INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: Essay #10

Transport

   In the eighteenth century England´s transport system was in terrible conditions and it did not contribute to the nation´s growth since it was very difficult to move goods from one place to another. It seemed impossible to cover long distances. England was experiencing a time of great commercial expansion so merchants began to claim for solutions to have an improvement both on roads and means of transports.

   One of the most serious difficulties that merchants found in English towns was the bad conditions of the roads. The government ignored the damaged roads and they did not offer money to repair them. Instead, some people from the near parishes tried to repair them with the scarce resources they possessed. Roads in that time used be like a swamp infested with swarms of armed robbers. As a consequence, pack horses appeared as the only available method for transporting goods for short or long distances but it was very expensive.

   Coast water-borne trade was quicker, cheaper and freer than pack horses. Traders and the government wanted to take advantage of this so they established more control over the rivers. This helped to connect important cities such as Manchester and Derby. Consequently, the products became cheaper and they managed to rich both local and national market.

   During that time, many businessmen were looking for the opportunity of investing their money wisely so as to obtain convenient benefits. That’s why some of them decided to keep the maintenance of a particular section of a read and in return they were allowed to charge a fee every time people used those roads for transportation of goods. Parliament supported enterprisers to do this by giving them private acts. These investors were known as the Turnpike Trusts and they turned out to be quite dishonest since they only cared about money and they did very little to help road transport. London was the exception since its trustees were really involved and concerned with the ease of transport.

   In conclusion, the improvement of transport was highly necessary for guaranteeing merchants the possibility of trading with other towns. That would give them the chance of growing economically and having a better position among society. The improvement of roads was not a difficult task for the unconcerned government and it really facilitated merchants´work.

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: Essay #8-9

Technological improvement: inventions

Industries: cloth, coal, iron and metal.

The division of labour had been really significant for the English industry. However, it was not enough to increase the output of production so people started to look for new ways to innovate in the different areas of production. The main industries in England were the cloth, the coal and iron; and the metal industry. All of them were facing difficulties regarding the processes employed for production so it was essential to improve technology at that time.

  The main problem in the cloth industry was that in the textile trade, people always lacked yarn and the spinning had to be done by hand. It was a really hard work and as a consequence the production could not keep pace with the weaving and knitting processes. The problem of the yarn was easily solved since it was imported from Ireland. The greatest solution for the difficulties in production was the invention of a spinning machine. Several inventors worked on this idea of having a machine that could spin faster than workmen. However, it took several years to have an efficient machine. Finally In 1764 in Lancashire, James Hargreaves invented the spinning jenny, which he patented in 1770. It was the first practical spinning frame with multiple spindles. The jenny worked by first clamping down on the fibres, and then by drawing them out, followed by twisting. 

   In the other two great English industries, coal and iron, there was an equal need for technological improvement. There was an incredible demand for coal and iron throughout the eighteenth century. People used to find iron and coal under their flower beds, lawns and parklands; and they deliberately uprooted them. But in that moment it was difficult to get iron and coal since they had to go deeper. The invention that solved this problem was the steam pump developed by Savery and Newcomen, which was then perfected in 1712. In that way they managed to ensure the most important of England’s industries.

   Finally, after cloth and coal, the most vital of English industries was the metal trade. Up to that moment, iron had always been smelted by charcoal, but all the forests were being destroyed.  The metal industry seemed to be in a period of crisis and many people were trying to discover new ways of smelting coal. Fortunately, the Darbys of Coalbrookdale found the solution which consisted of using coke for smelting instead of charcoal. That process was perfected by the thirties and this really influenced England´s position since it started to lead the world in the industrial revolution.

  To conclude, the first part of the eighteenth century was a period in which people began to realize that there was a need for a change so as to improve the production in the different industries. Several inventors worked really hard to develop new methods and machines that would optimize and facilitate the production. These inventions had a profound effect on England’s invention and they marked the process of industrialization which had already begun and turned England into the leading industrial nation.

  

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: Essay #7

Division of Labor.

  England was becoming increasingly rich during the eighteenth century since she dominated the trade of manufactured goods. Craftsmen played a fundamental role in keeping the production and the wealth of the nation. They wanted to produce huge amounts of manufactured products in a short time and in a simpler way, so they encouraged the new processes. The constant demand that they received forced them to find new methods to increase output and carry out a more efficient work.

