Before the first industrial revolution, England's economy was based on its cottage industry. Workers would buy raw materials from merchants, take it back to their cottages and produce the goods in their home. It was usually owned and managed by one or more people, who were generally close to the workers. There was a good worker/boss relationship, which was demolished and destroyed by capitalism. This industry was efficient but the workers, productivity was low, making costs higher. The longer it took to manufacture a product, the higher the price would be. Subsequently, goods were high in price and exclusive only to the wealthy people.
By the 1750's, the industrial Revolution had begun. At first, inventions were strictly limited to cotton weaving. Inventions such as the spinning jenny and the water-
powered frame, both of which provided spinning yarn faster, the spinning mule, the power loom and the cotton gin, all helped the manufacture of cotton goods by speeding up the process. Mass production had begun, along with capitalism. Capitalist, people who have their own materials, money and space, bought many machines and stored them in a factory, where hired people worked the whole day manufacturing goods. The factory system had replaced the cottage industry. Mass production made usually expensive items, such as shoes, less expensive and easily affordable by lower class and less wealthy people. The quality of life had improved. In the 1800's, inventions weren't just limited to the cotton industry. Steam engines were invented, providing a faster mode of transportation, instead of the use of horses and carriages. With steam engines, cities were able to move farther away from rivers and sources of water, to start cities.
A better transport system was also needed to meet the needs of the growing population. Transport had been vastly improved by new inventions such as steam ships and trains. Transport was an extreme change in the industrial revolution as it carried goods up and down the country but there were a few problems with some transport because depending on what type of weather, it can delay everything causing immense difficulties for everyone. Transport changed very quickly in the period 1700-1900 as a result of an increased need for better methods of moving goods, new technologies and large scale investment in the countries infra-structure (communications network).
The changes came in several stages. First Roads were improved, then Canals were built and finally the Railway was developed. Each change had an impact upon life in the country, each shortened travel times over longer distances and each enabled industrialists to seek new markets in previously out of reach areas of the country. Likewise they enabled more raw materials and goods to be shipped to and from factories, providing further impetus to the industrial age. Improvements in transport is a cause of the Industrial Revolution because without better transport links, Britain would not have been able to trade with Africa and America.
Roads were not really suitable for transporting fragile goods along as the roads were always rough and bumpy. Industrialists needed flat and hard wearing roads to enable larger wagons to be able to make use of them safely. Although some roads were improved, many people were very angry that they had to pay money to use roads that had previously been free. In some places there were violent protests about the roads and toll houses and toll gates were the target of angry mobs.
Canals are man made waterways which were built during the Industrial Revolution to allow industrialists to move large quantities of raw materials and goods to and from their factories. A canal has several big advantages over using roads. Firstly a boat, or barge, on a canal is not going to have a bumpy journey so fragile goods are much less likely to smash on route. Secondly a canal barge is much larger than a horse drawn wagon and so it can be used to carry much more than wagons would be expected to.
Railways were also another form of transport and it proved to be quite useful. The industry benefited as goods could now be transported faster and in even greater quantities than before, reducing costs and creating bigger markets. The construction of the railway network also fueled demand for coal and steel. Ordinary people saw the benefits too and they could now get around the country much quicker and easier. One of the most noticeable consequences of the growth of the Railways was the rapid development of a number of towns. Crewe and Peterborough are both examples of towns that grew quickly due to their location on the railway network.
However, there were several negative consequences of the growth of the Railways. Many people lost money from previous investments in canals and people who worked on the canals found themselves out of work.
Trade was one of the main causes of the industrial revolution. The trade triangle was one of the biggest sources of wealth for Britain. Britain would take textiles, muskets, brass rods, bronze rings, gunpowder, felt hats, green glass, beads, candles, sugar, tobacco and beer. They would take these to Africa where they could exchange them for slaves. They would then take these slaves to the West Indies where they would exchange them for sugar, spices, rum, tea, tobacco and coffee. These were then taken back to Britain and sold. The slaves grew products such as sugar and cotton on the plantations; these were in turn sold on to Britain. The trade triangle was clever because the ships never sailed empty and everyone made lots of money. There were very low labour costs that way so plantation owners became very wealthy and the ship owners who sold slaves made enormous profits. The trade triangle also created a new market for the factory owners in Britain, selling their goods overseas. People making their money from trade would also invest money in new inventions so they would make a bigger profit in the future, benefiting both parties. The British also benefited from the trade triangle as they were supplied with new products such as tea and coffee. New inventions could also be traded so the country prospered.
This is a major cause of the Industrial revolution because without it, Britain would not have had as much money to invest in things such as transport and inventions.
I think that the most important factors though are the increase in population and trade. I reckon the increase in population is important because without people, none of the other factors are possible. The increase in population led to more ideas and more workers. I think that trade was important because it was the main source of wealth for Britain. The Industrial revolution brought on more technology, wealth and power, but there was a dreadful consequence. The people were living in filth, working unthinkable hours and being paid very little. The revolution shaped modern society to what it is today.
