Changes during the industrial revolution in Britain.

The world is dependent on industries like manufacturing and mining to provide goods for almost
every aspect of modern society, for instance work, home, school ,transport and entertainment.
These industries are dependent on capital (money), and on the labour of millions of men and
women. It was in Britain in the 1700s and 1800s that knew industries were established on a much
bigger scale than ever before. Thousands of people started to work in mines and factories. This was
called the industrial revolution and he changed the world forever.

The provision of commodities for nearly every element of society, such as work, housing, school,
transportation, and leisure, depends heavily on businesses like manufacturing and mining. In turn,
these sectors rely heavily on capital (money) and the labour of millions of men and women.
Industries were formed on a far larger scale than ever before in Britain in the 1700s and 1800s.
Numerous individuals began working in factories and mines. The world was irreversibly altered by
this, which is known as the industrial revolution.

Wealth from the slave trade

 The trans-Atlantic slave trade led to economic gains for America and Britain. European slave
traders captured slaves and took them to the Americans to work on cotton, sugar, tobacco
plantations and also traded slaves for guns and other goods from Europe.

 The British slave trade lasted for about 245 years.

 British slave traders made about 10,000 voyages to Africa where they captured and traded
slaves.
 Historians believe that British ships carried about 3.4 million African people to America and sold
them as slaves at great profit.
 The colonies sent raw materials like cotton, back to Britain where they were used in the
manufacture of goods.
 Money was flowing into Britain from trade in these goods with the colonies, as well as from the
slave trade. Between 1750 and Between 1750 and 1780 about 70% of the British government
income came from taxes on goods from its colonies.

Some historians argue that without the slave trade the industrial revolution may not have happened.
Why? Britain was the world’s largest slave trader for many years. And if the slave trade had not
made some people in Britain so rich they would not have had the money to invest in new machines
and new businesses.

Britain was the world’s largest slave trader for many years. The slave trade made some people in
Britain so rich they had the money to invest in new machines and new businesses. Without the slave
trade the industrial revolution may not have happened.
Economy before the industrial revolution
Farming economy and cottage industries

In Britain new ways of farming called the agricultural revolution led to the industrial revolution. In
the early 1700s agriculture was the most important economic activity in Britain. Farmers produced
enough food to feed everyone. But people had to import items such as tea, sugar and rice. These
items were seen as luxuries at the time.

The agricultural revolution in the early 1700s was the most important economic activity in Britain
which led to the industrial revolution. Farmers produced enough food to feed everyone. But people
had to import luxury items such as tea, sugar and rice.

Sheep farming was also very important especially for wool production.

Agriculture also resulted in work for craftspeople such as waggon builders and toolmakers as well as
small manufacturers who use agricultural products to make bread, beer, clothing, leather goods and
so on. These manufacturers worked from home or in small workshops. These kinds of activities
were called cottage industries.

Cottage industries were manufacturers who worked from home in small workshops Craft people such
as waggon builders, toolmakers and small manufacturers who used agricultural products to make
bread, beer, clothing, leather goods and so on.

In the early 1700s people lived off the land and they made basic goods in their homes and
workshops. They mostly stayed in the same village all their lives. But things were changing. The
population in Britain was growing. Because of better diet and medical care people lived longer.
Farmers could not produce enough food to meet the increased need. Base had to develop new ways
of farming. They started using fertilisers an Inuit invention called the seed drill. Farmers could now
produce more food but because horses oxen and machines were doing most of the work they didn’t
have to employ so many people.

In the early 1700s people stayed in the same village all their lives, lived off the land and made basic
goods in their homes and workshops. Due to improved diet and medical care, people lived longer
resulting in population growth and Farmers could not produce enough food to meet the increased
need. New ways of farming were developed. They started using fertilisers and new invention called
the seed drill. Farmers produced more food using horses, oxen and machines to do most of the work
and they didn’t have to employ so many people.