  Firstly, the main method for making production more efficient and quick was the division of labour so that one single workman would be specialized in only one simple process so as to produce more. Having workers perform single or limited tasks eliminated the long training period required to train craftsmen, who were replaced with lesser paid but more productive unskilled workers.  Adam Smith foresaw the essence of industrialism by determining that division of labour represents a qualitative increase in productivity. Smith saw the importance of matching skills with equipment – usually in the context of an organization. For example, pin makers were organized with one making the head, another body, and each using different equipment.

 Secondly, the craftsmen wanted to increase production at all costs so they decided to implement the use of machines that would replace a workman. The machines´ work was usually quicker and more accurate. They also supported the simplification of products so as to spend less time, money, and energy to decorate them. A clear example of these changes was the English clockmaking because in the past it used to be only in charge of specialized master craftsmen. However, with the implementation of the division of labour, clockmaking became a widespread national industry in which all workers were involved. Those products were so efficient and cheap that they quickly captured the European market.

 In conclusion, the English were ambitious and wanted to impose themselves as the leading nation in the industrial trade, that is why they came up with different ideas to make high quality production in a considerable short time. There is no doubt that the division of labour contributed to simplify craftsmen´s work and it proved to be efficacious, especially in the metal trades.

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: Essay #6

Trade equals wealth and power.

 

    

  During the eighteenth century in England there was a common belief that trade was the Wealth of the word and that it was fundamental to mark a difference between the Rich and the Poor; and also among different nations. The government was really concerned about the trade in the nation since it was the cause of England´s increasing wealth. The trade of England consisted mainly of things and products made or grown at home and partly on an extensive re-export trade of raw materials from colonies in America and luxurious goods that came from East. Trade was essential to bring wealth and power to England.

  England was becoming so rich that the Prime minister, Walpole, wanted to take advantage of this situation to encourage more trade. Walpole´s first decision was to remove all restrictive measures on the export of English manufactured goods. He also allowed the necessary raw materials into the country. However, this did not mean that there would be a free trade. Walpole started to give more importance and protection to the manufacturers.

  England´s eighteenth century politicians clearly realized that all this wealth they had managed to produce meant an incredible power over other nations. So they decided to prevent foreign competition regarding trade of manufactured products. For example, the Irish were not allowed to make cloth or export their wool to other countries except for England. There were also plans to capture French trade. All those men engaged in commerce and industry, such as the clothiers, the hostmen and the men who controlled the buying and selling, had become dominating figures in England´s industry.

   To conclude, trade became the solution to improve Englands´economic situation and gave workers the opportunity to have a dignified job and be well off.  Manufacturers started to be highly respected among society and they were protected by the government since they were key to ensure that England´s wealth would continue increasing. During those years, England started to be seen as the leading industrial nation all over the world.

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: Essay #3.

The bridge between the rich and the poor.

  During the eighteenth century there was a clear and marked distinction between the rich and the poor people among the English society. London used to be a perfect example of the contrast between luxury and elegance and poverty and elegance, which characterized England during that time. The upper classes played a key role on politics since they tended to support Walpole, while the poor were excluded from politic affairs and had no participation at all. In spite of this clear division of classes, there was a group of people known as the craftsmen and artisans, who represented a bridge between the rich and the poor.

 The group of craftsmen and artisans was formed by the journeymen and apprentices of the great livery companies of London. These men worked very hard up to fourteen hours and they earned a really modest wage which, with the additions made by their wives and children, they raised themselves well above the subsistence level, only when trade was good. Unfortunately, trade was volatile and the chance of hunger and poverty was constantly threading their lives with anxiety. What is more, there were changes in the industrial organization such as the decay of the guild, the spread of a free labour market, the introduction of labour- saving machinery that would replace humans´ labour. Those changes increased people´s feeling of dispossession.

  Until 1725, the craftsmen and artisans used to have a measure of political power in London. However, it was soon diminished by Walpole since these men were supposed to be spreading opposition views, both Tory and Radical among them. Walpole was also unpleased by the craftsmen´s tendency to combine in order to fight for the rights they deserved under Tudor industrial legislation.  In spite of Walpole´s dislike, combinations went on and meetings took place in craftsmen´s friendly societies and taverns. Their dissatisfaction with the government was clearly expressed in the newspaper The Craftsman.

 In conclusion, the craftsmen and artisans used to be a social class that was well off and lived in dignified conditions. Nevertheless, with the spread of industrial innovations their situation began to change and this caused uneasiness among them. They were afraid of losing their jobs since machines were starting to replace humans’ labour. They felt really dispossessed since their status could rapidly change and they had already lost all political influence on government and Walpole´s support.

