Download Dawn of the Industrial Age

Dawn of the Industrial
Age
A Turning Point in History
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In 1750, most people
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Worked the land using handmade tools
Lived in simple homes using firelight & candles
Made their own clothes
Grew their own food
Industrial Revolution- Long, slow process in which
production shifted from simple hand-tools to complex
machines
Made possible by
– A second agricultural revolution
– Population explosion
– Development of new technology
The New Industrial Age
Travelers moved rapidly between countries
by train or steamship
 New inventions & scientific firsts:
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– Anesthetic- prevents pain during surgery
– Sewing machine
– Speed of light measured
Agricultural Revolution
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New methods of farming (Dutch)
– built dikes to reclaim land from the sea.
– combined smaller fields into larger ones.
– used fertilizer from livestock to renew the soil.
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British farmers expanded on Dutch experiments.
They:
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mixed different kinds of soils to get higher crop yields.
tried new methods of crop rotation.
grew turnips, which restored exhausted soil.
invented the seed drill (to aid farmers, planted seeds
in rows)
Enclosure Movement
Enclosure- The process of taking over
and fencing off land formerly shared by
peasant farmers
 Rich landowners wanted to create larger
fields that could be cultivated more
efficiently
 Output & profits increase
 But many laborers & small farmers
forced out of work
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Population Explosion
Britain’s population soared from 5 million
to 9 million from 1700-1800
 European population as a whole went
from 120 million- 190 million
 Such growth had never been seen before
 Due to declining death rates
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– Ag. Rev. reduced famine  people were
healthier, had more children
New Technology
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Energy Revolution
– People began to find new sources of energy
– Water mills & wind mills
– Coal  Steam Engine powered by coal
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Improved Iron
– Coal vital for production of iron
– New method for producing iron: smelt- separate the
iron from its ore & remove impurities
– Led to better quality & less expensive iron
New Invention Assignment
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Choose ANY invention from the Industrial
Revolution. On a white sheet of paper, you will
tell me:
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Invention Name & Inventor
Description (paragraph)
Impact (paragraph)
Connection to Today (paragraph)
Colored picture of the invention
You can use your book (pg. 496) or notes. You
may have to do additional research on your
own.
 Due Wednesday. You have class time today &
tomorrow to work on this.
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