Industry on a small scale was already in existence when The Industrialization Revolution began in earnest in the 18th century in Great Britain and is still developing today. The beauty of this is; it moved people from the countryside quickly into the ever expanding cities; subsequently turning labor into a disciplined primary indoor activity, with an increasing distinction between owners, employers, white collar managers, and blue collar workers. Britain, in all her glory set about undeniable change so much so that the rest of the world wanted to emulate her success in mass producing cheap manufactured goods; furthermore taking advantage of her country’s assets; water, iron, cotton, and coal. Aristocracy meant one came from money; however, Britain created the ever powerful middleclass who could start with nothing and become excessively wealthy via ingenious creations used or by backing new inventions and mechanical improvements.
Prior to industrialization, the majority of Britain’s population primarily resided in her vast countryside living off of the land by growing grain and raising sheep employing manual labor in the warmer months and rationing their supplies in the harsh winters. Everything was accomplished without machines and fully dependent upon nature. A Cottage Industry was created and used the idle farmers’ families in the winter months to work the raw materials given them from a city merchant by first washing, then carding, spinning, and finally weaving the wool. The transformation of the wool turned into cloth was then given back to the merchant to sell and the process started again, enabling the merchants a sizable profit from selling in the city or sold as export. This endeavor alone helped prepare Britain for the Industrial Revolution by improving the economy through the increase of trade as she became well known overseas for her high quality and low cost exports. Prior to the revolution, most of the farms were well established from generation to generation on common land leased from a wealthy land baron owning vast lands. As each generation took a section of the land it became strips just enough to eke a living. Unfortunately, the average farmer was being driven out with the revolution in force as it was essential the land must be in larger parcels to maximize efficiency with the new development of agricultural methods. Thus, enclosures were created and the peasants without political clout often didn’t have access to water or wood. Without work, farmers and their families left by the hordes to the city.
Britain was the perfect country to be the first to experience industrialization. Firstly, she had large deposits of coal to fuel new ideas because she was accustomed to using wood for warmth. Secondly, anything she didn’t have could be provided by her many colonies and in turn, these colonies were a captive market for the myriad of goods brought on by the industrial revolution. Britain had copious amounts of cotton. This simple, cheap, easily made product that everyone could use; tripled in production and was easily transported. Thirdly, Britain had three unique social elements; education, modern work attitude, and a modern government. The educated could easily operate the machinery and read the manuals; people weren’t hesitant to leave the country to work in the cities, had a large middle class, flexible mercantile class, and the English were not opposed to new money unlike their contemporaries. This very broad thinking allowed them to accept the new wealthy and their exciting new ideas. Fourthly, Britain’s constitutional monarchy was flexible enough to support the new system, and they and the Bank of England provided incredible backing to new ideas, which in turn brought new wealth. Lastly, many of these accomplishments were due to Britain’s insularity suffering rare interruption of war. Between 1838 and 1850, Britain’s rail lines increased from 540 to 6,621 track kilometers; rail lines were thought the best way to monitor a country’s industrialization.
Most assuredly, technology is the greatest aspect of the Industrial Revolution. The very first product to undergo change from manual to mechanize was cotton. At one time wool in Britain was thirty times that of cotton; however, as fashion amongst the upper class preferred the light weight of cotton, demand became so great that production couldn’t keep up. This demand spurred four inventions that would revolutionize the industry; John Kay’s ‘Flying Shuttle’, James Hargreaves ‘Spinning Jenny’, Richard Arkwright’s ‘Water Frame’, and Samuel Cromptom’s ‘Cromptom’s Mule. Within a 35 year period, more than 100,000 power looms with 9,330,000 spindles were put into service in England and Scotland. The importation of raw cotton had increased to eight times its past rate and half of Britain’s exports were now refined cotton. The Textile industry was the first to employ the factory system. The raw materials used were essentially wool and cotton with machines used to take the raw product and create fabric. Using an assembly line approach, they created huge volumes of fabric in less time for less money at the expense of their workers who put in tremendous hours whether they were man, woman, or child. Two other notables are; Samuel Slater, brought textile machinery design to the U.S.; and Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin; separating cotton seed from the cotton fiber.
