Chapter 7 Section 1 – pg 256 The Industrial Revolution

A Revolution in Technology Industrial Revolution: 1700s, gradually machines took the place of many hand tools – Power provided by ppl was replaced first by flowing water and later by steam engines Pg 256

Began in England, in textile, and cloth-making industry – Previously thread was spin by hand – One person took 2 weeks to make 1lb of cotton thread Pg 256

Machines and Factories In the 1760s, the spinning jenny sped up the thread- making process – Allowed a person to spin many strands at once In 1764, Richard Arkwright invented the water frame, a spinning machine powered by running water – Manufacturers built textile mills on the banks of rivers Pg 256 Could spin as much thread as 120 ppl

Factory system brings workers and machinery together in one place – No longer could work at home, had specific work hours – Workers now had to keep up with machines instead of working at own pace Pg 257

These new systems required huge amounts of money to be invested – Mill owners turned to capitalists People who invest capital (money) in a business to earn a profit By 1784, English workers were producing 24 times as much thread as they had in 1765 Pg 257

Steam Power Building factories on river banks had disadvantages – During dry seasons, machines had no power – Factories were far from cities, and workers were hard to find in rural areas In 1790, Arkwright built the first steam-powered textile plant – Were reliable source of energy – Factories could be built in cities where women and children could provide cheap labor Britain tried to hid the secrets of industrial success – Forbade anyone from taking info out of the country Pg 257

The American Industrial Revolution In 1789, a young apprentice of Arkwright’s factories (Samuel Slater) decided to immigrate to the US – He knew info on the machines would be worth a fortune – When reached US joined up with a wealthy merchant, Moses Brown Brown rented a textile mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island Using his memory, Slater made a spinning machine based on Arkwright’s Slater’s factory began producing cotton thread at a rate never seen before in the US Pg 258

American Industry Grows Slater’s mill marked the beginning of American industrialization – Began in the NE – Grew a lot during the War of 1812, when the British blockade forced Americans to produce their own goods Pg 258

The Lowell Mills Francis Cabot Lowell visited England and saw the latest weaving machine – Returned to America and built an improved version – Opened a mill in Waltham, Massachusetts Brought together spinning and weaving in the same building Lowell died in 1817 – Partners expanded business – Built a town around the business for the workers Had boardinghouses, a library, and a hospital Named it Lowell Pg

Lowell Girls The new factories were staffed by young women from nearby farms – Lived in the boardinghouse under strict supervision – After work many attended lectures or visited libraries Got a better education than if they had stayed on the farms Pg 259

The Revolution Takes Hold Americans did not have a long tradition for factories so they experimented with new methods – Mass Production: the rapid manufacture of large numbers of identical objects Pg 260

Before 1800s, skilled craft-workers made everything by hand – If parts broke, they had to be remade by hand In the 1790s, American Inventor Eli Whitney devised a system of interchangeable parts – Identical parts that could be assembled quickly by unskilled workers – Caused manufacturing to be more efficient – Prices dropped (b/c it was cheaper to make them) – As people bought more, the industry expanded Pg 260

Factory Life Unlike Lowells, more factories did not treat their workers well – Samuel Slater employed children – Working conditions for children and adult became harsher Pg 260

Child Labor In the 1800s, children usually worked on family farms American textile mills employed children as young as 7 or 8 – They had no opportunities for education – Often worked un unsafe conditions By 1880, more than a million children between the ages 10 and 15 worked for pay Pg 261

Factory Conditions Working conditions were terrible – Factories were poorly lighted – Little fresh air – Machines were not designed to protect workers Many workers were injured Workers who lost limbs received no help – Business owners did not have to provide pay for injured workers – Workdays were 12 – 14 hours By 1844, workers demanded shorter days – “8 hours for work, 8 hours for sleep, and 8 hours for God and the brethren” Pg 261