Chapter 19 Discussion Questions

1. The Industrial Revolution in Europe began in northern Great Britain. What circumstances made this process of economic development begin there? **Try to categorize your answers in terms of economic, social, cultural, and political factors. (p. 617-621)

The circumstances that made the Industrial Revolution start in North Great Britain because there was a large supply of available capital, a national bank, and no internal tolls or tariffs. In addition, the pursuit of wealth considered worthy goal which made people seek after it. Also they had strong trade with the world and navy to protect it, and integrated domestic market because of small size and it was an island. Finally there were many technological advancements that started in Great Britain.

2. What was enclosure, and why was it an important factor in the Industrial Revolution? (p. 619)

Enclosure was essentially commercializing agriculture, and dividing land into separate properties for higher profits. This drove smaller farmers away.

3. Certain industries were particularly suitable for the kinds of technological developments that encouraged industrialization. What were these, and where did they exist in Europe? (621-629)

One industry that was particularly suitable for these kinds of developments was textile. Many textile advancements were made such as the spinning jenny and the flying weave. At this time there was also greater demand for clothing. Another industry was coal and iron. This increased efficiency with advancements like the steam engine and making iron railroads- whch allowed transportation of goods and people.

4. What was the Spinning Jenny? What was the Cotton Gin? What effect did these machines have on industrial development? (621-622)

The spinning jenny was a machine that turned cotton into thread faster than by hands. The cotton Gin separated cotton seeds from the cotton, and improved the speed of cotton production and lowered its cost. These machines supplied the rising demand of textiles, but lowered the need for work force, which beat the competition of independent farmers.

5. Industrial development changed the nature of work and production in significant ways. What were these changes and how did they change the relations between laborers and their employers, or local producers and wider markets? (631-639)

The changes that affected the nature of work and production were that work process became expedited and had less need for a large labor force. This mean that machines could do most of the work, and as a result, more rural areas with less technology suffered because they weren't needed that much anymore. The relationship between laborers and employers was that employers usually owned the machinery needed, and the laborers used it under them. Local producers could no longer compete with wider markets, and the local producers began to fade away.