Continuing industrialisation (1812-32) Flashcards
What happened to the economy during this period?
It continued to flourish after a sustained period of growth in the late 18th century. Historians generally agree that there was a slowdown in growth but growth nonetheless
What was the main problem with industrialisation during this period?
Change occurred slowly in most industries and rapidly in a few. Industrialisation was regional rather than national and so changes occurred in some places but not in others
How’s is the growth of the British economy in this period best measured?
By looking at production figures for the three main industries; cotton, iron and coal
Why are production figures for coal an especially good way of examining the British economy?
Because it was the main source of energy for industry, therefore it would seem logical that increased coal production would correlate with industrial growth
How much did coal production rise between 1815-30?
It almost doubled from 16 million tonnes to 30 million tonnes
What happened to the production of pig iron between 1815 and 1830?
Most figures suggest it doubled
Why do historians conclude that efficiency in the iron production industry was improving during this time period?
At the beginning of the century it took 8 tonnes of coal to produce 1 tonne of pig iron, but by 1830 this figure had come down to 3.5 tonnes
Why do historians conclude that there was remarkable growth in the production of cotton goods from 1815-30?
Imports of raw cotton increased two or three fold and the export of manufactured cotton also increased
What do Williams and Ramsden say about the success of the 1830s cotton industry?
An estimated 30% of the industrial workforce was engaged in the cotton industry; 70% of British exports were textiles and raw cotton amounted to almost 20% of imports
How do historians prove that the export market grew during this period?
They point towards the development of the shipbuilding industry. In 1820, the tonnage of ships built and registered in Britain was 66,700 and by 1830 this had increased to 75,500
What was also a contributor to the increase in production during this time period?
The development of steam power; more factories were powered by steam rather than the water power of the previous era
Why did pottery and china experience increased demand in the domestic market?
The middle classes had disposable income and new houses on the outskirts that they wanted to equip and furnish. This marked the start of the age of consumerism
Define consumerism
The trend of wanting to acquire more acquire goods and services
What were fast growing industries, services and technologies nearly always connected with by 1832?
The early development of the railway
What did the development of the railway, steam power and more sophisticated machinery mean for industrialisation?
It spread to parts of the country previously untouched by the process, more hand operated machines became mechanised and there was increased productivity in other industries. However, these developments had not yet reached their full potential by 1832
