Chapter 12 - Industrial Revolution Flashcards
What caused the industrial revolution to begin in Britain?
- Stable country
- Clever people
- Ready-made workforce - Agricultural Revolution
- More food: more people migrate from country to city
- Coal & iron
- British Empire
Why did coal and iron help the revolution to begin?
- Machines were made of iron and run on steam from burning coal
- Britain had huge amounts of coal in Wales, Yorkshire and Scotland
- This led to the world’s biggest mining industry.
Why did the British Empire help the revolution to begin?
- By 1800, Britain controlled most of Canada, India, Australia & New Zealand
- Britain could get cheap cotton and rubber from them
- They also had huge markets to sell products made in British factories
Why did begin a stable country help the revolution to begin?
- It had a good education system, and a good banking system to provide money to start businesses
- Also had a stable government
- Made Britain a good place to do business
Why did a ready-made work force help the revolution to begin?
- Agricultural Revolution lead to an increase of food production. -Britain then had a larger population.
- Many people were then able to work in factories during the Industrial Revolution.
Why did having clever people help the revolution to begin?
-Britain had many great inventors and engineers such as; Isambard Kingdom Brunel (bridges), James Watt (rotary steam engine) and George Stephenson (railways & ‘rocket’)
Why was travel difficult?
- Roads became mucky and useless in winter
- It was slow, uncomfortable and expensive
- It took a long time to get goods from one place to another, which cost factories owners a lot
What were turnpike trusts?
Privately run, good quality roads which charged a toll for their use.
What were the working conditions like for an adult in a factory?
- 15 hour days
- Low wages
- No financial aids for injured people
- No fresh air and no sitting
What were the working conditions like for a child in a factory?
- 15 hour days
- No fresh air and no sitting
- Paid very little as they were younger
- No education for the poor, so it was unlikely they could get a better job when they grew up
What were the working conditions like for an adult in a mine?
- Could die from underground flooding and explosions
- Worked long hours with no breaks
- No daylight or fresh air
Who were trappers?
Children who opened and closed air doors to provide fresh air for miners. By keeping fresh air flowing they prevented the build up of gasses. The children sat in the draft of the doors, cold, damp and frightened, with little or no light for 12 hours a day.
What were drawers?
Drawers/hurriers were usually children who pulled heavy carts of coal to the pits surface with heavy chains around their waist.
What was life like in industrial cities?
- Houses are cramped with one bathroom
- Some people lived in damp and dark cellars
- Diseases such as TB, cholera and smallpox spread easily
- Pollution from factories covered cities in thick smog
What was the truck system?
Workers were paid in tokens which could only be used in the factory shop. The owners bought cheap, poor quality food and sold it for a high price.
