How Did Great Britain Grow During The Industrial Revolution

In 1793 the cotton industry bloomed because of Eli Whitney when he invented the cotton gin. With the invention of the cotton gin, cotton became a tremendously profitable industry, creating many fortunes for white plantation owners in the antebellum South. “American inventor Eli Whitney and his cotton gin improved the cleaning of raw cotton, facilitating the continuing growth of the industry in many locales.” This proves that the cotton industry rose after the gin was invented. It is evident that Eli Whitney played a major part of the growth of the cotton industry. Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin revolutionized the cotton industry.

Introduction of the factory system was earth shattering and increased manufacturing for the cotton and iron industry which effected cities and the population distribution. There were four inventions that changed manufacturing and the way people worked. Some inventions included the spinning Jenny, Crompton’s Mule, and the Self acting Mule, and the Water Frame. “In 1764, Hargreaves invented a new spinning wheel. He called it the spinning jenny in honor of his wife. This simple machine allowed one spinner to work six or eight threads at a time.” (course reader 102) The Spinning Jenny was a machine that helped the people sew clothes faster. Then came Cromptons Mule, “In 1779, Samuel Crompton combined features of the spinning jenny and the water-frame

British cotton textile industry grew into the worlds most productive; its railway network became the nation’s principal means of inland transportation and communication; and a new fleet of steam-powered ships enabled Britain to project its new productivity and power around the globe.

Short staple cotton could not be grown in England, but England needed cotton to make clothes, bed sheets, etc., but couldn’t produce enough cotton on their own. England started buying cotton from the South or would trade goods in exchange for cotton. Other inventions that contributed to trades with Britain during the Industrial Revolution include Joseph Eve’s cotton roller, James Hargreaves’ spinning jenny, and James Watt’s invention of steam power which was used in textile production.

According to document 6, a chart of inventors who made changes in textile-machinery, England was equipped with the needed thinkers to change the machinery in order for the revolution to go into effect. The inventors include, Richard Arkwright, Edward Cartwright, and Eli Whitney. These inventors made the water frame, power loom, and the cotton gin, tools necessary to mass produce textile products. These brilliant machines allowed for England to outcompete its rivals in trade and bring in a great cash influx through mass production. According to document 7, a chart of inventors who made changes in agriculture, England was also equipped with thinkers who could industrialize agriculture.

The Industrial Revolution was a period where many major technological advances, such as the steam engine, were made. It began in Britain some time after 1750. The technological advances allowed for much higher rates of production, but had several other effects as well. The Industrial Revolution altered the political situation, social structure, and economic standing of Great Britain. Drastic change in technology during the Industrial Revolution led to several political changes.

The idea of using steam as a force to power machinery was not new during the seventeen hundreds; it had already been mentioned by ancient Greek scholars. It was scientist such as James watt that refined that idea to create the steam engine (Live science, 2012). The concept is simple, water is heated by coal and the resulting steam acts as a driving force for the machines, similar to how the rivers flow powered the mills (Live science, 2012). Water power meant that factories were limited to certain locations, however steam powered factories could did not have such constraint (Live science, 2012). The steam engine expanded industries all over Britain. First, it improved the coal industry by pumping water out of coal mines, making it safe from flooding (Live science, 2012). Secondly, the

The industrial revolution was a time of great change in Europe. Many of those changes were brought about by mechanical inventions that greatly increased efficiency by which raw materials were processed. "While working in the sciences and tinkering with mechanics, a few people were able to come up with new ways of doing things. New machines were invented" (MacroHistory and World Report) Three significant machines that were invented during this time period that greatly increased the cotton industry were the cotton gin, the spinning jenny, and the power loom. Since cotton was one of the major cash crops exported by the colonies to England, it is important to understand these inventions in order to grasp the changes brought about by this trio of machines on the cotton industry.

The Industrial Revolution could have happened in a lot of different places around the world. However, the impact that geographical bodies held, made it apparent that there’s a reason Britain contained it all. During the Industrial Revolution, inventions were nonstop and there was a constant feeling of competing with other countries to overtake them economically. Britain did this with inventions, each of them impacted another and with that, the sudden economic and population growth that’s now looked back on today, happened. One of the biggest factors was the combination of the invention of the steam engine and the water channels that Britain holds. With these two together, the Industrial Revolution was started.

But coal wasn’t the only abundant natural resource. Iron was also being produced at a high rate, and iron was used for nearly every industrial machine from the steam engine to the railroad. In fact, the railroad allowed for faster transportation of goods and people than ever before as it was the first form of land transportation faster than a horse. The combination of large coal and iron supplies and easy, fast transport resulted in a constant supply of energy and materials for machinery. Thanks to this combination there were never any shortages and the Industrial Revolution was able to advance faster than it could have in any other

The location of Britain also was a factor that lead to their leading role in industrialization. Great Britain is an island that is isolated and insulated. This fact is a driving cause for Britain to be self-sufficient in providing for itself. Although they had a great navy and were

Consequently, the increase in available workers created a labor surplus (Pomeranz, 78). As a result, there was a greater amount of people that could work in the textile factories. However, since the wages were lower in factory work than in agriculture, people had to work more hours for the same wages (Pomeranz, 93). The greater number of people working in the factories and for longer hours helped boost production. England was able to produce textiles at a faster rate and increase trade across the

There is no doubt that the Industrial Revolution plays a central role in the modern British history. The structure of British society has forever changed by the impact and consequences of Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution is often stated as the increase of the number of factories, the exercise of steam power in a wide range of area and the mass-production produced by new technology in the course of 1750 to 1850 (Lane, 1978: 72). Engles (1986: 37) argued that the Industrial Revolution’s mainly development were the invention of the steam engine and the cotton industry. As the improvement of technology, the steam engine could produce more power with less

The Industrial Revolution was a time of drastic change that transformed hand tools and hand made items to machine manufactured and produced goods. Inventions brought on the most drastic changes during the Industrial Revolution. Machines made life much easier while decreasing prices of goods and generally improving life. (mhirotsu.htm). Before the 1750's, life was primitive but simple, which is vastly different from the complex culture that arose from the Industrial Revolution.

Some of the most important advancements came in the production of cotton, where several inventions stood out: John Kay's flying shuttle of 1733, which greatly increased weaving speed; James Hargreaves spinning jenny, which made possible the automatic production of thread; Richard Arkwright’s water frame; and Edmund Cartwright’s machine loom. It was the textile industry that pioneered the Industrial Revolution and its innovators encouraged others to continue the technological advancements that made Britain's economy flourish.