Cottage Industry One of the great changes that occurred during the I.R. involved a transition from a domestic cottage industry to a factory system Prior to the I.R., many of the products people bought and sold were made in people’s homes or cottages Grandma would hand spin and weave products on a hand or foot pumped loom to supplement their farming income

Advantages And this arrangement provided certain advantages Mom or grannie was able to work at home and look after her family They had the support of relatives and friends The income gained helped to support the family

Disadvantages But the disadvantages likely outweighed the advantages They were poorly paid They worked long hard hours They worked alone so did not have the support of other workers They were hurt by the law of supply and demand Because their were so many people working in the cottage industry they were a “dime a dozen” and did not get paid well

We need more! In addition, the cottage Industry could not meet new world demands Mass production was needed Machines rather than people would be used These machines used great sources of power such as water, steam, and electricity Furthermore, these new machines, could not be powered by hand and were too large to fit in a person’s cottage.

The Factory System Hence a different model of production known as the Factory System was introduced Large buildings or factories were constructed to house the machines. People were brought to the factories to work a set number of days per week and hours per day. They were paid daily or weekly wages

Cottage Industry still alive But this does not mean that the cottage industry has completely disappeared There is still a demand for hand crafted products In Canada, for instance, the cottage industry is alive and well Many families are able to supplement their income in a variety of commercial endeavors ranging from pottery, to weaving, to wine and beer making, and creation of food products such as honey Many people raise alpacas in Victoria and harvest the wool