HISTORY NOTES:

The Industrial Revolution in Four Sentences:

-​ A period of major change from the late 18th-mid 19th century. It involved the shift from

hand-made goods to machine-made products, driven by the growth of factories.

Inventions like the steam engine helped improve transportation, like trains and ships,

making it easier to move goods. This created wealth and progress but caused harsh

working conditions and societal upheaval.

William Blake (1757)

-​ An English poet and artist who lived during the Industrial Revolution.

-​ He criticized industrialization throughout his work, especially his poetry.

Key Technologies:

-​ The Steam Engine

●​ A revolutionary invention that harnessed the power of steam to drive machinery.

●​ James Watt’s improvements in the late 18th century made it a practical and

efficient power source.

-​ The Spinning Jenny

●​ In 1764, James Hargreaves invented the Spinning Jenny, a machine that allowed

a worker to spin multiple threads at once, leading to the mass production of

textiles.
 -​ The Power Loom

●​ Invented by Edmund Cartwright in 1785, revolutionized the weaving process.

This invention significantly increased the speed and efficiency of cloth

production.

Mass Production: The Rise of Factories

-​ The development of these new technologies sparked the rise of factories.

-​ This new factory system soon spread to America and transformed economies. Powered

by new energy sources like steam, they produced goods on an unprecedented scale.

-​ Cottage Industries

●​ The factories replaced an earlier system called “Cottage Industries”, in which

small producers worked from home making commodities such as textiles.

Mercantilism vs Capitalism

-​ Capitalism

●​ An economic system where individuals or businesses compete freely in the

market to make a profit, with minimal government control.

-​ Mercantilism

●​ Is an older system where the government heavily regulates trade, seeks to

accumulate wealth, and often controls industries.

The Father of Modern Economics: Adam Smith

minimal government intervention

-​ He argues that competition and the pursuit of self-interest are key drivers of economic

growth and prosperity.

-​ Video Notes:

●​ Gifted student - went to the University of Glasgow when he was 14

●​ Taught philosophy, law, literature, and politics

The Wealth of Nations

-​ Under Mercantilism, people thought you could measure the wealth of the nation based off

the gold

-​ Adams says that it depends if the people can live comfortably.

Impact on Society: Urbanization and Social Change

-​ The Industrial Revolution in Britain caused a massive surge in urbanization as people

migrated from rural areas in search of jobs.

-​ This led to overcrowding, poor sanitation, the development of slums, and the notorious

“London Fog” from excessive coal burning.

Working Conditions

-​ Britain’s factories were dangerous places to work, with long hours, low pay, and few

safety regulations.
 -​ Children were often employed in these factories and were often subjected to harsh

treatment.

Parish Poor Houses

-​ In the late 18th century, parish poor houses were institutions set up by local governments

and the Church of England to care for the poor, elderly, and sick who had no other means

of support. These houses were often overcrowded, with residents required to work in

exchange for shelter and food.

Industrial Losers: The Luddite Movement (1811-1816)

-​ A violent protest movement in which textile workers destroyed new automated

machinery they feared would take their jobs as hand weavers.

-​ The British government responded forcefully to the unrest, suppressing the movement

through arrests, trials, and executions.

Growth of Liberalism

-​ The Industrial Revolution spurred the growth of liberal ideas in England. The middle

class pushed for greater individual freedoms and less government control over the

economy

-​ They also demanded political reforms, like expanding voting rights, to reflect their

growing influence.

Free Trade
 -​ British liberals also sought to remove tariffs, allowing goods to move freely between

countries to encourage business and economic growth. This is called “Free Trade”

-​ The opposite policy is called “protectionism”. This is when a country tries to protect its

own producers by placing taxes/tariffs on imports.

The Industrial Revolution Spreads

-​ The Industrial Revolution spread to other countries like the US, France, and Germany as

new technologies and ideas were shared. In the U.S., innovations such as the cotton gin

and the steam engine helped transform agriculture and manufacturing.

Marx and Anti-Capitalism

-​ Karl Marx was a 19th-century German philosopher and economist. He believed that

history is shaped by conflicts between the working class (proletariat) and the ruling class

(bourgeoisie). Marx argued that the working class should overthrow the capitalist system.

-​ “In this sense, the theory of the Communists may be summed up in the single sentence:

Abolition of private property.” - Karl Marx, Communist Manifesto (1848)