Download Name: ___________ Pd: _____ Group #: ______ Background: The

Name: _______________________________ Pd: _____ Group #: _______
Background: The Industrial Revolution was a period of slow, but revolutionary change.
Beginning in England, rural societies based on farming were transformed by industry into
booming urban centers. Prior to the Industrial Revolution manufacturing was often done in
people’s homes, using hand tools or basic machines. Industrialization marked a shift to
powered, special-purpose machinery, factories and mass production. The iron and textile
industries, along with the development of the steam engine, played central roles in the Industrial
Revolution, which also saw improved systems of transportation, communication and banking.
While industrialization brought about an increased volume and variety of manufactured goods
and an improved standard of living for some, it also resulted in often grim employment and living
conditions for the poor and working classes.1
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INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
JIGSAW
Step 1: You will be placed into a “core group” for the first part of
the activity. Each member will number off 1-5.
Step 2: The “core group” will separate. Each person will report to
their numbered “satellite group.” There will be six different groups. In each group a different part
of the Industrial Revolution will be studied. After each group has completed its task, you will
move back to your “core group.”
Step 3: After completing research in the “satellite groups,” you and your “core group” will
reassemble. You will teach your group members what you learned during your research. (*Be
sure to be thorough while researching. You will be the expert on your specific part and must
teach your other group members about it!)
1
"Industrial Revolution." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2015.
 Agricultural Changes
Farming and agriculture were an important way of life in England and America in the 1700s.
Most families were large and lived in family-owned farms. Their lives were in tune with the
rising and the setting of the sun. This is how people got food and stayed alive and lived their
lives. Agriculture was also an indispensable source of raw materials for the textile (clothing)
industry. Every year that went by, more and more food was produced. Similarly, wool and
cotton production for the manufacture of cloth increased as each year as well.
What made this possible? We can thank two things for the increased output of agriculture and
textiles: (1) The enclosure movement and (2) improved farming techniques. British farmers
learned that if they planted hedges or trees at the edges of their farms, the fields would not be
washed away by rains or affected by erosion. Two new farming techniques that were pioneered
during this time period also helped. These included a variety of different crop rotations and
even letting a whole field unplanted during a growing season. These innovations were
incredibly important to farmers as they kept crucial nutrients in the soil and kept the soil fertile.
Though it seems obvious today, these were instrumental in changing society. The improved
yields increased the amount of food available to sustain people and their livestock through the
winter. This increased the human population and increased the size of herds for meat on the
table and allowed farmers to begin with larger herds in the spring than they had previously.
Several other advances in agriculture were made as well. These included the use of sturdier
farm implements made from metal. (Up until this period most farming tools were made entirely
out of wood.) Farmers also began new methods of breeding livestock, pioneering new
techniques to control insects, improving irrigation, and developing new crops and the use of
horsepower in the fields to replace oxen as a source of power.
These changes which have occurred in agriculture made it possible to feed all of the people that
were attracted to the industrial centers as factory workers. By providing enough food to sustain
an adequate work force, England and America were preparing the way for expansion of the
economy and industry.2
2
Montagna, Joseph A. "81.02.06: The Industrial Revolution." 81.02.06: The Industrial Revolution.
Yale University, n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2015.
 Textiles (Clothing)
Prior to 1760 the manufacture of textiles occurred in peoples’ homes, by family members who
dedicated part of their time to it. This was called the Domestic System. It was a slow process
from raw material to finished product. In the case of woolen cloth, the wool had to be sorted,
cleaned and dyed. Then the wool was separated and combed. Next, it was spun into thread
which was woven into cloth. Many of these stages of production were performed by women and
children. The supply of raw material for the woolen industry was obtained right on the farm.
The organization of the textile industry was complicated and incredibly inefficient. Not many
people agreed on how to do this. Generally, a merchant employed people called “putters-out” to
distribute the raw materials to spinners and weavers who were scattered throughout the
countryside.
Changes in the textile industry were already occurring in the early 1700s. John Kay’s flyingshuttle, which enabled one weaver to do the work of two and Lewis Paul’s roller spinner, which
was to make spinning more efficient were revolutionizing the textile industry. However, these
changes were not easily accepted by the workers. Many people distrusted these machines and
worried that these new contraptions would take their jobs. These nervous citizens found ways
to voice their concerns. Riots broke out in several British towns and villages.
In the mid-1760s the textile industry began to experience rapid change. James Hargreaves’
jenny, a device which allowed the operator to simultaneously spin dozens of threads, was
readily adopted. By 1788 nearly 20,000 jennys were being employed in England. Next up was
something called the water frame. This device performed similarly to Paul’s roller spinner, but it
harnessed the power of water and did not require a person to do any actual work.
