The Industrial Revolution Why Britain? Why then?
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Causes:
1. Expanding Atlantic economy and British Empire
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2. Natural conditions favorable ~Coal
~Iron
~Waterways
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3. Agricultural Revolution, 1700­1800 ~Jethro Tull, 1674­1741
~First Modern Farmer
~Invented seed drill
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Seed Drill
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Agricultural Rev. (contd.) ~Enclosures
~Crop rotation system
~Improvement became the goal
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Agricultural Rev. (contd.) ~Led to:
~More efficient food production
~Cheaper food
~More disposable income
~Less workers needed in rural areas
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4. Political conditions ~Constitutional Monarchy
~Relative Stability
~Economic growth
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5. Legal conditions ~No internal tarrifs
~Patent law encouraged invention
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6. Financial Conditions
~Effective central bank (1694)
~well­develop credit markets
~Plenty of capital
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7. Proto­industry ~Putting­out system or cottage industry
~Division of labor
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8. Major technological advances ~Cotton is king!
~1760s ­ James Hargreaves invented Spinning Jenny
~1760s ­ Richard Arkwright invented Water Frame
~1779 ­ Samuel Crompton invented the Spinning Mule
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8. Major technological advances (contd.) ~1770s: Arkwright also developed the Factory System:
~One location for work
~Central source of power
~Division of Labor
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8. Major technological advances (contd.) ~Steam Power:
~1698: Thomas Savery invented a steam engine
~1712: Thomas Newcomen invented a steam engine
~1765: James Watt greatly improved Newcomen engine
~1820s: Railroads: George Stephenson’s Rocket
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