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GCSE History · GCSEChapter 7 · The Industrial Revolution and its effects in Britain, c1750 to 1900
GCSE · Chapter 7

The Industrial Revolution and its effects in Britain, c1750 to 1900

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • Explain why Britain industrialised first, using at least two factors
  • Describe the inventions and industries that changed production
  • Describe working and living conditions, using a source
  • Explain and judge the reforms, with dates and a reason for their limits

You should already know

  • Source analysis, interpretations, causation and change (Chapters 1 to 5)
  • Significance and how far answers (Chapter 6)

Where this leads

  • Consequences of industrial change in the later chapters
  • Britain health (Chapter 12)

GCSE History. Content follows the GCSE (9-1) subject content for England (Edexcel and AQA). Content references: Explain why Britain industrialised first: coal and iron, inventions, capital, transport, farming and markets, Describe key inventions in textiles, steam power, iron and railways, and how they spread, Describe working and living conditions in factories and industrial towns, including sanitation and cholera, Explain the main reforms (Factory Acts, Mines Act, Public Health Acts) and judge how far they improved lives by 1900.

Exercise P  Do you remember?

1
FWrite the word for a change that alters the direction of later events. Two words.
2
FWrite the word for the view a historian holds because of background or values. The word starts with p.
3
FWrite the word for a cause that is needed for an event to happen. The word starts with n.
4
FHow many years are there from 1750 to 1900? Write the number.
5
FWrite the word for a fire that spread through London in 1666. Write two words.
7.1

Why Britain industrialised first

GCSE
Explain why Britain industrialised first: coal and iron, inventions, capital, transport, farming and markets
Video lesson: Why Britain industrialised firstComing soon
Context. Between about 1750 and 1900, Britain changed from a country of farms and small workshops into the world’s first industrial nation. Why Britain, and why then? Historians give several factors, and a good answer weighs them.

Several factors came together. Natural resources: coal and iron ore lay close together in some areas. Inventions in cotton and steam power multiplied output. Capital: merchants and banks had money to invest. Transport: canals and, later, railways carried heavy goods cheaply. Farming: improvements and enclosure freed labour for towns. Markets: trade at home and overseas created demand for goods.

FactorWhat it meant for industry
Coal and ironFuel for steam engines and iron making
InventionsFaster and cheaper cloth and power
CapitalMoney for mills, machines and canals
TransportCheap movement of coal, iron and cloth
Farming and enclosureFewer farm workers needed; people moved to towns
MarketsDemand for British cloth and goods at home and abroad

Key ideas

  • Coal and iron were the key natural resources.
  • Inventions multiplied output, especially in cotton.
  • Capital, transport, farming and markets all helped.
  • Explain each factor: say how it helped industry.
Worked example 7.1.1
Name the ironmaster who used coke to smelt iron at Coalbrookdale in 1709. Write the surname.

Method. Recall the name linked to coke and iron.

  1. Recall. Abraham Darby used coke, rather than charcoal, to smelt iron at Coalbrookdale.
    Darby
  2. Check. Coke is a fuel made from coal, which Britain had in plenty.
    coal
  3. Write the answer.
    Darby

Check. Check fact: confirm the date in your textbook.

Worked example 7.1.2
Explain in one sentence how the enclosure of land helped industry. Accept any sentence that says enclosure moved workers off the land, so more people were available for factories.

Method. Think about what enclosure did to farm labour.

  1. Think. Enclosure changed the land, and fewer people were needed to farm it.
    fewer farm workers
  2. Link. So workers moved to towns, where factories needed them.
    towns and factories
  3. Write the answer.
    Accept any sentence that says enclosure moved workers off the land, so more people were available for factories.

Check. Check fact: confirm the enclosure details in your textbook.

Worked example 7.1.3
Name one resource that Britain had close together, which helped iron making. Write one word.

Method. Recall the resources.

  1. Recall. Coal and iron ore lay close together in some areas.
    coal and iron
  2. Check. Coal fuelled the smelting that made iron.
    fuel for smelting
  3. Write the answer.
    coal

Check. Coal was the fuel for smelting.

Watch out

Watch out: “Britain had coal” is only one factor. Explain how it helped industry, and weigh it against the others.