The changes that took place in the textile industry centered around the inventions and their
inventors. These inventions that were perfected and employed led to tremendous change in the
world of work. Gone were the days of the Domestic System (see above). England was on to
something new called the Factory System where workers left their farms and reported to a
building called a factory. These factories sprang up throughout the countryside and were large,
dusty, poorly illuminated and ventilated and dangerous. The employment of women and children
was common for they were paid lower wages than their male counterparts. Working conditions
in these factories were not subject to much regulation.3
3
Montagna, Joseph A. "81.02.06: The Industrial Revolution." 81.02.06: The Industrial Revolution.
Yale University, n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2015.
 Coal & Iron
Coal
One finds the working conditions and practices of coal mining in the l8th and l9th centuries to be
risky at best, and suicidal at worst. This industry, even today, is the most dangerous of all the
jobs out there with hazards at every turn. During the l8th and 19th centuries one even finds
specific jobs in mining which required the employee to have a “death wish” of sorts. For
example, a fireman employed in a mining company had the duty of ridding a mine tunnel of
dangerous, flammable gases. His job was crawling through the tunnel holding a long stick.
Attached to the end of the stick was a lighted candle which exploded any gases that might be
accumulated ahead of him. All of the jobs that existed in coal mining were not as dangerous as
the fireman’s; however, every one of them could be termed hazardous.
Different methods of mining coal were used all over England. All coal mining had one thing in
common; the movement of coal was accomplished solely by muscle power. This was done
either by animal, man, woman and/or child. Children were particularly suited to the job as they
could crawl into and out of small spaces. This also saved the mining company money as the
holes in the earth did not need to be extremely large. The process of removing the coal was
obviously as slow as it was dirty. Coal was moved along horizontal tunnels by the basketful and
hauled up a vertical shaft to the surface. Later, the underground movement of coal was speeded
up by the utilization of ponies and carts on rail. The production of coal increased steadily, from 2
1/2 million to more than 15 million tons by 1829.
Improvements in coal mining came in the form of improved tunnel ventilation, improved
underground and surface transportation, the use of gunpowder to blast away at the coal seams,
and improved tunnel illumination through the use of safety lamps. However, countless workers
have died from something called black lung disease.4
Iron
Iron is one of the most common elements on earth. Pure iron is a soft, grayish-white metal.
Although iron is a common element, pure iron is almost never found in nature. The only pure
iron known to exist naturally comes from fallen meteorites. Most iron is found in minerals formed
by the combination of iron with other elements. Those minerals near the surface of the earth
that have the highest iron content are known as iron ores. Iron ore is converted into various
types of iron through several processes. The most common process is the use of a blast
furnace to produce pig iron which is about 92-94% iron and 3-5% carbon with smaller amounts
of other elements.5
Improvements in the iron industry came in the early l8th century. Abraham Darby successfully
produced pig iron smelted with coke. (Coke is a substance made by heating coal until it
becomes almost pure carbon.) This was a significant breakthrough, for prior to this discovery
pig iron was smelted with the use of charcoal. Charcoal, derived from the charring of wood in a
kiln, was an excellent source of energy to smelt the iron; however, its widespread use caused a
serious depletion of England’s forests. Iron produced through this method was impure and
brittle, making it unsuitable for durable and reliable tools. Later, improvements would occur
which produced high quality material and improved techniques in making suitable tools.
4
Montagna, Joseph A. "81.02.06: The Industrial Revolution." 81.02.06: The Industrial Revolution.
Yale University, n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2015.
5
"Iron." How Iron Is Made. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2015.
 Transportation
There might not be a more important component to the Industrial Revolution than the significant
changes to transportation. Factory made goods, raw materials, food and people needed a
reliable, quicker and less costly way to move about the country.
The principles of rail transport were already in use in the late 1700s. Tramways, using cast iron
rails, were being employed in a number of mines in England. By 1800 more than 200 miles of
tramway served coal mines. It is not surprising, then, to find a number of engineers connected
with coal mines searching for a way to apply the steam engine to railways.
A number of men were involved in experimentation concerning the development of railroads in
England. Between 1804 and 1820 we find a few partially successful attempts at developing a
practical means of rail transport: Richard Trevithick’s New Castle, a steam locomotive that
proved to be too heavy for the rails, John Blenkinsop’s locomotive, which employed a toothed,
gear-like wheel, and William Hedley’s Puffing Billy, which was used for hauling coal wagons
from the mines.
A pioneer in railroads that bears mentioning here is George Stephenson. Stephenson was
invited by the Stockton and Darlington Railway to build the railroad between those two towns.
The Stockton to Darlington line was the first public railroad to use locomotive traction and carry
passengers, as well as freight. The equipment on this line proved to be too expensive to
maintain. However, this was not the last to be heard from Stephenson!