In the early 1800s many farm workers moved to the colonies (like America and the Cape) to seek a
better life. Others looked for work in towns. This meant more trade between farmers and the towns
and colonies
.
In the early 1800s farm workers would move to colonies (such as the Cape) as well as towns to seek a
better life. This meant more trade between farmers, towns and colonies.

What the industrial revolution was

People operating machines in factories manufacture most of the products we use everyday. This is
mass production – hundreds or thousands of the same products being made in a short space of time.
But long ago there no machines. People spent hours making objects by hand. The industrial
revolution is the name given to the way in which new manufacturing machines changed peoples’
ways of life.
People who operated factory machines manufactured the products that we used daily. Large
amounts of the same product were made (mass production). Before this, people made objects by
hand. New manufacturing machines changed peoples’ ways of life.

The 1700s saw a number of new inventions that radically changed the world of work. One of the
most important inventions of the industrial revolution was the steam engine. Steam engines work
much better than any form of power ever used before. Steam power made mass production in
factories possible. Steam also powered new forms of transport such as trains and steamboats.

The steam engine was the most important invention of the industrial revolution. They worked better
than other forms of power. Steam power mad mass production possible and also powered forms of
transport such as trains.

A revolution is usually understood as a way of dramatically changing Society. The industrial

revolution did radically change society but it was a gradual process that lasted for more than a
century. Industrial revolution began in Britain in the 1700s from there it spread to Europe and
America.

The industrial revolution gradually changed society for more than a decade. It began in Britain in the
1700s and then it spread to Europe and America.

Social changes during the industrial revolution

The industrial revolution not only changed the way people worked. It also changed the way people
lived. Society became more diverse as people started doing many different jobs. A middle class
developed: business people, merchants, doctors, lawyers, teachers, shopkeepers and traders.
Overtime workers became organised. They demanded better wages and improved working
conditions. Most people, even the working classes started earning more money. Children went to
school. In general standard of living improved.

The industrial revolution changed the way people walked and love the full stop a middle class
developed and society became more diverse as people started doing different jobs such as
merchants and doctors. Workers became organised and demanded better wages and improved
working conditions overtime. More people started earning more money, children went to school and
standard of living improved.

Urbanisation and changing living conditions

Factory bosses needed thousands of workers to operate machines in their mills and factories. As the
number of factories grew, people began to stream into the towns looking for work. New cities like
Manchester and Birmingham developed because of the industrial revolution.

Factory bosses needed many workers to operate machines in wills and factories. As more factories
developed, people began to look for work in towns. The industrial revolution saw the development
of new cities such as Manchester.

Workers built their houses near the factories so that they could walk to work. Most houses had
between two and four rooms, with many people living in each room. Each street would have to
share an outdoor pump for water and a few outside toilets. Most houses had no windows at the
front and no backyards. The houses were built very close together, with a sewer running down the
middle of the street.
Houses were built near factories so workers could walk to work. Houses had between two to four
rooms. Streets shared an outdoor pump for water and a few outside toilets, with a sewer running
through the street. Most houses had no windows in the front, no backyards and were built very close
together.

The new towns were mostly dirty and unhealthy. People threw out rubbish out of their houses into
the streets. Diseases such as smallpox and dysentery broke out. In 1832 more than 31,000 people in
Britain died of cholera. Chimney and factory smoke blocked out most of the light in these towns.

New towns were mostly dirty and unhealthy as people threw rubbish out into the streets. Diseases
such as smallpox and more than 31 000 in Britain died of cholera in 1832. Light was blocked out by
factory and chimney smoke in towns.

Mines and factories, and child labour in mills and mines

For some people the Industrial Revolution was a time of opportunity, of learning new skills, following
a career like banking, law, medicine and making money. For many others, however, the industrial
revolution was a time of hardship and poverty. Workers in mines and factories work very long hours
for very little. Mines and factories were dirty, unhealthy places and the work was often dangerous.
Still, people were eager for jobs, and continued to leave their farms and villages to find work in the
new industrialise towns and cities.

