THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

AP EUROPEAN HISTORY

The year is 1700 and you live in England. The scene is a small rural village.

Draw a river across your paper connecting east to west; the river should be about one

inch wide; draw a wooden bridge across the river; draw four roads, each originating from

a cardinal direction; now draw 10 houses; draw 1 church, 1 store, 1 pub, 1 coal mine,

and 1 commons.

Life here in this English village is similar to other villages across Europe in the 18th century. Change comes very slowly. People generally moved at a much slower pace and had very little access to information to the world outside their village. London,

England’s largest city, and one the two real cities in Europe, had a population of about 750,000 in 1750. Three out of every four Englishmen were rural and lived in small villages just like this one. The average village had a population of about 200-

400 people. The tallest structure in each village was usually the church. The religion was primarily Anglican, the Church of England. Home life and work life was closely integrated as most work was done in nearby fields or in the home or perhaps in an adjoining workshop. The family served as both an economic unit and a social unit.

Every member of the family worked from sun-up until sundown. Even small children had chores to do each day. The homes of villagers were small with earthen floors and very little lighting or ventilation. All members of the family usually slept in the same room, often sharing it with the family livestock. Sons worked with the father farming

or tending the livestock. Daughters worked with the mother cooking, cleaning, sewing, and doing other domestic chores. Life expectancy was slightly over 40 years

of age. Most people married in their teens and had babies before they were twenty. It was common for women to die in childbirth so the average marriage lasted about 15 years. It was common for families to have stepfathers or stepmothers. One baby out of three died before its first birthday, only one child out of two saw its 21st birthday.

Unlike France, the English were not rigidly divided into social/legal estates. However, there was a distinct social class system. Most English were poor

farmers. A few were middle class like the bourgeoisie of France. They usually lived in London or another city. A few were aristocrats and usually owned large tracts of land in the English countryside. For both peasant and

aristocrat the soil was the key to the economy. Land was the source of livelihood and well being. Having enough land to produce adequate food, or to produce enough to sell, or even to rent, was the key to economic survival. Thus, traditions concerning land guided daily living. These traditions were

designed to ensure the stability and welfare of the greater community. Hence, marriages and inheritance were geared to maintaining family

property intact. Marriages were almost always arranged by parents to maintain or better the economic states of heir sons or daughters. Not all could get married, however. A man usually had to own land on which to support a family before he could dare marry. It was not uncommon for a man to wait until their 30’s when they inherited land from their parents which would enable them to marry. If a woman did not bring land into a marriage, she had to have some kind of dowry. Daughters who inherited property from their parents had to pass it on to their husbands. All land was still given to the eldest son (primogeniture) while younger sons might

receive cash payments or wait for their older brother to die

The main occupation of England was farming. Private and public lands were not separated by fences as they are today. Every village had a public area called the commons. This was land that was valuable for everyone in

the village. It could be used for pasturing, hunting, the gathering of firewood, growing of crops, etc. So poor farmers who did not own their

own land, or did not have enough money to rent, could eke out a marginal living by depending on the commons. Unlike France, most English peasant

farmers did own their land, no matter how small.

Villages were usually connected by a system of dirt roads that became virtually impassable during the wet season. As a result, transportation was often slow and trade outside of your own village was usually very difficult. Most English farmers never visited any place more than 25 miles outside of

their village (and that would be most unusual)! People made their own food, clothes, furniture, tools, and even their own homes. A few items that could not be produced could often be obtained from wandering peddlers, who were often the major source of outside information about the outside world. Finally, for fuel, there were two sources: firewood and coal. Nearly every English village had a coal mining operation. These mines employed a

small number of villagers, especially in the winter. Coal pits from which coal was extracted belonged to the owner of the property where the coal-

mine was located.

Over the next 100 years, a revolution as significant as the Neolithic Revolution

occurred. This revolution will change life in your village, as well as in all of England. Some historians believe it to be the most fundamental change in human history. We are now going to

experience some of those changes.

England1700s

It is now 1745. England’s geography is unique in that no section of the country is more than 90 miles from the sea and there are

many navigable rivers that crisscross the countryside. You’re an enterprising young capitalist (one of the very first in England or

anywhere for that matter!) and you decide to invest money in the building of a canal. This is a private venture, as were most early canals, and the profits are astonishing! The Oxford Canal, also

built in 1745, yielded a 300% annual return for it’s investors for 30 years. This new revolution in transportation reduced the prices of raw materials, and drastically cut transportation costs. Coal could now be shipped from the mines to the towns for half the price of

horse-wagon transportation.

Since you were wise enough to invest your money in this venture and make a tidy

profit, build yourself 1 nice house anywhere on the map you would like it to

be. Don’t forget to construct the canal. Be sure to construct the canal parallel to

the river.

It is now 1750. For a variety of different reasons (soap, improved diet, and better sanitation) there is a

population explosion in all of England, including your village. The curse of the Bubonic Plague which for centuries had been the scourge of your village, and

others throughout England, has been eliminated due to disposal of sewage into the canals constructed in

England, and then ultimately into the ocean.

