1. The Industrial Revolution 1750-1850

2. 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

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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. Good

9. Better

10. Best

11. An early textile mill in operation

13. 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

15. 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

16. James Watt’s steam engine in operation

17. Locomotive

18. Steamship

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