The Industrial Revolution 1750-1850

Origins Began in England late 1700’s Spread to Europe and the U.S. after 1815 Major Transitions: -Handmade products to machine-made products -Human and animal power to steam power

Why Britain? Stable government Free markets Modern business class Relatively wealthy and mobile labor force Availability of credit Well-developed domestic market (canals)

The Agricultural Revolution Began in Holland and England after 1600 Medieval open-field system was replaced by continuous crop rotation Food production increased dramatically Growing urban populations could now be fed Rural farmers were now free to move to cities

Trade Successful wars against France, Spain, and Holland gave Britain control of the world’s oceans Britain’s Atlantic trade stimulated its economy (mercantilism) Demand for British products in its colonial regions led to the growth of British manufacturing

The First Factories To meet growing demand, Britain needed to find a way to produce goods more efficiently Traditional cottage system of textile production could not keep up Invention of the spinning jenny and water frame solved this problem

Good

Better

Best

An early textile mill in operation

Cotton clothing became much cheaper (underwear!) Large numbers of agricultural laborers became hand-loom weavers since wages went up Investors looked for a way to mechanize the weaving process to save money

Energy and Transportation Steam engine was invented by James Watt (1769) Steam soon replaced water as the power source for cotton mills Installation of steam engines in locomotives and ships led to a transportation revolution

James Watt’s steam engine in operation

Locomotive

Steamship

The Spread of Industrialism The Industrial Revolution expanded to countries like Belgium, Germany, France, and the U.S. after 1815