For some the industrial revolution was a time of opportunity, learning new skills, following a career
and making money. For others, it was a time of hardship and poverty. Factory and mine employees
worked very long for very little money. Mines and factories were dirty, unhealthy and dangerous. But
people were eager for jobs and still left their homes for work in towns and cities.

Mines
The invention of the steam engine changed the coal mining industry. Coal mining is one of Britain’s
oldest industries, but a difficult and dangerous one. Water in the ground used to flood the mine
shafts. Now steam engines pumped the water out, which meant that is was able for miners to go
deeper into the mines dig more coal.

Factories
The use of steam power and the invention of new machines also changed Britain’s iron industry as
they provided large scale, cheap and efficient ways to smells iron and steel. Production rose rapidly.
steam power and iron brought about big changes in Britain. People built canals, roads, bridges and
railways. Now goods could be moved much more quickly and cheaply, making it easier to trade
inland, and with Europe and the colonies.
Another very important industry of the Industrial Revolution was the manufacture of cotton cloth.
It’s replaced world as the most popular textile as it was cheaper to make into clothes, and easier to
wash and dry.

Cotton was grown in the British colonies of America and the Caribbean, and the raw cotton was sent
to Britain to be worked into cloth in the cotton mills. The late 1700s saw a number of inventions that
meant that much more, and better quality, cotton cloth could be produced much more quickly.

The new machines used to produce cotton cloth to a too big to get into people’s houses and needed
many people to operate them. Cotton became the first major factory in Britain.

The growth of factories during the Industrial Revolution had an enormous social impact, as we saw
when we looked at the growth of town and what that means for the way people lived.
Child labour
It was common for children to work in the factories, cotton mills and the coal mines during the
Industrial Revolution. The coal mines were dangerous places and there were very few safety tools.
Younger children got jobs because they were small enough to crawl under machinery to fix things
and could fit into tiny spaces. These pieces were cold, damp and scary. Mine owners used all their
children to carry loads of coal on their backs in big baskets.

At the time of the Industrial Revolution, it was very easy for factory owners and mine bosses to
employ children. Here are some reasons:
 There were many children in orphanages and no one really cared about what happened to
them.
 Children were much cheaper to employ then adults as their wages were lower.
 They were small enough to crawl under machinery to fix things.
 They were bullied into doing what their bosses wanted.

Still, many people at that time people fought against child labour and worked hard to convince
factory owners and government that it was wrong for children to get sick and to miss out on school
because they were working. In quite a short space of time the British government passed a number
of laws to improve children’s lives. Primary school education became compulsory in 1870.
Today, most countries in the world do not allow child labour.

Labour, resistance, the trade union movement an working class organisations.

In the first few decades of the Industrial Revolution there were very few laws to protect workers.
People were forced to work long hours in terrible conditions. Many of the machines they worked
with were dangerous but there was no compensation for injury or illness.

Industrialisation was bringing great wealth and development to Britain, but the workers were still
poor and struggling. There was a big gap between the workers and the middle classes, which
included factory owners, managers and traders. The middle classes benefited greatly from the
changes. There were many reasons for workers to get together to improve their lives.

Swing riots- agriculture

Since the start of the Agricultural Revolution, British farm workers have been getting more and more
frustrated. For thousands of years, grain had been separated by hand. This was a very slow process.
In 1784 the invention of the threshing machine to separate grain from stalks and husks meant that
many farm workers lost their jobs. Farm workers saw the threshing machine as the cause of
starvation and death of their families.

British farm workers were getting more and more frustrated from the start of the agricultural
revolution. Grain was initially separated by hand and it was very slow. The threshing machine, which
separated grain from stalks and husks, was invented in 1784 and made many farm workers lose their
jobs. They saw the crushing machine as the cause of starvation and death.

In 1830 farm workers protested against high taxes and low wages. They directed much of
the anger at the threshing machine. The rioting workers smashed more than 100 threshing
machines, and threatened farmers who owned them.

