World History / Unit 9: Industrialization and Imperialism
9.1 The Industrial Revolution Begins in Britain
Notes
The Industrial Revolution was the shift from hand tools and farm work to machines and factories. It began in Great Britain in the mid-1700s.
- An Agricultural Revolution came first: enclosure of common lands into large farms, crop rotation and the seed drill increased food production. More food meant population growth, and many farmers moved to cities to find work.
- Why Britain? Plenty of coal and iron, rivers and harbors, a growing workforce, money to invest (capital), banks, colonies for raw materials and markets, and a stable government that supported business.
- Factors of production: land (natural resources), labor (workers) and capital (money and equipment). Britain had all three.
- The textile (cloth) industry was first to mechanize: the flying shuttle, spinning jenny and water frame sped up spinning and weaving, and work moved into factories.
Practice
Which was a major reason the Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain?
Natural resources, workers and money all came together in Britain.
How did the Agricultural Revolution help cause the Industrial Revolution?
Enclosure and new methods produced more food with fewer workers.
Which industry was the first to be transformed by machines in Britain?
Spinning and weaving machines moved cloth making into factories.
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