The Industrial Revolution
"For the first time in history, the living standards of the masses of ordinary people have begun to undergo sustained growth ... Nothing remotely like this economic behavior has happened before".
Robert E. Lucas Jr.
The Industrial Revolution 1750 to 1850
Changes in:
agriculture
manufacturing
mining
transportation
technology
Effect social, economic and cultural conditions:
per capita income levels
living standards / living conditions
population levels
family dynamics
The Industrial Revolution begins in England - 1750
The Factory System
Inventions:
Cotton: Hand Loom
Water Frame
Spinning jenny
Power Loom
Steam Engine (James Watt)
Why England?
Why Not France?
Turmoil / Warfare
Lack of an adequate labor force
Land Reform
Peasants remain on the land
Napoleonic Code - Primogeniture abolished
Younger noble sons remain on the land
Population Growth Rate declines
Emphasis on Luxury Goods
Why England?
Geography (Island)
Separation from turmoil on the continent
Harbors, rivers, canal to connect manufacturing centers
Smaller nation encourages national market
2. Defeat of Absolutism
Victory of the Nobility and Gentry over the Monarch
Glorious Revolution 1688
Execution of Charles I
3. Available Labor Force
Population Growth (improved agricultural production)
Abolishment of guilds
No large standing army
No large bureaucracy
4. Colonial Empire
Access to Raw Materials and New Markets
5. Natural Resources
Coal
Iron
Social Impact of the Industrial Revolution
Transformation of Traditional Society
Self-made Man
Business Morality vs. Public Morality
Large Urban Manufacturing Communities
Health Hazards: Foul Air, Poor Housing, Disease
Exploitation of Women and Children
Political Debate over Industrial Capitalism
Liberals: laissez-faire economics
Adam Smith -The Wealth of Nations
Government’s Role
Maintain competitive conditions
Not Regulate, Direct
Conservatives: Landed Interests
Agriculture over Industry or Commerce
Reform of factory system
Labor: Labor Organization
Chartism: London Working Man’s Association
Luddites
Early Socialists
Adam Smith
The Great Hunger
Ireland – 1845-1851
The Great Exhibition of 1851
Crystal Palace
Share in World Manufacturing Output: 1750-1900