Exam tip

Exam tip. For “explain why” questions, give a factor, then say how it led to industrialisation, then link it to the question.

Exercise 7A  Why Britain industrialised first

1
FWrite the word for the fuel that powered steam engines in Britain. The word is a mineral. One word.
2
FIn which year did Abraham Darby use coke to smelt iron at Coalbrookdale? Write the year. (check fact)
3
FWrite the word for money that is invested in mills, machines and canals. The word starts with c.
4
FName one type of transport that carried heavy goods cheaply before the railways. Write one word.
5
FEnclosure moved workers off the land. Did this help the growth of towns and factories? Write yes or no.
6
FWrite the word for the sales of British goods to other countries. The word starts with t.
7
PSGive one reason why coal and iron mattered for industry. Accept any answer that says they fuelled steam engines and iron making.
8
PSExplain how the invention of machines in cotton helped industrialisation. Accept any answer that says machines multiplied output and cut costs.
9
PSWhich factor helped the supply of labour to towns: enclosure or the invention of steam power? Write the word.
10
RWrite a sentence that explains why capital mattered. Accept any sentence that says money was needed to build mills, machines and canals.
11
RExplain in one sentence why the reasons for industrialisation are best judged together. Accept any sentence that says no single factor was enough on its own.
7.2

Key inventions and their spread

GCSE
Describe key inventions in textiles, steam power, iron and railways, and how they spread
Video lesson: Key inventions and their spreadComing soon
Context. New machines spread unevenly. Some were used at once in the mills; others took years to reach small workshops. Historians ask how far an invention changed production, not only when it was made.
AreaInventionDate (check fact)Effect
TextilesFlying shuttle (John Kay)1733Faster weaving
TextilesWater frame (Richard Arkwright)1769Strong thread in factories
TextilesSpinning mule (Samuel Crompton)1779Fine thread on a large scale
SteamSeparate condenser (James Watt)1769More efficient steam engine
IronPuddling process (Henry Cort)1784Better wrought iron
RailwaysStockton and Darlington1825First public steam railway for passengers and goods

Inventions spread through the mills and workshops as owners saw the gains. The railways spread across Britain in the 1830s and 1840s, cutting the cost of moving goods.

Key ideas

  • Textiles were the first industry to be mechanised.
  • Steam power drove mills and later railways.
  • Iron made machines and railways possible.
  • Inventions spread unevenly and over many years.
Worked example 7.2.1
Name the inventor of the water frame, first used in factories in 1769. Write the surname.

Method. Recall the inventor linked to the water frame.

  1. Recall. The water frame is linked to Richard Arkwright.
    Arkwright
  2. Check. It was a machine for spinning strong thread for the factory.
    strong thread
  3. Write the answer.
    Arkwright

Check. Check fact: confirm the date in your textbook.

Worked example 7.2.2
In which year did the Stockton and Darlington railway open? Write the year. (check fact)

Method. Recall the date.

  1. Recall. The Stockton and Darlington railway is dated 1825.
    1825
  2. Check. It was an early public steam railway for passengers and goods.
    public steam railway
  3. Write the answer.
    1825

Check. Check fact: confirm the date in your textbook.

Worked example 7.2.3
Explain why iron mattered for the railways. Accept any answer that says iron made the rails and locomotives possible.

Method. Think about what railways were made of.

  1. Think. The rails and the engines were made of iron.
    iron rails
  2. Link. So cheaper iron made railways possible at a larger scale.
    cheaper iron
  3. Write the answer.
    Accept any answer that says iron made the rails and locomotives possible.

Check. Check fact: confirm details in your textbook.

Watch out

Watch out: an invention is not the same as its spread. Ask how many people used it, and how quickly.

Exam tip

Exam tip. Name the invention, the person linked with it, the date and its effect in one sentence.