Add 10 more houses to your village.

It is 1760. The people of your village need more food and goods to meet the needs of the growing population. About this time a

number of important developments took place. First, a number of new mechanical inventions for farmers are developed. One is called the seed drill and another is the horse-drawn cultivator

(Jethro Tull). Also, at this time, farmers began to experiment with new, more productive farming techniques like crop rotation

(Charles Townshend), new fertilizers, and new livestock breeding techniques (Robert Bakewell).

Consequently farm production is increased. But there is one problem. Most farmers own their own small tracts of land. Why should they, or how could they, invest in expensive machines

when their land was so small? Because almost all of the land was owned it was almost impossible for anyone to buy more land. At the same time, pressure is placed on Parliament by both large and small landowners to make more land available. But where

was the land to come from? The Commons, of course!

A series of laws called the Enclosure Acts was passed by Parliament. This means that those with money could buy land from the

government. Take away half of the Commons and add one more nice house

to your village.

It is now 1773. A man named Richard Arkwright invents a new machine that spin and weave cloth a hundred times faster than

could be done by hand in a farm cottage (the most common way of producing cloth at this time, the cottage industry, or putting out system). He calls his new machine the Water Frame because its principal source of power was water. Your village is very special

because Arkwright decides that your river will be the perfect source of power for his water frame. Since the early water frames were rather large and cumbersome, a special place was needed

and the first factory for producing cotton cloth was built.

Add 1 factory. Remember the factory must be placed on the riverbank. The canal is not swift enough to generate

enough power to move the parts of the water frame. Because this factory is

powered by water don’t add smoke to this factory. You may draw additional

roads and an additional bridge.

It is now 1774. Workers are needed to work in this new factory. Since many people (women) cannot compete with the spinning and weaving of the cloth made in the factory and there are also

large numbers of poor families who have lost their livelihood because of the Enclosure Acts; there is a large supply of workers.

People move to the village to find work.

Add 5 houses, 1 church, 1 pub, and 1 store.

It is now 1776. The profits from the first textile factory are enormous. It should come as no surprise that Richard Arkwright is referred to with two titles; the father of the factory system and the

first millionaire. More new factories are built in your village.

Add 5 new factories. The early owners of these factories called themselves capitalists because they had the capital, or money to purchase the raw materials, the building, the water frame, and pay their workers a

fixed wage and make a profit.

It is 1780. Unemployed workers from surrounding communities, hearing of the factories in your village, flood into your community looking for work. Although the wages are low, they look attractive to starving families. Housing is in great demand and for the first

time a new kind of housing is constructed called tenements. Here, dozens of families live under one roof.

Add 5 tenements.

It is now 1781. More workers need to live, eat, shop, drink, and worship. Social support services are needed to go along with this demand. Add 1 store, 1 pub, 1 church, and 1 school for those

families wealthy enough to send their children (boys only of course!) to school. Since work in the factory is 6 days a week, the

only day of rest is Sunday. People flock to the churches so be sure to make them convenient for their tired feet.

It is now 1782. The workers work long hard hours in the factories. The average work day begins at 6:00 AM and ends around 9:00 PM. There is only one 30-minute break for lunch. After work, the exhausted, “stressed out” workers stop at their favorite pub for

some relaxation.

Add 2 more pubs.

It is now 1783. Workers barely eke out a marginal existence. There is never enough money to save and many workers go into debt. Very few have the ability to send their children to school.

Still, there are a few families whose lifestyle is quite comfortable, even luxurious. Who are these lucky few? They are the large landowning farmers and factory owners. These new rich, the

“nouveau riche” are not actually part of the aristocratic class of England, but they can now enjoy some of the refinements of the aristocratic class: rich foods, servants, furniture, education, fine

clothing, fancy carriages, etc.

Add 2 more nice houses. These handsome manor houses are often lavishly decorated and many are feature wonderful

works of art.

The year is 1785. A man named James Watt develops a new machine called the steam engine. The steam engine gradually

replaces the water frame. First, it is far more efficient. Second, it allows factories to be built away from the river. This source of

power is far more mobile. Capitalists quickly replace their water frames with steam-powered weaving and spinning machines. The

main business in England is still textile manufacturing. A tremendous growth in business expansion takes place.

Add 10 factories with smoke and also add smoke to the pre-existing factories.

Also, add one more nice house since people are continuing to get rich.

The year is 1800. A man named Henry Cort has just invented the puddling process. This process makes it possible for coal, which is, fortunately in abundant supply in England, to be used as the

primary source of fuel in the new iron industry. Consequently, your town is thrust into the “New Age of Heavy Industry.” Larger factory districts appear in towns, such as yours, which manufacture iron

at low prices that can be easily transported by canals.

Add 1 new coal-mine and a new iron bridge to replace the old wooden bridge.

