Ways of Living Before The Industrial Revolution
Man is a tool-using creature, and has been using tools as far as history can remember. But there were no advancements in the tools he user for thousands of years. Until about the 17th century, man continued to work as much as his ancestors. But the later on the crude tools he used will be replaced by faster machines.
Most people then lived in the rural areas, and were farmers. They grew few surpluses, as they only sold extra produce in nearby towns. They were self-sufficient, and made most of their food, clothing, and other needs from the farms of forests. There were just several industries that existed, among them the crafts and works made by guilds.
Manufacturing then was limited in homes, where businessmen set up home industries with several workers. The businessmen purchased raw materials, gave it to the workers to process, and later collected it so that it can be sold at the market. Usually, the whole family worked at home in some kind of craft. There was no power for manufacturing except for manual labor. This way of life changed very little, and most children followed their family's occupation. This was simple, ordinary living, but it was hard. Most of the workers worked with the little materials and energy they had, making less products and earnings in the process.
The political system was also very simple. Only the kings, landowners, and rich merchants had wealth and power in government, while most people did not have any influence. This will all change with the coming of the Industrial Revolution.
The Coming of the Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution began in Britain due to the following reasons:
a. It had large amounts of natural resources, especially coal and iron, which were needed for powering machines;
b. It had many colonies which provided raw materials as well as markets for new products;
British merchants capitalized on these advantages and developed machines that spurred the Industrial Revolution. This developed industries and new sources of power.
The Textile Industry.
To make cloth, people then used the spinning wheel, run by just one person, producing just one thread at a time. But machines were later developed to produce more threads in less time, advancing the textile industry. These include the following:
Developments in spinning machines:
° In 1738, Lewis Paul and John Wyatt created an improved roller-spinning machine, producing stronger strands of uniform tightness. However, it was not completely successful.
° In 1764, James Hargreaves invented the spinning jenny, producing eight threads at once.
° In the 1770s, a weaver named Samuel Crompton from Lancashire developed the spinning mule, which produced high-quality cloth. Large spinning mules that were later developed ended spinning at home, and created textile mills, which were large factories that produce cloth.
Developments in weaving machines:
° Hand weaving was improved in the early 1733 when John Kay, a Landcashire clockmaker, invented the flying shuttle.
° In 1785, Edmund Cartwright invented the power loom, which was a real machine. It was installed in factories and was operated by water power, ending the crude hand weaving industry. By 1835, Great Britain had more than a hundred thousand power looms.
° In 1793, Eli Whitney, an American, invented the cotton gin, which separated the cotton seed from the fiber so efficiently, producing enough cotton fiber to feed the power looms.
So wonderful