The Industrial Revolution
Causes
availability of coal and
better coal mining techniques
Steam power
developments in the textile industry
Britain's trade
Agricultural Revolution
-Importing raw material form the colonies
that led to an increase in population and domestic demand
Production of coal increased 20-fold
Was build the first steam engine capable of pump water out of mines
New invention like James Hargreaves' spinning jenny accelerated the production in the textile industry
Consequences
The more efficient steam engine made by James Watt replaced water and horse power
-Transforming them in its factories
-Exporting the finished products
Many people could no longer earn their living in the countryside. Increasingly, people moved from farms and villages into bigger towns and cities to find work in factories.
Great wealth to the nation
Some sectors of the economy grew, like textiles, iron and coal, but the rest stayed stagnant, or grew very slowly.
Cities grew larger, but living and working condition were appaling
Thank to machine, products were cheaper to make and cheaper to buy therefore many factory owners became rich, but machines also created many problems for the laborers
Factory employees did not earn much, and the work was often dangerous. Many worked 14 to 16 hours per day six days per week. Men, women, and even small children worked in factories.