Sunday 26 May 2013

COME WITH ME TO LEARN ABOUT INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION


Hi there! (:

Before we start on defining what the industrial revolution, let’s ask this important question, what IS a revolution?

Revolutions are GIGANTIC turning points in History.

Hmm, what does that mean?
Just a heads-up to what revolutions are about:
1.     Revolution involves a BIG change in the system
2.     Revolution affects many people!
3.     Revolution takes place usually within a short period of time
4.     Revolution has GOOD and BAD consequences.

Want to find out more? Come join me in this journey to find out more about the industrial revolution that took place between 1740 to 1840!


FUNFACTS ABOUT THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION:

FUNFACTS ABOUT THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION:
Funfact #1: It started off in Britain and then eventually spread all the way to Europe!

Funfact #2: It took place from 1760 to 1840, only 80 years for it to spread to all over the world!

Now that we’ve learnt some funfacts, let’s move on to look at SOME things that have changed after the industrial revolution set in.


BEFORE and AFTER Industrial Revolution

Domestic System versus Factory System

BEFORE the industrial revolution, there was a domestic system of production where families would stay at home to work and weave cotton as shown below:
Business people delievered raw materials to homes and families made goods from these raw materials. The businesspeople then picked up finished goods and paid workers $$$ based on the number of items they made. This method of production was SLOW and people could not survive on the money they were given.

AFTER the industrial revolution however, the factory system of production came about. In a factory system, the factory owner bought MANY popular cloths and workers would create many dresses from these large amounts of cloth. Many dresses and clothes were sold, allowing workers to earn large amounts of $$$.

The table below is a comparison on both production systems:
Transportation: Walking versus Travelling in vehicles

BEFORE the industrial revolution, people travelled by using animals or by foot which were very slow ways of moving from one place to another. Morevoer, conditions of the road were bad and dangerous. 

AFTER the industrial revolution, three main transportation methods increased: waterways, roads and railroads. During that time, transportation by water was the cheapest way to move heavy products like coal and iron. Thus, canals were widened and deepened to allow more boats to pass. A man named Robert Fulton made the first steam-powered engine to power a steamboat! It was able to carry raw materials across the Atlantic ocean.

George Stephenson also invented the Russian locomotive which could carry large amounts of coal around from place to place.

Improvements in the Textile Industry
The textile industry was greatly improved during this period of time. Many brilliant men built upon each others’ inventions and made production of cotton and textile very efficient!

First it was John Kay who invented the flying shuttle, a hand-operated machine that increased the speed of weaving. Then it was James Hargreaves who made Spinning Jenny, a machine that spun thread 8 times faster than by hand. Then followed by Richard Arkwright who made a water-powered spinning machine that was too large to be used in homes, leading to creation of factories!


Let us look at the good and bad impacts of the industrial revolution!


Economic (GOOD)
The invention of so many machines improved the efficiency of production of goods! Cotton was weaved 50 times faster and fabrics were produced at a tremendously fast rate. This resulted in more money earned as more goods can be sold for more money, people will no longer suffer from malnourishment.

Another factor that helped to earn more money was the fact that transportation means were improved. So many advanced technology was invented that heavy but expensive raw materials could be sent to other parts of the world to be sold, allowing people to earn more money!


Social (BAD)
However, unemployment rates were high as many people’s jobs were replaced by machines. This unhappiness led to many protests and conflicts among the people, causing much chaos.  An example was the Luddites protest!


Many children were also forced to work in factories and in coal mines which had dangerous working conditions. The standards of the social welfare of the people dropped greatly.


Environmental (BAD)
Low hygiene standards and poor living conditions, resulting in easier spreading of diseases. Toxic wastes from the factories often flowed into the rivers as well as the drains on the streets, causing germs to be spread to the citizens very easily.