In 1830 workers protested against high taxes and low wages. The protestants smashed more
than 100 threshing machines and threatened the owners of the machines.
These riots were called the swing riots because of threatening letters sent to farmers an
government in the name of ‘Captain Swing’- a name that was made-up so that no one could
identify the real writer. The British government was very tough on the rioters. Nine of the
rioters were hanged and 450 were sent to Australia, which was a convict colony at that time.

Captain swing, a made-up name so that nobody could identify the real writer, wrote
threatening letters to farmers and the government. That the British government was very
tough on the rioters. Nine were hanged and 450 were sent to Australia, a convict colony at
the time.

Luddites- industry
The luddites were British textile workers. They were skilled craftspeople whose jobs and
livelihoods were threatened by the introduction of new mechanised looms that could be
operated by cheap, relatively unskilled labour. They smashed the looms, and burnt cotton
mills and factories. The Luddite movement started in Nottingham in 1811, and spread
throughout England in 1811 and 1812. For a while the Luddites was so strong that the
British Army had to be brought in to stop them.

The luddites were British textile workers. The new mechanised looms operated by cheap,
relatively unskilled labour threatened their livelihoods and jobs. They smashed looms and
burnt cotton mills and factories. The luddite movement started in 1811 and spread
throughout England in 1811 and 1812. The luddites were so strong that the British Army had
to stop them.

The Luddites were named after a young weaver called Ned Ludd, who 30 years earlier
smashed a loom in a rage at his master who had beaten him.

They were named after Ned Ludd, a young weaver.

Grand National Consolidated Trades union- 1833

Workers had no political rights and no politicians to argue their case in parliament, as most
of them did not have the vote. This frustrating situation led workers to form trade unions
and organised protest action. The 1800s of frequent workers strikes and protests against .

Workers did not have a vote, therefore there are no political rights nor politicians to argue
their case against parliament. This led to workers forming trade unions an organised protest
action. There were frequent worker strikes and protests against poor working conditions and
wages in the 1800s

The most famous of the general unions was the Grand National Consolidated Trade Union
(GNCTU), formed by Robert Owen. Owen saw trade unionism not just as a way to protect
workers and improve their living standards, but also as a tool to change society. The union
represented workers and fought for their rights. But the GNCTU faced many problems. It had
half a million members, which made it difficult to organise strikes. Many employers did not
allow their workers to join the GNCTU. Also, the British governments did not approve of the
GNCTU, and punished people whom it saw as being more loyal to their unions than to
government.
The Grand National Consolidated Trade Union (GNCTU) was formed by Robert Owen who
saw trade unionism as a way to protect workers, improve their living standards and as a tool
to change society. It represented workers and fought for their rights. However, it had half a
million members which made it difficult to organise strikes. Many workers were not allowed
to join the GNCTU and British governments did not approve of the GNCTU.

The GNCTU existed for less than two years (between 1833 and 1834). Only when workers
started organising themselves according to their different trades that they start having a real
impact. Slowly the British government started to listen to workers. By 1850 it had passed a
number of laws about working hours and conditions.

The GNCTU lasted for two years between 1833 and 1834. They started to have a real impact
when workers started organising themselves according to their different trades. Many laws
about working hours and conditions were passed by 1850.

Increased power and wealth of Britain and Western European economies

In about 200 years Britain and most of Western Europe changed from an agricultural
economy to an industrial, capitalist system. This new system created a class of capitalists and
a large class of workers.

Britain and most of Western Europe had changed from an agricultural economy to an
industrial, capitalist system, which created a capitalist class and a large working class.

The capitalist class, also known as the middle class, benefited most from the Industrial
Revolution because they made a lot of money from the products of the factories and mines.

The capitalist class, or middle class, most benefited from the industrial revolution as they
made a lot of money from products or factories and mines.

Britain and Western Europe would remain the most powerful economies in the world until
World War II when the United States emerged as the world superpower.