Story Transcript
The Industrial Revolution: Introduction In the 1700s, metalworkers used large amounts of coal, which burned with the intense heat needed for making iron. Coal suppliers, however, had a problem. Coal mines dug deep in the ground, tended to fill with water and flood, killing mine workers. A British inventor named Thomas Newcomen designed an engine to pump water out of the mines. His engine burned wood or coal to boil water and produce steam. It converted the steam’s heat energy into mechanical energy to drive the pump. The Newcomen engine worked, but not very efficiently. In 1763, James Watt had the job of repairing a Newcomen engine. Watt made scientific instruments for a living, and he had an inventor’s mind. He knew he could make an engine that did not waste so much of the potential energy of the fuel. The solution eluded him for months. But then, one day, while strolling through his hometown of Glasgow, Scotland, the answer suddenly came to him. Watt set to work right away building a model, and in 1769 he won a patent for his much more efficient steam engine. Watt spent the next two decades perfecting his steam engine. By 1790, he had turned his steam engine into a sturdy, practical,
powerful machine. It would be put to use not only in coal mines but also in steamboats, locomotives, and factories. The steam engine would power the Industrial Revolution. Many scholars are reluctant to call this period of industrialization a “revolution.” It took place over too long a period, they say, and affected the whole world. Yet the changes brought on by this shift from muscle power to machine power were enormous and revolutionary in their scope. This unit explores the Industrial Revolution, starting where it all began: Great Britain. Great Britain Leads the Way The Industrial Revolution, led by Great Britain, completely transformed how work was done. By the mid-1800s, British manufacturers far exceeded those of any other country. Industrialization happened so quickly in Great Britain earned the nickname “workshop of the world.” Why did the revolution start in this small, European island nation? Great Britain became the first nation to industrialize because it had all of the necessary factors: ● Political Stability - Britain had a stable limited monarchy (a form of monarchy in which the ruler
exercises authority according to a constitution) as a government that supported individual political freedom, property rights, and equality of opportunity. These traits encouraged entrepreneurs to take risks in the pursuit of profit. ● Labour - Britain had plenty of people available for work. British farmers produced so much food that many of its people were freed to do different kinds of work. Many of those people went to work in the industry. ● Raw Materials - Britain had plentiful supplies of the raw materials needed in the industry, such as coal for fuel or wool for textiles. ● Banking System - Britain’s banks provided loans to entrepreneurs to finance large projects, such as factories, railroads, and coal mines. ● Transportation System - Britain had a network of navigable rivers and seaside ports. It built a nationwide system of canals. Later, it developed a railroad network, making the transportation of goods and raw materials cheaper and faster than ever before.