Beginning of the Industrial Revolution

How is the Industrial Revolution related to previous improvements in England (putting-out system, cottage industry, enclosure movement)?

• The Industrial Revolution stemmed from the increased production rates due to the changes brought about by proto-industrialization. More food was being produced, which led to population increase. Farming also became more efficient thanks to the enclosure movement and new technologies, which meant that less people needed to be doing agricultural work and could instead work in new factories. The increased population also meant that there were more workers available for new factories as well. 
• The Industrial Revolution was a natural continuation of prior movements. People were already moving towards being wage-earners instead of simply growing food for subsistence, and the Industrial Revolution moved this along even more.

• The population began to increase with cottage industries but dramatically increased when the Industrial Revolution began.
• This population growth hurt members of the lower classes, because, according to Thomas Malthus, increased populations cause the spread of famine and disease. David Ricardo took it further by saying that although wages were currently high, the pressures of population growth mean that wages will never truly rise above the subsistence level.

Why did the Industrial Revolution begin in Britain? Why weren't they able to contain it there?

• Britain had many qualities that made it the perfect place for the Industrial Revolution to begin, including:
• Workers were well-paid, so they could afford to buy manufactured goods and basic luxuries instead of just food and necessities. Because more people were buying these goods, they had to be produced on a wider-scale. The Industrial Revolution provided the answer
• Geographically, Britain is full of canals and rivers. At this time, it was easier to transport goods over water than it was over land. The ubiquity of water meant that raw materials could be transported to factories, and that manufactured goods could be transported and shipped. 

• This map shows the canals and navigable rivers that were key to not only transporting goods but to powering early factories. It also shows where goods were being transported from. 
• Britain encouraged intellectualism and a collaborative nature within these innovators. People were driven to create new ways to produce goods, and they felt that they had an obligation to share their new ideas. 
• Britain had some of the most advanced agricultural technologies in the world at this time. These advancements allowed more people to stop working in the fields and instead work in new factories. 
• The British state had a heavy hand in its policies. It created high tariffs to discourage Brits from importing goods and instead encouraged them to buy British manufactured goods. 
• The Industrial Revolution did not, however, stay in Great Britain because people were inspired by the innovations in Britain. People in other countries saw the quasi-monopoly that Britain held in various markets of manufactured goods. People wanted to seize the opportunities presented by the Industrial Revolution to earn more money by improving upon new technologies and constantly improving. 

What are three key technological changes/inventions of the time? Why are they key? What ties them together?

1. Spinning jenny, water frame, & mule



This chart compares the amounts of cotton consumed in Great Britain and the export of cotton from Great Britain before and during the Industrial Revolution.

• Spinning jennys were operated by women and children, making them efficient workers
• The spinning jenny produced finer thread than the water frame, but the jenny required manual labor and the water frame did not. However, the jenny produced finer thread than the water frame. Factories that used water frames had to then put the thread through a spinning jenny. The mule was invented to solve this problem. It combined the best elements of the jenny and the water frame to produce a more efficient machine. 
• These inventions improved Britain's position in the textile industry and made them more competitive in international markets. 
2. Steam-powered transportation (trains and steamboats)
• The first train, the Rocket, was invented in this period. Trains quickly became financial and technological successes and spread throughout Europe and the rest of the world
• Trains reduced the cost and uncertainty associated with freight shipping over land which allowed markets to expand
• Steamboats also transformed water travel, making it easier and safer as well.
3. Steam engine
• Steam engines replaced the use of wood to power machines. This allowed people to harness the power of a more abundant resource than wood, which was being rapidly consumed by iron production. 

• These inventions were key to the Industrial Revolution as it would not have been as widespread or successful without them. Cotton production would not have been revolutionized without the invention of the spinning jenny or the water frame which in turn would have delayed the creation of factories. Without steam-powered transportation, the newly manufactured goods could not be transported to new markets, and raw materials could not be brought to factories. Steam engines are yet another example of technological improvements that happened during the Industrial Revolution because of necessity.
• These three inventions were what made the Industrial Revolution so large and impactful. They increased the amount of goods that could be produced and made it easier and safer to transport said goods to new markets.