Activities

Complete the following notes. They will give you an outline of the information contained in the passage. The main points, relations of cause-effect, illustrations etc. are clearly indicated in the text by logical connectors. Look out for them. 

•  (par. 1) The Industrial Revolution brought radical changes in nineteenth century England and in the western worlds. It also led to the substitution of competition for the mediaeval regulations which had previously controlled the production and distribution of wealth, and it

led to growth of two systems of thought:

1) Economic science                     2) Socialism

 • (par. 2-3) Facts of Industrial Revolution. 

• (par. 4) Decrease in rural population.

Causes:     1) destruction of the common-field system of cultivation

     2) enclosures

     3) consolidation of small farms into large

• (par. 5) Agricultural advance.

cause — more scientific approach:

e.g.  

Improvement of the breed of cattle

Rotation of crops was introduced

Invention of the steam-plough

Agricultural societies

• (par. 6-7) Growth of industry.

causes;

1) mechanical inventions in textile industry

e.g.  

Spinning-jenny

Water-frame

Crompton's mule

Self-acting mule

most important:

steam engine

power-loom

2) mechanical revolution in iron industry

e.g.  

smelting by pit-coal

blast furnaces

3) improved means of communication

e.g.  

canals

turnpike roads

railroad

results:   1) regular recurrence of periods of over-production and of depression

     2) substitution of factory system for domestic system.

• (par. 8) Revolution in distribution of wealth:

rise in rents caused by

1)money invested in improvements

2)enclosure system

3) consolidation of farms

4) high price of corn

social changes in country life:

• (par. 9) Social changes in manufacturing world:

The new class of great capitalist employers made enormous fortunes, they took little or no part personally in the work of their factories, their hundreds of workmen were individually  unknown to them.

consequences:

 1)a "cash nexus" was substituted for the human tie the workmen on their side resorted to combination

2) the workmen on their side resorted to combination

3) class conflict.

• (par. 10) Misery of working people often caused by:

1)fall in wages

2)conditions of labour under the factory system

3)rise of prices

Conclusion:

The industrial revolution produced utilitarism. Its principles are illustrated by Smith, Ricardo, Malthus and Stuart Mill. It is probably the greatest change in human history and it still goes on today. It led to a revolution in textile industry, agriculture and gave birth to new industries and new means of communications and transport. But the Industrial revolution also led to enormous social differences between the working class and the middle class.