The Industrial Revolution - Inventions and The Domestic System

Question 1

Who invented The Flying Shuttle and in what year?

Answer 1

John Kay, 1733

Question 2

Describe the Flying Shuttle

Answer 2

This invention attached the shuttle to a cord which automatically moved it across the loom.

Question 3

Who invented The Spinning Jenny and in what year?

Answer 3

James Hargreaves, 1764

Question 4

Describe The Spinning Jenny

Answer 4

This invention meant that up to eight threads could be spun at once and sped up the process of spinning.

Question 5

Who invented The Water Frame and in what year?

Answer 5

Richard Arkwright, 1769

Question 6

Describe The Water Frame

Answer 6

It involved three sets of paired rollers that turned at different speeds.

Question 7

Who invented The Spinning Mule and in what year?

Answer 7

Samuel Crompton, 1779

Question 8

What two inventions where combined to make The Spinning Mule?

Answer 8

It combined the moving carriage of the Spinning Jenny with the rollers of the Water Frame.

Question 9

Who invented The Power Loom and in what year?

Answer 9

Edmund Cartwright, 1785

Question 10

What type of thread was produced by the Spinning Mule?

Answer 10

The mule produced a strong, fine and soft yarn which could be used in all kinds of textiles.

Question 11

Name an advantage of the Spinning Mule from the perspective of the spinner?

Answer 11

It gave the spinner more control over the weaving process

Question 12

Which invention could be driven by new steam engines?

Answer 12

The Spinning Mule could also be driven by the new steam engines so were good additions to the new factories.

Question 13

Which invention needed a large factory with enough space for the steam engine to power it?

Answer 13

The Power Loom needed enough space for the steam engine to power it and was needed to be placed in big factories.

Question 14

What was the main advantage of the Power Loom?

Answer 14

It increased the production and quality of textiles.

Question 15

Which invention ended small home manufacturing (the Domestic System)?

Answer 15

The Water Frame led to the opening of Spinning factories and ended small home manufacturing (the Domestic System).

Question 16

What was the first powered, automatic and continuous textile machine?

Answer 16

The Water Frame

Question 17

What was the main advantage of The Water Frame?

Answer 17

It produced a thread that is far stronger and solved the problem of weak threads.

Question 18

What was the main disadvantage of The Water Frame?

Answer 18

It was too difficult to be operated by hand and needed to be powered by waterwheels.

Question 19

What was the main advantage of The Spinning Jenny?

Answer 19

One advantage of this invention is that the machine could be easily operated and could be controlled by an unskilled man or even children.

Question 20

What was the main disadvantage of The Spinning Jenny?

Answer 20

One problem with this invention was that the thread could be weak.

Question 21

What was the main advantage of The Flying Shuttle?

Answer 21

A weaver could produce much wider cloth at faster speeds than before.

Question 22

What was the main disadvantage of The Flying Shuttle?

Answer 22

It needed a skilled person to operate the machine.

Question 23

What was the Domestic System?

Answer 23

Until about 1750 people made cloth in their own homes. This was called the domestic system.

Question 24

What were the main stages of the Domestic System?

Answer 24

1. The raw wool product was taken to outworkers to make cloth.
2. The family would work together side by side. Usually, women would spin the cloth and men would weave it.
3. At the end of the week a merchant would collect the finished cloth, pay the workers and then sell the cloth for profit

Question 25

What were the 3 main stages of making cloth in the Domestic System?

Answer 25

1. carding
2. spinning
3. weaving

Question 26

What raw materials were used to make cloth in the Domestic System?

Answer 26

1. wool
2. cotton
3. silk
4. flax