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Beginnings of the Industrial Revolution A revolution in agriculture in the 1700s created conditions that favored the Industrial Revolution.Farmers began growing new crops and using new technology such as the seed drill and the iron plow. Increased food production improved people's diet and health, which in turn contributed to rapid population growth. Better farming methods meant that fewer people were needed to farm. As a result, unemployed farmers formed a large new labor force.
The factory system.
The Industrial Revolution began in the textile industry, where a series of inventions created new demands for laborers. Between 1733 and 1793, inventors produced new machines, such as the flying shuttle, the spinning jenny, and a water-powered loom, that speeded up the spinning and weaving of wool and cotton. Many new machines were powered by running water, so inventors built spinning mills near rivers and hired many workers to run the machines. The new machines led to the growth of the factory system, which brought workers and machines together in one place to manufacture goods. By the late 1700s, steam began to replace water as a source of power. Inventors such as Thomas Newcomen and James Watt improved the steam-powered engine. Steam engines gave a boost to two other industries that were essential to the Industrial Revolution&emdash;coal and iron. New processes were developed to produce stronger iron. In the mid-1800s, Henry Bessemer developed a process to improve the production of steel, a mixture of iron and other materials. Steel triggered the growth of still other industries.
Improvements in transportation and communication.
During the Industrial Revolution, advances were made in transportation and communication. In Britain, roads made of longer-lasting surfaces and canals connected all parts of the nation. A mining engineer, George Stephenson, developed the first steam-powered locomotive, opening the way for the building of railroads. Railroads and steam-powered ships improved transportation around the world. In 1837, an American inventor, Samuel F.B. Morse, devised the telegraph, which revolutionized communications.
Why Britain took the lead.
Great Britain enjoyed many advantages that helped it take the lead in the Industrial Revolution. It had plentiful iron and coal resources and a good transportation system. It was a leading commercial power so merchants had the capital to invest in new enterprises. It had colonies that supplied raw materials and bought finished goods. The British government encouraged improvements in transportation and used its navy~ to protect British trade. Finally, the British accepted the idea that people could move ahead in society by hard work and talent.
The Industrial Revolution Spreads.
After the 1850s, the Industrial Revolution entered a new phase as Belgium, France, Germany, the United States, and later Japan industrialized rapidly. The French government supported projects to improve transportation. After Germany became unified in the 1870s, its industries forged ahead.
The United States used its vast natural resources as well as capital from European investors to build railroads and set up iron and steel industries. By the 1890s, the United States had overtaken Great Britain as the world's leading industrial nation. The nations of southern and eastern Europe, however, remained largely agricultural.
A Brief Survey of World History. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. (pp. c43-45).
Horizontal British Steam Engine George Stephenson's "Rocket" 1829
HISTORY-SOCIAL SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARDS
10.3 Students analyze the effects of the Industrial Revolution in England, France, Germany, Japan, and the United States.
For additional information see the California Department of Education web site at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/histsocscistnd.pdf
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