STUDY NOTES Grade 8 History Term1 - Holy Cross School

1 The Industrial Revolution in Britain and Southern Africa from 1860. STUDY NOTES . Grade 8. History Term1 . e-classroom Background The Mineral Revolution in south Africa began after the discovery of diamonds in Kimberley in 1867 and continued with the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand in 1886. The British were already colonising parts of Southern Africa at the time of the discovery of diamonds, and the Industrial Revolution in Britain made it a more powerful and determined colonising power. The new diamond wealth in south Africa gradually pulled the British into controlling the whole of south Africa.

2 Picture Source: SA History Online e-classroom Economy Before the Industrial Revolution Farming was the primary livelihood in England, with at least 75% of the population making their living off the land The cottage industry was developed to take advantage of the farmers' free time and use it to produce quality textiles for a reasonable price Manufactured goods came from small workshops Most machinery was powered by animals, wind, water or human labour Manufacturing was often done in people's homes and people used hand tools or basic machines There was a limited power supply, so manufacturing processes did not happen in large workshops By 1914 the European economy was dominated by large factories, employing thousands of workers Picture credit.

3 E-classroom Slave Trade Sir John Hawkins was the first Englishman to trade in Africans The British slave trade became a major business in the 17th century, when King James I set up the first monopoly company to trade with Africa in 1618. The demand for slaves to work the tobacco, rice, sugar and other crops on plantations grew when Britain obtained colonies The slave trade employed thousands of people in order to sustain a large support network of shipping services, ports and finance companies The slave trade provided British industries with raw materials which were turned into manufactured goods and then sold for large profits in Europe and in the colonies Plantation-grown goods such as rum, tobacco, coffee, sugar.

4 Molasses and cotton were bought from the profits of selling african slaves to the plantation owners and sold for a profit in Britain and Europe Plantation owners profited from the use of free slave labour Picture courtesy BBC. e-classroom Wealth From the Slave Trade Merchants who dealt in slaves were among the richest people in 18th-century Britain British profits were made from exporting manufactured goods to Africa and importing slave products such as sugar British capitalism was a cause of slave plantation development Slavery played an important role in the development of the modern world economy and provided the labour power necessary to settle and develop the New World Slaves were used for labour to produce the products like sugar, tobacco, coffee.

5 Cocoa and cotton British cotton mills depended on cheap slaved-produced cotton from the New World British consumers also benefited from other cheap slave-produced goods like sugar The profits gained from the slave trade gave the British economy an extra source of capital Both the Americas and Africa, whose economies depended on slavery, became useful additional export markets for British manufactures. Many British individuals, businesses, and ports prospered on the basis of the slave trade e-classroom Cottage industry The term referred to people who worked from home like sewing, lace- making, wall hangings, electronics etc Spinners, weavers and others remained living in small villages and worked according to their own preferences.

6 As independent contractors who owned their equipment Women and children earned cash and it converted what had been the family's leisure time especially the slow phases of the agricultural cycle into cash as well Before industrialisation, European manufacturers had a large consumer market available to them which provided small luxury goods e-classroom Farming Economy Agriculture made important contributions to economic growth during the industrial revolution Societies quickly developed from agricultural to industrial New farming techniques were introduced as well as technical innovations Power-driven machinery and other energy sources were introduced Improved livestock breeding resulted in improved food production Institutional change (especially enclosure)

7 And a market oriented framework As the agricultural sector became more productive, it produced more output per worker Pic courtesy :Foundations of Western Culture e-classroom Key Features of the Industrial Revolution Population shift moving from rural agriculture to work in factories in cities Use of machines - mass production of goods Reduced average costs which enabled more production Shift from agriculture - the rise of steam power (steam trains, railways and steam- powered machines). Industrial and scientific discoveries Introduction of cotton Increased productivity e-classroom Role of Women During The Industrial Revolution Before the industrial revolution, women were often tasked with traditional jobs like making and repairing clothing Women were also involved with helping manage the affairs of the farm and raising children As a result of the impacts of the Industrial Revolution.

8 Many women entered the workforce in textile mills and coal mines to help support the family Women often worked in the factories and mines in order to help pay for the families cost of living Women were not valued the same as men in the workplace and were paid much less than men Women were also subjected to terrible conditions in the workplace Women saw their role in society dramatically shift during the Industrial revolution Pic courtesy Think Link e-classroom Urbanisation One of the defining features of the Industrial Revolution was the rise of cities Most people (80%)

9 Lived in rural areas before the Industrial Revolution As people moved from the countryside, small towns became large cities Urbanisation moved the booming new industries by converging workers and factories together The new industrial cities became sources of wealth for the nation The negative effects of urbanisation meant that working-class neighbourhoods were miserable, overcrowded, dirty and polluted Picture courtesy Google sites e-classroom Change in Living Conditions As workers moved from the country to the city, their lives and the lives of their families were drastically changed For many skilled workers, the quality of life decreased The working-class had little time for leisure People worked very long hours Local governments actively sought to ban traditional festivals in the cities In the new working-class neighbourhoods.

10 People did not share the same traditional sense of a village community Owners fined workers who left their jobs to return to their villages for festivals because they interrupted the efficient flow of work at the factories After the 1850s, recreation improved along with the rise of an emerging the middle class Music halls emerged in big cities. Sports such as rugby and cricket became popular. Football became a professional sport in 1885. By the end of the 19th century, cities had become the places with opportunities for sport and entertainment that they are today During the first 60 years of the Industrial Revolution, living conditions were, by far, worst for the poor e-classroom The Emerging Middle Class Gradually a middle class emerged in industrial cities, mostly toward the end of the 19th century Before then, there had been only two major classes in society.