The year is now 1815. There is a great demand for coal now: home heating, fuel for the steam engines, and for the production

of iron. Although in the 1700s coal miners were adults who worked in the winter to supplement their wages, in the 1800s most miners were children, typically between the ages of 8 and 14. The work is

both dangerous and unhealthy. Children become the victims of black lung, explosions, and accidents. Their growth is often

stunted as they spend most of their 14-hour workday stooped over deep in the mines. They are malnourished with no time to

exercise, eat properly, or get enough sleep.

Draw 1 cemetery.

It is 1820. The existing canals and dirt roads cannot accommodate all of the heavy industrial traffic. New experiments with transportation using the power of the steam engine are tried. The most successful of these seems to be a steam engine that pulls a series of wagons or cars on an iron track. The first railroad is tested and proves to be quite effective.

Add 1 major railroad line connecting your factory district(s) to your coal-mining region.

The year is now 1827. This new “revolution” in transportation draws thousands of people to your community. Soon there

becomes a surplus of workers. Capitalists who wish to ensure their profits decide to hire women and children over men because

they can perform the same labor at one-half to one-quarter the price. More and more children leave their homes to work in the

factories. Unemployed miners are unable to find work. Depressed, ashamed, and angry about their wives and children working in the factories, many men turn to crime, or to the social life of the pub. For the first time in England’s history, alcoholism

appears in epidemic proportions. Family life that existed for hundreds of years is disrupted. Family members seldom get to

see each other, much less eat meals or share family time.

Add 1 jail and 3 pubs.

It is now 1835. Using steam engines, and iron, and soon steel, British manufacturers introduced power-driven machinery in many

different industries. The production of shoes, clothing, furniture, and ammunition became mechanized, as did printing and

papermaking. People used machines to cut and finish lumber, to process foods, and to make other machines. Some new

inventions and innovative processes had important by-products. These by-products often developed into their separate industries.

For example, iron smelters used coke, a by-product of coal, to improve the smelting process. Then someone discovered that the gasses that coal releases during the coke-making process could be burned to give light. During the 1830s London and other large

towns became the first communities to pipe in gas to burn in streetlights. Soon all around England hundreds of towns, including

yours, used gas to light streets and homes.

Add 20 streetlights.

The year is now 1838. Let’s look at the working conditions in the factories of England. The two predominant factories are textile and iron (steel). The working conditions in either of these were appalling. Many factory workers contracted the deadly factory fever, or white lung disease. It was probably a variety of lung

diseases; cancer, tuberculosis, emphysema, etc. Other workers were injured on the job in factory accidents. There were no

protective railings around the huge moving parts of the machinery. Children, often weak from a lack of sleep or proper nutrition,

would stumble into machinery and be mutilated. Women’s long hair became undone and would become tangled in a machine’s

moving parts. With no legislative protection, such as health insurance unemployment benefits, or workman’s compensation, if

you were unable to work you were fired. Every morning, before dawn, there was a long line of unemployed workers waiting for the

opportunity to fill vacant jobs.

Add 2 hospitals and 1 more cemetery.

The year is 1840. The need for cheaper and quicker transportation grows. Coal, iron, raw materials, and finished

products must all be transported from one area of England to another. In Ireland in the late 1830s a devastating potato famine

(at least devastating to the poor Irish tenant farmers) drove thousands of Irish to England looking for work. Here was the

cheap labor needed to build the railroads.

Add 1 more railroad line.

It is now 1842. By this time, several million acres of good English land has been enclosed and sold to the owners of the large

estates. Despite the misery this creates for the landless poor, the economics benefits for the rest of England are obvious. The large

landowners are able to purchase the newest power-driven machinery and can feed the growing working class of England. The enclosing of the “Commons” crushes the small land-owning

farmer. They cannot afford the newest machinery and cannot compete and grow food profitably. Many of them leave the villages

(often where their families had lived for hundreds of years) and move to the cities, looking for work to feed their families. Others do stay and work as tenant farmers for the large landowners. By the thousands they move to the bleak, dreary cities of northern

England.

Add 20 houses, 10 tenements, 2 stores, 1 church, 10 factories, 1 pub, and 1 more

nice house.

It is 1845. There are a few advantages for the new urban dwellers. City life is much different from country life. For the small, but

growing middle class, a whole new culture is available. Museums, theaters, opera, plays, and concerts are inviting to those who can afford it and the middle class come to appreciate the finer aspects

of life.

Add 2 theaters and 2 private schools.

It is now 1850. There are no pollution controls so the air in your city looks dark. Walls, windows, even trees are covered with soot and coke. The river that once flowed through your quiet village is now unfit for drinking, bathing, or even laundry. A new disease

begins to take the lives of the people. Malignant tumors begin to grow, and the term cancer is first used in the medical profession.

The average life expectancy for the working class is now 30 years. Your city is now overcrowded and shrouded in factory smoke. The

noise, loss of privacy, and loss of the family unit, all shatter the peace of the old ways. Suicide rates double, then triple.

Add 1 jail, 1 cemetery, and 1 hospital to accommodate the victims of urban life.