In 1829 the Liverpool and Manchester Railway sponsored a competition to determine the best
type of locomotive. This contest took place on the Rainhill level at Lancashire from October 6 to
14, 1829. Three steam locomotives participated in the Rainhill Trials; Timothy Hackworth’s Sans
Pareil, John Braithwaite and John Ericsson’s Novelty, and Stephenson’s Rocket. The Rocket
won the Rainhill Trials. It is interesting and ironic to note here that the first railroad accident
death occurred at these trials.
Railroads dominated the transportation scene in England for nearly a century. Railroads
expanded in England, from 1,000 miles in 1836 to more than 7,000 miles built by 1852. The
development of reliable, efficient rail service was crucial to the growth of specific industries and
the overall economy.6
6
Montagna, Joseph A. "81.02.06: The Industrial Revolution." 81.02.06: The Industrial Revolution.
Yale University, n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2015.
 The Human Aspect
In the l8th century the population grew at a faster rate than ever before. There are four primary
reasons for this growth: a decline in the death rate, an increase in the birth rate, the virtual
elimination of the dreaded plagues and an increase in the availability of food. The last is
probably the most significant of these reasons, for English people were consuming a much
healthier diet.
One can find many other reasons for the growth of the population, in addition to those above.
Industry provided higher wages to individuals than was being offered in the villages. This
allowed young people to marry earlier in life, and to produce children earlier. The old system of
apprenticeship did not allow an apprentice to marry. City life provided young people with a
greater choice of prospective partners, in contrast to the limited choices in some isolated village.
Finally, industry provided people with improved clothing and housing, though it took a long time
for housing conditions to improve.
With the adoption of the factory system, we find a shift in population. Settlements grew around
the factories. In some cases, housing was provided to workers by their employers, thus giving
the factory owners greater control over the lives of his workers. In some cases factories started
in existing towns, which was desirable because that’s where people were. The prime
consideration for locating a factory was the availability of power. The early form of power was
from moving water. Thus, we find factories cropping up in the hills near streams and rivers.
Later, when steam power was developed, factories could be located near any source of water.
Other factories, such as those involved in the manufacture of iron, had considerations of a
different kind involving their location. Due to the great difficulty in moving bulk materials, such as
iron ore, these mills had to be located close to the mineral source. In such situations, large
communities grew directly above the seams of ore in the earth.
The development of the steam engine to drive machinery freed the mill owners from being
locked into a site that was close to swiftly moving water. The steam powered mill still had to be
located near a source of water, though the field of choice was much wider. Also, factories could
be located closer to existing population centers or seaports, fulfilling the need for labor and
transportation of materials.
The towns that grew in the North were crowded, dirty and unregulated. They grew so rapidly
that no one took the time to consider the consequences of such conditions. In the areas of
public sanitation and public health, ignorance reigned. No one understood the effects of these
unsanitary conditions upon humans. Conditions in these densely populated areas worsened to
the point of the reappearance of outbreaks of disease. In the mid-1800s there were several
outbreaks of typhoid and cholera.7
7
Montagna, Joseph A. "81.02.06: The Industrial Revolution." 81.02.06: The Industrial Revolution.
Yale University, n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2015.
 Agricultural Changes
1. Where did most people live in England & America in the 1700s?
2. What two things increased as the year went by?
3. What two things were responsible for these increases?
4. What was the enclosure movement?
5. What new farming technique kept farmers’ fields fertile?
6. What allowed the human population to increase at a rapid rate?
7. Tools were previously made with _________ and were replaced by _____________.
8. What five farming techniques were pioneered to help farmers?
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
 Textiles (Clothing)
1. What was the Domestic System?
2. What two groups of people worked to sort, clean, and weave early fabric?
3. How did the flying shuttle and the roller spinner change the textile industry?
4. Why were riots breaking out in England in response to these new machines?
5. Why was the water frame revolutionary?
6. What was the Factory System?
7. How did the Factory System differ from the Domestic System?
8. Why was the Factory System potentially dangerous?
 Coal & Iron
1. What aspects of a coal miner’s job were hazardous?
2. What one thing did all coal mining have in common?
3. Why were children desired highly in the mining industry?
4. What four coal mining innovations changed mining forever?
5. Which element is most common on Earth?
6. What is Coke (not the soft drink)?
7. Into what was the iron being turned?
8. What was this metal used to make?
 Transportation
1. What kinds of things needed to be transported cheaply at this time?
2. Out of which industry did rail travel come?
3. Describe Stephenson’s contributions to transportation.
4. Railroads expanded in England, from ______ miles in 1836 to more than _______ miles
built by 1852.
5. What was crucial to the growth of specific industries and the overall economy?
 The Human Aspect
1. What were the four reasons why the population grew during this time period?
2. What three other factors played a role?
3. How did the Factory System shift settlement (population) patterns?
4. What was the prime consideration for locating a factory?
5. Where did other factories, such as those involved in the manufacture of iron have to be
located?
6. What two adjectives were used to describe the towns in the North?
7. What was the outcome of these dirty areas?