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: Essay #2.

Riots

 

  During the 18th century, riots were frequent all throughout England. Several of these riots occurred for different reasons, some of them occurred as a result of how bad things were in this period for the English people. Those riots had a profound effect on the economy in the 18th century. Rising food prices, various protests and actions taken are the main causes why so many riots occurred and they really played a big role in regulating the economy at that time.

  To begin with, the majority of riots in the eighteenth century were a result of people in England that were upset and angry because the food prices were too high, much of the lower and middle class were affected by this.  They also complained about the terrible conditions in which they lived. People were tired of the English economic system and this generated a feeling of violence among people caused by despair and greed. People decided to start burning the crops as a symbol of rebellion and looting shops because they were starving. They also destructed public places and the peasants attacked the landowners’ houses. All these riots were enhanced by a group of citizens known as the mob. The mob defied the law and they took measures to bring a change to England.

  Furthermore, the riots carried out by the mob caused a lot of trouble for the English authorities since the “new towns” were still small villages, which lacked parish constables to keep the order among people. However, some larger towns such as London, Bristol and Liverpool had resident justices who were allowed to read the Riot Act. It was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain that authorized local authorities to declare any group of twelve or more people to be unlawfully assembled, and thus have to disperse or face punitive action. The Act, whose long title was "An Act for preventing tumults and riotous assemblies, and for the more speedy and effectual punishing the rioters", came into force on 1 August 1715. If a group of people failed to disperse within one hour of the proclamation, the Act provided that the authorities could use force to disperse them. Anyone assisting with the dispersal was specifically indemnified against any legal consequences in the event of any of the crowd being injured or killed. 

  To conclude, it seems that dissatisfaction with the quality of life in Europe in the eighteenth century was the main cause of widespread rioting. It is definite that this comes from the tough conditions imposed on the peasants and workers in England by the authority of the ruling classes. The main objective of the mob was to bring about a real change and to improve for better and more salubrious living conditions. They were fighting for their rights and for a better deal.

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: Essay#1

New towns: their buildings and sanitary system during the early and late 18th century.

 There was a significant change regarding the buildings in England throughout the eighteenth century and this is mainly a result of the distribution of people because of the modifications in society that the industrial revolution caused. The Industrial Revolution witnessed a huge growth in the size of British cities. In 1695, the population of Britain was estimated to be 5.5 million. By 1801, the year of the first census, it was 9.3 million and by 1841, 15.9 million. This represents a 60% growth rate in just 40 years. A lot of people also immigrated from the country and from Ireland to the city so they carried out changes in the structure of towns.

  The living conditions on those new towns were not suitable since most streets were narrow and unpaved. Poor people used to live in small hovels that had only one or two rooms and they were normally made of weatherboard with a pitched roof. The building material used was the cheapest a builder could find. Cheap slate from Wales was commonly used. What is more, most cellars were inhabited by people and also their pigs, cattle or horses. The hovels and the cellars were extremely overcrowded since in the most desperate cases there were ten people lived in one single room, which often lacked furniture or beds. Many diseases such as typhus, typhoid and dysentery began to spread due to the inhospitable living conditions that people had. All the corpses of the people that died of these diseases were thrown into a big hole on the ground that was not covered until it was full of dead bodies. On the other side, rich people´s houses were frequently empty since the rich were trying to find more salubrious places to live.

  The sanitary system contributed to make poor people´s lives so miserable and hostile. None of the homes was built with a bathroom, toilet or running water. People washed in a tin bath in the home with the water being collected from a local pump. Sanitation and hygiene barely existed and throughout the eighteenth century there was a great fear of cholera, typhus or typhoid epidemic. Toilets basically consisted of cesspits. When these were filled they had to be emptied and what was collected was loaded onto a cart before being dumped in a local river. Fresh water supplies were also very difficult to get in the poor areas. With no running water supplies, people could expect to leave a bucket out and collect rainwater. Some areas were lucky enough to have access to a well with a pump but there was always the chance that the well water could have been contaminated with sewage from a leaking cesspit.

  In conclusion, living conditions in England during the eighteenth century were terrible and it had many consequences on society and on people’s health. People were aware of how insalubrious the places where they lived were. However they did not have the possibility of changing their reality since that involved spending a big amount of money that they did not have because their salaries were really low.