Exercise 7B  Key inventions and their spread

1
FWho invented the flying shuttle, linked with faster weaving in 1733? Write the surname.
2
FIn which year did James Watt patent the separate condenser? Write the year. (check fact)
3
FSamuel Crompton’s spinning mule was developed in which decade? Write the decade, for example 1770s.
4
FWrite the name of the process linked with Henry Cort that improved wrought iron. Write one word.
5
FWrite the number of years between the water frame (1769) and the spinning mule (1779). Write the number.
6
FWhich invention was first, the water frame (1769) or the spinning mule (1779)? Write the words.
7
FWrite the word for the way an invention is taken up across many workshops and mills. The word starts with s.
8
FName the type of power that drove the mills after Watt’s improvements. Write one word.
9
PSGive one effect of the water frame on factories. Accept any answer that says it spun strong thread suited to factory machines.
10
RExplain in one sentence how railways changed the cost of moving goods. Accept any sentence that says railways moved heavy goods faster and more cheaply than road or canal.
11
RWhy did inventions spread unevenly? Accept any answer that says owners had to afford machines and some areas had less need or money.
7.3

Working and living conditions

GCSE
Describe working and living conditions in factories and industrial towns, including sanitation and cholera
Video lesson: Working and living conditionsComing soon
Context. A source from the 1830s describes a mill. Read it carefully, then use it with what you know about factory life and towns.

Invented source for practice. A factory inspector’s note (invented), written in a northern mill town in the 1830s (invented date for practice).

Child workers in the mill I visited began at six in the morning and were still at work at seven in the evening. Several of the youngest had lost fingers in the machinery. The owner told me the children were paid less than the adults and that they could not be spared from the frames.

Factory workers often worked long hours, six days a week, in noisy and dangerous conditions. Many towns grew quickly, with crowded housing, open drains and water that was often dirty. Cholera outbreaks in the 1830s, 1840s and 1850s killed many people. check fact: confirm the epidemic years in your textbook.

Key ideas

  • Factory life meant long hours and dangerous machines.
  • Towns grew fast, with crowded housing and poor sanitation.
  • Cholera spread through dirty water.
  • A source gives evidence for one point; use own knowledge to test it.
Worked example 7.3.1
According to the invented inspector’s note, at what time did the children begin work? Write the time.

Method. Find the start time in the source.

  1. Find it. The note says the children began at six in the morning.
    six in the morning
  2. Write it. Six in the morning is 6 am.
    6 am
  3. Write the answer.
    6 am

Check. This source is invented for practice.

Worked example 7.3.2
Using own knowledge, name the disease that spread through towns in the 1830s, 1840s and 1850s. Write the word. (check fact)

Method. Recall the disease linked to dirty water.

  1. Recall. Cholera spread through contaminated water in towns.
    cholera
  2. Link. Cholera outbreaks in these decades killed many people.
    many deaths
  3. Write the answer.
    cholera

Check. Check fact: confirm the outbreak years in your textbook.

Worked example 7.3.3
Give one reason the invented note is useful to a historian, and one limit. Accept any answer that says it is first-hand evidence from an inspector, but may reflect one visit or one owner.

Method. Think about origin and limits.

  1. Use. It is a first-hand account from an inspector who visited the mill.
    first-hand
  2. Limit. It describes one mill and may not show all the factories.
    one mill
  3. Write the answer.
    Accept any answer that says it is first-hand evidence from an inspector, but may reflect one visit or one owner.

Check. Chapter 1 applies here: origin, purpose and limits.

Watch out

Watch out: a source about one mill does not describe all factories. Use it as evidence for a point, not as the whole picture.

Exam tip

Exam tip. When a question gives a source, quote or point to it, then add one piece of own knowledge.

Exercise 7C  Working and living conditions

1
FAccording to the invented note, what did the owner say about the children’s pay? Write the words.
2
FAccording to the invented note, what happened to the youngest workers? Write the words.
3
FWhich is the best word for the type of source the invented note is: primary or secondary? Write the word.
4
PSName one danger of the machinery shown in the invented note. Accept any answer naming lost fingers or injury from the frames.
5
FWrite the word for the disease that spread through dirty water in British towns in the 1830s and later. One word.
6
FWrite the year of the cholera outbreak in Britain in 1832 (check fact). Write the year.
7
FIn which decade did the cholera outbreak of 1848 to 1849 occur? Write the decade, for example 1840s.
8
PSGive one feature of crowded urban housing that spread disease. Accept any answer naming open drains, cesspits, dirty water or overcrowding.
9
RWrite one reason a factory worker might work long hours. Accept any answer that says wages were low, so people worked long hours to earn enough.
10
RExplain why a historian should check the invented note against other evidence before using it. Accept any answer that says one note describes one mill and may not be typical.
11
FWrite the word for the system of making goods in large buildings with machines and workers paid wages. Two words.
12
RName one improvement in living conditions in towns that followed the public health reforms. Accept any answer that names clean water, sewers or better drains.
7.4

