Chapter 9 The Industrial Revolution

Both Britain and France were at war between 1793 to 1815. The industries of Britain were badly affected with this war. That is why Britain was unable to get capital formation and reinvestment during war period. It had to use borrowed capital to fight rather than reinvestment. Due to war, factories were shut down. Trade declined. The prices of essential commodities were very high. So, this war affected British industries in many ways.

Advantages of Canal Transportation: It was the cheapest mode of transportation. It was made
easier to transport heavier goods from mines to factories. When big cities and towns were linked to
these canals, the city people were able to get various essential commodities such as coal and tool
items at cheaper rate. Advantages of Rail Transportation: The use of railways helped in increasing the production of coal and iron industry. It also did a lot of help. Railways helped in carrying heavy goods through various regions of the country.

The interesting features of the inventions of this period are as follows:

1. At first, Abraham Darby brought about a revolution in the metallurgical industry.

2. Henry Cort (1740-1823) designed the puddling furnace and rolling mill to roll purified iron into bars.

3. In the 1770s, John Wilkinson made the first iron chairs, vats for breweries and iron pipes of all sizes.

4. John Kay made the flying shuttle loom in 1733. It made possible to weave broader fabrics in less time.

5. Edmund Cartwright invented power loom in 1787.

6. Thomas Savery built a model steam engine called the Miner’s friend in 1698 to drain mines.

7. James Watt developed a steam engine in 1769 that converted the steam engine from a pump into a ‘prime mover’.

Since 17th century, Britain had been importing bales of cotton cloth from India at exorbitant price. But after the entry of East India Company into India, it began to import along with cloth, raw cotton, which could be spun and woven into cloth in England. Till the early 18th century, the process of spinning had been very slow. The spinners were occupied throughout the day, while weavers waited idly to receive yarn. A lot of technological inventions closed the gap between the speed in spinning raw cotton into yarn, and weaving the yarn into fabric. The production shifted from the homes of spinners and weavers to factories.

1. Women of all classes began working in factories. It helped them in getting financial independence and self-esteem.

2. But their wages for the same hour of work were low in comparison to those of men.

3. Industrialization was a blessing in disguise. A number of food items became cheap and were available in abundance. It increased the social status of the women in particular.

4. Women were supposed to observe strict discipline. They were also punished for violation of any discipline.

Effects of the coming of the railways in differents countries of the world:

1. The expansion of railways helped the imperialist countries a lot.

2. Railways became a means of transportation which was available in different parts of the world throughout the year.

3. They also helped a lot in boosting the process of industrialization.

4. it was cheap and fast and carried passengers as well as goods.

5. They joined the parts of different countries and helped in picking up the material easily.

6. They provided a lot of employment opportunities and also accelerated trade and commerce. Thus, it can be said that the coming of railways connected different countries of the world.