The Industrial Revolution

• Child labor was prevalent during the Industrial Revolution, with children as young as five or six years old working in factories and mines.
• The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain around the time of the American Revolution
• Machines were first used in Great Britain to make cloth and steam engines to run the machines
• Inventions from the Industrial Revolution include the flying shuttle for looms in 1733 and the spinning jenny in 1764
• The three inventions that opened the way for later machines were the crude steam engine by Thomas Newcomen (1712), Kay's flying shuttle (1733), and a frame for spinning cotton thread by Lewis Paul and John Wyatt (1741)
• Steam engines were first used in 1720 to pump water out of coal mines to prevent flooding
• Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, revolutionizing the cotton industry by making it easier and faster to clean out seeds
• The Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 delayed the adoption of machine methods of manufacture in the United States
• New England was the first area in the United States to industrialize, with swift streams for power and a humid climate for spinning and weaving
• Samuel Slater was the first to introduce machine methods of manufacture to the United States
• Laissez-faire is an economic policy principle where the government stays hands-off business
• Most 19th-century labor unions sought improvements through collective bargaining and strikes
• The Second Industrial Revolution involved new scientific knowledge and technology applied to industries like steel, chemicals, and petroleum
• Thomas Edison introduced electric lighting in New York City in 1882, marking the age of electricity
• Samuel Morse invented the electric telegraph in 1844 for relaying commercial information
• Henry Ford introduced the assembly line in the manufacture of his Model T Ford in 1913, increasing production speed
• The "American system of manufacturing" involved using machine tools to make parts and arranging machines in lines for efficient production
• This act led to the separation of families and forced many people into urban areas where jobs were available.
• The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 aimed to reduce poverty by providing relief only to those who were willing to work.
• Children were often employed because they could work longer hours than adults due to their smaller size and lower wages.
• Factories became larger and more efficient due to the use of machines powered by steam engines.
• Improvements in transportation systems, such as canals and railroads, made the movement of raw materials, goods, people, and information easier.
• Steam engines were used to power trains, boats, and factories during the industrial revolution.
• Increased crop yields and a growing population resulted in a surplus of food and a larger workforce.
• The mechanization of agriculture and textile manufacturing led to the development of steam power and the iron industry.
• The power loom, invented by Edmund Cartwright, automated the weaving process and increased textile production.
• The cotton gin, invented by Eli Whitney, greatly increased the efficiency of cotton production.
• New inventions like spinning jennies and water frames increased productivity in cotton production.