The industrial revolution
Appunti sulla rivoluzione industriale e sul relativo periodo storico (2 pagine formato doc)
The industrial revolution took place in the last decades of XVIII century in Britain where there was a great increase in population which meant a demand for more pots, more beer, and , above all, more clothes.
The technology was the main purpose of the industrial revolution, as new inventions and sources of power were created. The main inventions involved the machinery for cloth-making, such as the “spinning jenny” and the water frame. As regards the new sources of power, the steam power brought to the invention of the steam-engine, patented by James Watt. Besides the employment of the steam-engine in the clothes field leaded Britain to manufacture more cheaply than elsewhere; even if plenty of people were compeled to be fired due to the machines employment. In fact they let one man do what was previously done by many.
The industrial revolution also involved transport. As a matter of fact road conditions were improved and new waterways were built. This brought to fast road travel and cheap transport by canal. The agrarian revolution was connected to the industrial one since they both used technological inventions. In fact there were improvements in the breeding of the cattle and in farming techniques. Nevertheless, lots of farmers were forced to move from the countryside to the industrialized cities due to the massive enclosure of open fields and common lands. New factories were built in the north and in midlands on coal and iron fields as well as near them were built small towns, also called “mushrooms towns”, to house the workers.
The industrial revolution also involved transport. As a matter of fact road conditions were improved and new waterways were built. This brought to fast road travel and cheap transport by canal. The agrarian revolution was connected to the industrial one since they both used technological inventions. In fact there were improvements in the breeding of the cattle and in farming techniques. Nevertheless, lots of farmers were forced to move from the countryside to the industrialized cities due to the massive enclosure of open fields and common lands. New factories were built in the north and in midlands on coal and iron fields as well as near them were built small towns, also called “mushrooms towns”, to house the workers.