2.1 Origins of the Industrial Revolution

Why did the Industrial Revolution begin in Great Britain?

•  Great Britain had all the factors of production including two key resources: coal and iron ore.
• Great Britain exploited all the other European nations' populations by enslaving the natives.
• Great Britain had monopolized open sea trade enabling them to industrialize Third World nations.
• Great Britain had a larger population than other nations so they had a surplus of workers.

How did improvements in the textile industry change the labor force?

• Mechanization eliminated the need for skilled laborers and gave birth to the factory system.

• Economic theorists began to propose new laws that would inhibit the exploitation of machinery.

• The labor force began to specialize in specific types of textiles such as shirts, blouses, shorts, etc.

• Inventions created the need for technological research centers to experiment on their efficiency.

How did mechanization change labor?

• Machines decreased the number of workers and required less skilled workers.
• Machines developed a need to import skilled laborers from foreign countries. 
• Machines increased production because laborers were more highly motivated. 
• Machines required more highly educated workers trained in computer technologies. 

How did the cotton gin change the American south?

•  Eli Whitney's invention increased the need for laborers causing an increase in slavery.
• Eli Whintey's invention led to the Emancipation Proclimation freeing slaves from cotton plantations. 
• Eli Whitney's cotton gin created the need for rehabilitation centers for American southerners. 
  
• Eli Whintey's invention created a newfound interest in the migratory habits of cotton plants.