James Watt improved upon and patented the ‘steam engine’ by making a reciprocating engine; it truly became a profitable steam engine. Robert Fulton created the first ‘steam boat’ that could take off on its own power and held strong in storms. Stevenson created the ‘steam powered train’ which allowed increased communication and trade between places considered too far before. The steam powered train became a huge success throughout the world. Britain wholeheartedly encouraged the building of railways in European countries using British capital, equipment and technicians. Railroads most definitely were a standard item of British export.
The Industrial Revolution brought about a drastic change in the social structure of society. Before the revolution, they lived in villages and worked as a family unit doing everything by hand either in agriculture or as a skilled craftsman. The new enclosure laws demanded all grazing grounds be fenced at the owner’s expense – forcing many poor farmers into bankruptcy and unemployment. In addition, the new machinery capable of huge output made small hand weavers redundant. Out of options, families moved to the cities and worked in the factories for longer hours and less money on top of increased living expenses. Since they desperately needed money, women and children were also forced to work. Factory owners were thrilled with the cheap labor of women and children. Children were also exploited in the mines as they were small enough to get more coal and ore from the deep and unsafe pits; often working up to eighteen hours per day. Sadly, children started as young as eight years old. During this period of growth and profit, capitalism flourished. Factories operated with very little government regulations; allowing the wealth middle class owners to follow the path of the most profit irrespective of the well being of their workers as they were expendable. This lust for profit brought about another social change; the breakdown of the family unit. Due to the eighteen hour workdays, families had little contact with each other, often shared their abodes with another family, and only had time to sleep when together. The end result was sick children without education, stunted growth, and maladjusted without parental guidance. Infant mortality was fifty percent. The appalling living conditions had little sanitation and comfort for the poor working class. On the positive side, by 1820, most classes were benefitting in some way and making better wages from the huge profits; overall health and material conditions for the people improved; and the government eventually took a stand against child labor.
After the publication of the 1932 Sadler Report acknowledging evidence of human rights abuse and horrific working conditions after an in-depth investigation; the British government was forced to implement various reforms regarding the social and working conditions in Britain.
The vast majority of the British population remained disenfranchised from the electoral system. Before 1832, the 6% of the male population that could vote were rich aristocrats owning vast acres of land. However, after 1832, the middle class factory owners wanted political power to match their new found economic gain; bringing about the Reform Bill of 1832 enabling 20% of the male population to vote. The middle class were more or less fairly happy, but blue collar workers were still not represented by the British electoral system. Even though Britain was wholly dependent on its working class especially with the factories and the mines; it did not want to give up any of its control over society in the political world especially after what had happened during France’s revolution. The British hoped to avoid their catastrophe at any cost. It would be another thirty years with the Second Reform Act that the working class had the right to vote. Prior to that, trade unions developed for all workers skilled or not. The working man’s political party led to what is now known as Britain’s Labour Party.
In conclusion, Great Britain amassed a fortune and set precedence for the rest of the world by clearly demonstrating the country’s openness to creative new ideas culminating in an odyssey of technical advancements irrespective from whence they came. Britain supported its inventors and their inventions enthusiastically knowing it would gain ten fold by financing the projects from agriculture, textile, ships, railroads, factories, and countless others. Unlike Europe, Britain realized the strength a middle class could bring and welcomed them to share in the wealth. On the downside, Britain had a duty towards the privileges and power of the rich; but the huddled poor were treated shabbily without an iota of respect towards their plight of long working days in factories, ungodly child labor abuse, and the appalling conditions the workers were subjected to merely to survive. Fortunately, the blue collar workers organized themselves and realized as a team they had the power to affect the factories if they didn’t get better treatment – and they eventually did. In any case, Britain’s industrial revolution was a godsend for the rest of the world economically and placed it at the forefront in technology for mass production.
