The Industrial Revolution

Around 1750, a major shift occurred beginning in Great Britain and spreading into the United States, Japan, and throughout Europe. It was known as the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions. As farming techniques improved, new machines were invented, and life in the factory began....society, the economy and government all changed. This video from Turning Points in History along with this video from Crash Course History will give you a brief overview of the Industrial Revolution.

Key Vocabulary for the Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain first for a variety of reasons that we will look at:

• Britain had plentiful resources. To learn more check out this interactive map.
• Britain had a ready workforce. Many peasants were no longer needed to farm, and needed a different job.
• They had a prosperous economy already.
• They had the availability of capital (money to invest) and demand (customers).
• They had a stable government.

Unlike most revolutions, the Industrial Revolution was not sudden or swift. It was a long drawn out process. Since its beginning, it managed to spread throughout Europe, the United States, and the rest of the world.

Dawn of the Industrial Age

The Agricultural Revolution in Great Britain created a HUGE TRANSITION throughout the country as farming methods improved. Peasants were no longer needed to farm and were left without employment. Property ownership became well defined with the enclosure system. The population exploded so new crops began to be introduced such as the turnip, potato, and corn to the English diet. To learn more, please view these Google Slides below.

The Great Potato Famine in Ireland

The Agricultural Revolution had devastating effects on the Irish farmers. As a colony of Britain, the Irish were predominately farmers. They grew mainly grains that were exported out to Britain. However, the Irish were NOT ALLOWED TO EAT THE CROPS THEY GREW. The Irish were forced to eat potatoes instead. A crop that is rich in calories and vitamins and minerals. Due to a fungus that occurred in the potato crop....the Irish were left with NOTHING to eat and were not allowed to eat the wheat or grain. This image depicts the tragedy of the Irish Potato famine. The English were well dressed and fed, while Irish women and children were starving.

Many Irish starved. Others migrated to the United States like this map indicates.

The government of Great Britain including Parliament did little to assist the Irish people. Reverend Thomas Mathus' principle was that it was God's intention to have the Irish suffer. He believed that the population here on Earth was kept in check by disease such as the Black Plague and famine such as the Potato Famine. In addition to that, the British practiced the economic doctrine of LAISSEZ-FAIRE ECONOMICS, this meant that there should be next to no government interference in the economy. Instead, Parliament passed the Irish Poor Laws. This stated that those who had no other choice could go to workhouses. Conditions were AWFUL there. The idea was that if life was comfortable, people would not have incentive to go out and work on own!

Britain leads the Way in Industrialization

The Industrial Revolution changed how things were made! Take a look at this short Prezi on this major shift from home to factory and from a farm to the city!

The Industrialization Revolution really begins in Great Britain and then spreads throughout the world. That occurs for a number of reasons, a wealth of natural resources, a great deal of people who can work, people with money to invest in factories, and a great transportation system. To learn more, view this Google Presentation.

Industrial Innovations

This graphic below gives you a simple overview of some of the inventions of the Industrial Revolution. The spinning machines and the power loom were responsible for the birth of factories. The machines were expensive and large, so women could no longer work from home.

The steam engine made railroad travel possible. Businesses no longer needed waterways to transport their goods.

Bessemer's process made steel possible. In turn, buildings could be larger and taller.

Social Impact of the Industrial Revolution

The changes to agriculture and industry brought sweeping changes to everyday life for people living in Great Britain. This Google Presentation will provide you with an overview of some of those changes.

The Industrial Revolution brought RAPID URBANIZATION or movement to the cities. Changes in farming, soaring population growth, and ever-increasing demand for workers led masses of people to migrate from farms to cities. Almost overnight, small towns around coal or iron mines mushroomed into cities. Other cities grew up around factories that entrepreneurs built in once quiet market towns. This chart below shows you the population boom in four towns in the Great Britain.

New Social Classes Emerge

Industrial Middle Class

There was the Industrial Middle Class that owned and operated factories, mines, and railroads. They were known as the bourgeoisie. They came from varied backgrounds. They lived in well furnished and spacious homes with a ready water supply. Few people had sympathy for the poor because they worked their way up, and expected others to do the same. Women focused on raising the children and taking care of the home.

The Industrial Working Class

They struggled to survive. They lived in TENEMENTS or multi-storied buildings with multiple apartments on a floor. Sewage was put into the river which led to contaminated drinking water. Factory workers faced harsh working conditions including:

• Rigid schedules set by the factory
• Long hours: 12-16 hour days.
• Breaks were given infrequently and only with permission.
• The air was filled with dirt and often got into the workers lungs.

Children often worked beginning around the age of 7. They changed thread, thimbles, and crawled under machines. They worked in the mines because the families needed the money. In the early 1800s, the Factory Acts were passed. They reduced the hours children could work, limiting it to a 12 hour day. They made the legal employment age 8. These laws were not strictly enforced.

New Ways of Thinking

As people transitioned off the farm and into the factories, ideas about how society should be changed with it. People had differing views on how the new wealth should be distributed and to who was entitled to the money. Below is a presentation on some of those changing beliefs and those that came up with them. Including Adam Smith and his economic theory on CAPITALISM, Karl Marx's idea of COMMUNISM to help the common worker, Charles Darwin's NATURAL SELECTION theory that some were born more fit to survive that others. These ideas changed society greatly and are still hotly debated even today.

New ideas sprung up to deal with Industrialization and the struggle between employer and the employee. This Prezi presentation below will allow you to compare and contrast Adam Smith's idea of CAPITALISM and Karl Marx and Fredrick Engels' Communism. You can also watch this Crash Course video about Capitalism and Communism.

This summary chart below compares capitalism or laissez-faire economics with socialism.

The Effects of the Industrial Revolution

This flowchart below shows the effects that the Industrial Revolution had not only on Britain but on the world. People began to practice URBANIZATION or moving to the cities. That led to overcrowded cities and low wages. To combat these conditions, economics came up with different theories including utilitarianism, socialism, communism, and laissez faire economics.

Key Vocabulary for Life in the Industrial Revolution

Meiji Japan

The Meiji Reformers were determined to strengthen Japan against the West. Members of the government traveled abroad learn about Western government, economics, technology, and customs. In addition, foreign experts were invited to Japan as well. To learn more about the transformation of Japan from feudalism to being modern, view the google presentation below.