Reform: the Factory Acts, Mines Act and Public Health Acts

GCSE
Explain the main reforms (Factory Acts, Mines Act, Public Health Acts) and judge how far they improved lives by 1900
Video lesson: Reform: the Factory Acts, Mines Act and Public Health ActsComing soon
Context. Reform came in stages. Some laws protected workers, others improved towns. Each law has a date, a purpose and limits. A how far question asks you to judge the effect, not just list the laws.
LawDate (check fact)Main effect
Factory Act1833Restricted child workers in textile mills; children under 9 banned from most textile mills
Mines Act1842Women and children under 10 banned from working underground
Public Health Act1848Created a central Board of Health; local boards could improve drains and water
Public Health Act1875Local councils had to provide sewers, clean water and street cleaning

The reforms were limited: they applied to some industries first, and they were often weakly enforced. The Public Health Acts were permissive in 1848; the 1875 Act made many local actions compulsory. A judgement must weigh the gains against these limits.

Key ideas

  • Factory Acts: protected children and limited their hours.
  • Mines Act: barred the youngest and women from underground work.
  • Public Health Acts: drains, sewers and water supply in towns.
  • Judge how far: weigh gains, limits and who was helped.
Worked example 7.4.1
In which year was the first of the Public Health Acts? Write the year. (check fact)

Method. Recall the date.

  1. Recall. The first Public Health Act is dated 1848.
    1848
  2. Check. The second was in 1875, which made local action more compulsory.
    1875
  3. Write the answer.
    1848

Check. Check fact: confirm the date in your textbook.

Worked example 7.4.2
Name one group the 1842 Mines Act protected. Accept any answer naming women or children under 10.

Method. Recall the groups protected.

  1. Recall. The Act barred women and children under 10 from underground work.
    women and children under 10
  2. Check. Underground work is the key difference from the Factory Acts.
    underground
  3. Write the answer.
    Accept any answer naming women or children under 10.

Check. Check fact: confirm the age in your textbook.

Worked example 7.4.3
Give one limit of the Factory Act of 1833. Accept any answer that says it did not cover all industries, so many workers were not protected.

Method. Think about the scope of the law.

  1. Think. The Act applied to textile mills, so other workers were not covered.
    textile mills only
  2. Limit. So many workers in other industries were not protected.
    not all workers
  3. Write the answer.
    Accept any answer that says it did not cover all industries, so many workers were not protected.

Check. Check fact: confirm the scope in your textbook.

Watch out

Watch out: “the law was passed, so conditions improved” is too simple. Ask whether the law was enforced, and who it covered.

Exam tip

Exam tip. For a how far answer on reform, state the law, its effect, its limit, and then judge.

Exercise 7D  Reform and how far it improved lives

1
FIn which year was the Factory Act that restricted child workers in textile mills passed? Write the year. (check fact)
2
FWrite the number of years between 1801 and the Factory Act of 1833. Write the number.
3
FWhich year was the Mines Act that banned women and children under 10 from underground work? Write the year. (check fact)
4
FWrite the number of years between the first Public Health Act (1848) and the second (1875). Write the number.
5
FWhich Public Health Act created a central Board of Health? Write the year.
6
FWhich Act made local councils provide sewers and clean water? Write the year.
7
FSort these into Factory or Mines Act: (a) restricted child work in textile mills; (b) barred women and children under 10 from underground work. Write F or M for each.
(a)(a) textile mills
(b)(b) underground work
8
RGive one limit of the reforms: they were often weakly enforced. Explain why this matters. Accept any answer that says a law with weak inspection may not change conditions.
9
RExplain why the 1848 Act was limited. Accept any answer that says it was permissive, so local boards were not forced to act.
10
PSGive one reason a historian might judge the reforms to have improved lives by 1900. Accept any answer naming fewer child workers in mills, or better water and sewers in towns.
11
PSGive one reason a historian might judge the reforms to have changed lives less than hoped. Accept any answer naming weak enforcement, limited coverage or the early permissive nature of the 1848 Act.
12
RWrite one sentence judging whether the reforms of 1833 to 1875 improved lives by 1900. Accept any sentence that gives a judgement with one gain and one limit.

