenic conditions eg body lice was realised.
3. Living conditions - child labour for chimneys / coal mines. Low wage / large families lead to starvation / death and destitution. Poor peoplelived in cramped conditions.