INDIAN ECONOMY 1700 TO 1900
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUATION
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ABS14011
Student Handouts, Inc.
Historical Significance of the
Industrial Revolution
An ancient Greek or Roman would have been
just as comfortable in Europe in 1700
because daily life was not much different
agriculture and technology were not much
changed in 2000+ years
The Industrial Revolution changed human
life drastically
More was created in the last 250+ years than
in the previous 2500+ years of known
human history
What was the Industrial
Revolution?
The Industrial Revolution was a
fundamental change in the way goods
were produced, from human labor to
machines
The more efficient means of production
and subsequent higher levels of
production triggered far-reaching
changes to industrialized societies
The Industrial Revolution
Machines were invented which replaced
human labor
New energy sources were developed to
power the new machinery water,
steam, electricity, oil (gas, kerosene)
Some historians place advances in atomic,
solar, and wind energy at the later stages of
the Industrial Revolution
Increased use of metals and minerals
Aluminum, coal, copper, iron, etc.
The Industrial Revolution
Transportation improved
Ships
Wooden ships Iron ships Steel ships
Wind-powered sails Steam-powered boilers
Trains
Automobiles
Communication improved
Telegraph
Telephone
Radio
Developments
Mass production of goods
Increased numbers of goods
Increased diversity of goods produced
Development of factory system of production
Rural-to-urban migration
People left farms to work in cities
Development of capitalism
Financial capital for continued industrial growth
Development and growth of new socio-economic classes
Working class, bourgeoisie, and wealthy industrial class
Commitment to research and development
Investments in new technologies
Industrial and governmental interest in promoting invention, the
sciences, and overall industrial growth
Background of the Industrial
Revolution
Commercial Revolution
15th, 16th, and 17th centuries
Europeans expanded their power worldwide
Increased geographic knowledge
Colonies in the Americas and Asia
Increased trade and commerce
Guild system could not meet the demands of
increasing numbers goods
Background of the Industrial
Revolution
Scientific Revolution
17th and 18th centuries
Discoveries of Boyle, Lavoisier, Newton, etc.
Intellectual Revolution
17th and 18th centuries
Writings of Locke, Voltaire, etc.
Atmosphere of discovery and free intellectual
inquiry
Greater knowledge of the world
Weakened superstition and tradition
Encouraged learning and the search for better and
newer ways of doing things
Development of the Domestic
System of Production
Domestic system developed in England
Late 1600s-late 1800s
Domestic system of production putting out
system
Businesspeople delivered raw materials to workers
homes
Workers manufactured goods from these raw
materials in their homes (typically articles of clothing)
Businesspeople picked up finished goods and paid
workers wages based on number of items
Domestic system could not keep up with
demand
England: Birthplace of the
Industrial Revolution
No concrete start date for the Industrial
Revolution
Marked by gradual, slow changes
After 1750 these changes were
noticeable first in England
Why the Industrial Revolution
Started in England
Englands Resources: Capital
The Commercial Revolution made many
English merchants very wealthy
These merchants had the capital to
invest in the factory system money to
buy buildings, machinery, and raw
materials
Englands Resources: Colonies
and Markets
Wealth from the Commercial Revolution spread
beyond the merchant class
England had more colonies than any other nation
Its colonies gave England access to enormous
markets and vast amounts of raw materials
Colonies had rich textile industries for centuries
Many of the natural cloths popular today, such as calico
and gingham, were originally created in India
China had a silk industry
Englands Resources: Raw
Materials
England itself possessed the necessary
raw materials to create the means of
production
Coal vast coal reserves powered steam
engines
Iron basic building block of large
machines, railroad tracks, trains, and
ships
Englands Resources:
Geography
England is the political center of Great Britain,
an island
Great Britain (as the entire island was called
beginning in 1707) did not suffer fighting on its
land during the wars of the 18th century
Island has excellent harbors and ports
Damp climate benefited the textile industry
(thread did not dry out)
Government stable
No internal trade barriers
Necessity Is the Mother of
Invention
Necessity Is the Mother of
Invention
Necessity Is the Mother of
Invention
The Textile Industry
Textiles cloths or fabrics
First industry to be industrialized
Great Britain learned a lot about textiles
from India and China
