KEY STAGE 3 National Curriculum History BRITAIN INTERACTIVE BRITAIN INTERACTIVE How and why did Britain change between 1750 and 1900?

7 7  Wool was sheared from sheep, washed and clean.  Men would weave the yarn into cloth using a hand loom. The West Riding of Yorkshire The South West East Anglia The Domestic System The Three Main Woollen Areas Leeds Norwich Taunton Key Stage 3 History Britain Interactive  Britain’s main industry was sheep farming.  A clothier [wool tradesman] buys the wool.  The wool was taken to the homes of local villagers.  Children carded the wool and women would then spin it into a yarn.yarn  The cloth would be bleached in sour milk. This was called fulling.  After the cloth was dried, it was dyed in different colours. THE DOMESTIC SYSTEM Everyone had to wear clothes so plenty of cloth was needed. The Domestic System had operated for hundreds of years using small, hand operated machines. However, the amount of cloth produced in the Domestic System was limited. By 1700, there were some challenges to the woollen industry as more cotton fibres arrived from America and the Far East.

13 Machinery was not always fenced off and workers would be exposed to the moving parts while they worked. Windows were small so there was little ventilation. Factories were very hot in the Summer. Scavengers had to pick up the loose cotton from under the machinery. This was extremely dangerous as the children were expected to carry out the task while the machine was still working. Children were sometimes hit with a strap to make them work faster. Two tired children. They worked very long hours. The overseer’s job was to make sure workers worked at full pace all the time. The constant noise from the machines damaged hearing. Factory Conditions Many of the early textile factories employed large numbers of children. This was not surprising as children had always worked in the Domestic System. Some of the factory children were apprentices. These children were often orphans, who were sent to the factories from the large towns. Factory owners built houses for them near the factory. Other children came form the local area.textileapprentices Key Stage 3 History Britain Interactive

A Bell Pit Mine An Adit Mine Coal seam PackhorsesPackhorses to carry coal away PackhorsesPackhorses to carry coal away The Adit Mine was used where the coal seam was near the surface of the ground. A Bell Pit was where a shallow shaft was sunk and then dug around until it resembled a bell in shape. Coal Mining There had been coalmines in Britain since Roman times but production was small and mainly for domestic use. Miners used two main methods of mining the coal: Bell Pits and Adit Mines. By 1800, the demand for coal increased. Mine owners had to find better ways of extracting more coal. Coal Mining There had been coalmines in Britain since Roman times but production was small and mainly for domestic use. Miners used two main methods of mining the coal: Bell Pits and Adit Mines. By 1800, the demand for coal increased. Mine owners had to find better ways of extracting more coal. Key Stage 3 History Britain Interactive 26

Parallel drainage ditches. Surface camber allowed water to drain off. Layer of gravel. Broken stones, 8 inch layer. Centreline John Macadam introduced a cambered watertight surface of broken small stones or gravel rammed hard to prevent disintegration by frost. Macadam’s roads needed less foundation than Telford’s roads and therefore were widely used by Turnpike Trusts. cambered John Macadam was born in Scotland and is probably the best known of the all the road engineers. His roads made quicker and more comfortable stage-coach journeys possible. stage-coach John Macadam was born in Scotland and is probably the best known of the all the road engineers. His roads made quicker and more comfortable stage-coach journeys possible. stage-coach Road Building John Macadam Road Building John Macadam Cross-section of a John Macadam road Key Stage 3 History Britain Interactive 42