Notes

PERSON A: Now, it is normal for one to ask, “Was the Industrial Revolution positive or negative?” The answer to that is that it was downright positive!

PERSON B: But why?

PERSON A: Let’s start from the beginning, shall we? It began in 1760 where Great Britain was thriving with the advantage of trade across the Atlantic, and multiple countries continuously trading goods such as sugar, tea, coffee, raw cotton, and tobacco with England. The economy increased exponentially as trade was free because England did not believe mercantilism, and the country was exporting lots of goods. Additionally, the colonies established in the Americas brought in more resources. England had a high wage and cheap energy economy that demanded technology capable of capital energy for labor. And with that, sparked the industrial revolution.

PERSON B: But how was it positive?

PERSON A: Well you see, there were many factors that the revolution impacted, both good and bad but most of the impacts were good, especially in technology. The technological effects of the revolution were that machinery was continuously improving and advancing. Take, for example, coal! Coal was used to replace wood because it provided more fuel and power, and since England was surrounded by water it was easier to mine from coal, especially in the Midlands and the North.

PERSON B: Wow! Okay, well what about mining for coal, how did they get it? And was it difficult?

PERSON A: It certainly wasn’t easy and when miners had to mine deeper into caves it became more of a problem. The deeper miners dug, the more likely it was for the mines to flood, and with that, they needed to find a way to pump out the water to mine for more coal. At first, they used a horse mill which was a water pump powered by horsepower. Not only was it inefficient, but the pump only reached a depth of about 90 feet, which left out a lot of coal lower down. But with the invention of steam engines created by Thomas Newcomen, things began to change drastically. In 1712, he designed an engine that could harness the power of coal to make steam and run a water pump, which did the work of 20 horses and could pump water from hundreds of feet below. This design influenced many scientists and people, motivating them to improve the design of the steam engine. Bucklemaker, Matthew Bolton, and James Watts understood the mechanics of steam power and produced an engine with the innovation of a separate condenser, making it more efficient than earlier engines. Their engines were so powerful that they could power a whole manufactory, so with their new design of the steam engine, they were able to power The Boulton & Watt Company.

PERSON B: I’m completely amazed. Please, do continue!

PERSON A: Gladly! With these innovations growing and new ideas forming, the steam engine was the main source of power companies used to run their manufacturers. This then allowed companies to produce more goods, which were then sold, making a great amount of profit. Not only does the industrial revolution affect technology, but it affects the economy as items are mass-produced and sold nationwide.

PERSON B: Were there any other inventions that impacted technology.

PERSON A: Oh absolutely!! There's the spinning jenny, cotton gin, power loom, and assembly line. The list goes on but let’s start with the spinning jenny. It was a device invented by James Hargreaves that was a multi-spindle spinning frame. It allowed the machine to use eight spindles onto which the thread was spun by turning a single wheel. Now, the operator can spin eight threads at once. The spinning jenny allowed the textile industry to move into factories instead of homes.

PERSON B: Interesting, I see, so this allowed the textile industry to be more efficient as it was produced in factories?

PERSON A: Precisely!

PERSON B: And so how did the factories run? Where did they get cotton from and did they have to clean the cotton before spinning or using them?

PERSON A: Ah, Yes! So the factories were run most efficiently in assembly lines. This system made it possible for production to be produced in the quickest way possible, yet maintaining their high quality. Essentially, an assembly line is a production process that breaks the manufacture into steps that are completed by different sections of the factory. This method is most helpful in the mass production of products. In fact, this process has been continuing for centuries, greatly impacting the technological system.

PERSON B: Incredible!

PERSON A: Yes, indeed! Now to how they cleaned cotton before spinning them. The cotton gin was a very innovative invention that meant “cotton engine”. This machine quickly separated the raw cotton fibers from their seeds, improving the efficiency and enabling greater productivity of cleaning the cotton, instead of by hand.

PERSON B: How marvelous!

PERSON A: Exactly! And finally, the power looms designed by Edmund Cartwright. Now this was like the last step for textiles as it was a mechanized device used to weave cloth and tapestry. It was one of the key developments in the industrialization of weaving during the early industrial revolution. The power loom mechanized the function of a loom by the use of a large shaft and was powered by water. Just like the other inventions, the power loom sped up the process of textile manufacturing allowing much more cloth to be produced at a much faster rate. Weavers were able to produce these products and use more thread than spinners could produce!

PERSON B: Holy moly! Wow, I’m absolutely astonished by how the Industrial Revolution immensely impacted the technology, allowing Britain to attain the best machines created in the world! Heck, I’m convinced the Industrial Revolution was most definitely positive!