Chapter summary

SkillMethod
Why Britain industrialisedCoal and iron, inventions, capital, transport, farming and markets
InventionsTextiles, steam, iron and railways; name the person, date and effect
ConditionsLong hours, dangerous machines, crowded towns, sanitation and cholera
ReformFactory Acts (1833), Mines Act (1842), Public Health Acts (1848, 1875)
Judging reformGains, limits (enforcement and coverage), and a judgement

Can you…?

  • I can explain why Britain industrialised first, using at least two factors.
  • I can name key inventions, their dates and their effects.
  • I can describe working and living conditions, and use a source for them.
  • I can explain the main reforms and their limits.
  • I can judge how far reform improved lives by 1900.

Key terms

industrialisation
the change to large-scale machine production in factories
enclosure
the taking of common land into private fields, often for farming
factory system
production in large buildings with machines and paid workers
sanitation
clean water, drains and the removal of waste
cholera
a disease spread through dirty water, which caused epidemics in British towns
Factory Act
a law that restricted child work in factories, from 1833
Public Health Act
a law that gave local councils powers to improve drains, water and sewers
permissive
allowing action without requiring it

Exercise 7Z  Check-up

1
Write the word for money invested in mills and machines. One word.
2
Which invention is linked with Richard Arkwright, first used in factories in 1769? Write the name of the machine.
3
Write the year of the Stockton and Darlington railway. (check fact) Write the year.
4
Write the word for the process that improved wrought iron, linked with Henry Cort. One word.
5
In the invented note, at what time did the children start? Write the time.
6
Name the disease that spread through dirty water in British towns in the 1840s and 1850s. One word.
7
Write the year of the Factory Act that restricted child workers in textile mills. Write the year. (check fact)
8
Write the year of the Public Health Act that made local councils provide sewers and clean water. Write the year. (check fact)
9
Give one reason Britain industrialised first. Accept any answer naming coal and iron, inventions, capital, transport, farming or markets.
10
Explain in one sentence why the reforms of the 1840s and 1870s were limited. Accept any sentence that says they were permissive, weakly enforced or narrow in coverage.

Total 26 marks. Allow about 26 minutes.

Exercise 7X  Exam-style questions

1
RExplain why coal and iron mattered for the Industrial Revolution in Britain. Accept any answer that says coal fuelled steam engines and iron making, and iron made machines and railways possible.[2 marks]
2
PSIn which year did the Stockton and Darlington railway open? Write the year. (check fact)[1 mark]
3
RGive one way in which the water frame changed the production of cloth. Accept any answer that says it spun strong thread suited to machines in factories.[2 marks]
4
RAn invented inspector’s note (1830s) says: “Several of the youngest had lost fingers in the machinery.” Explain what this source shows about working conditions. Accept any answer that says it shows dangerous machinery and injury to child workers, with one limit.[3 marks]
5
RUsing your own knowledge, explain why cholera spread in British towns in the 1840s and 1850s. Accept any answer that mentions dirty water, open drains and overcrowding.[3 marks]
6
PSName the Act of 1842 that barred women and children under 10 from underground work in mines, and give its main effect. Accept any answer that names the Mines Act and says it protected women and young children from underground work.[2 marks]
7
RExplain one limit of the Factory Act of 1833. Accept any answer that says it covered textile mills and not all industries, so many workers were not protected.[2 marks]
8
RExplain why a historian should be careful when using an inspector’s note about one mill. Accept any answer that says one note describes one mill from one visit, and may not be typical of all factories.[3 marks]
9
RExplain how the Public Health Act of 1875 differed from the Act of 1848. Accept any answer that says the 1875 Act made many local actions compulsory, while the 1848 Act was permissive.[3 marks]
10
RHow far did reform improve the lives of the urban poor by 1900? Give a judgement with one gain and one limit, and refer to two laws. Accept any answer that makes a judgement, names two laws (such as the Factory Acts and the Public Health Acts), gives one gain and one limit, and reaches a conclusion.[5 marks]
← Chapter 6: Significance and writing 'how far' answers

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