Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

industrial revolution

275

The Clifton

Suspension

Bridge, Avon,

England

industrial revolution

1708 Englishman Abraham

Darby invents coke smelting

of iron.

1733 John Kay, of England,

develops “flying shuttle,”

which mechanizes weaving.

1760 Start of Industrial

Revolution, Britain.

1765 James Hargreaves, of

England, invents “spinning

jenny.” It increases output of

spun cotton. Scotsman James

Watt develops steam engine,

which is used to drive

machinery in cotton industry.

1769 Richard Arkwright’s

water frame used to spin

strong thread. Speeds up

production; early beginning

of Factory Age in England.

1779 English weaver Samuel

Crompton develops spinning

“mule,” which spins many

threads at once.

1784 Henry Cort, England,

develops puddling furnace

and rolling mill. Produces

high-quality iron.

1789 First steam-powered

spinning loom, England.

Speeds up textile production.

1793 Eli Whitney’s cotton

gin mechanizes cotton

production in the US.

1804 Englishman Richard

Trevithick builds first

railroad locomotive.

1825 First public railroad

from Stockton to Darlington,

England.

1828 Development of

hot-blast smelting furnace

in England.

1842 Mines Act in Britain

bans women and children

from working underground.

1851 Great Exhibition

in London displays

new industrial products

and techniques.

1855 Bessemer converter

developed in England.

Changes pig iron into steel.

1870 Industrialization

established in Britain,

Germany, and

United States.

STEAM HAMMER

Unlike humans, steam-powered

machines could work tirelessly,

turning out vast quantities

of goods. This steam

hammer, invented

in 1839, could

hammer iron

forgings with

tremendous

power and

great accuracy.

BRUnEL

Isambard Kingdom Brunel

(1806-59) was probably the

greatest engineer of the

Industrial Revolution. His

most famous bridge was the

Clifton Suspension Bridge

across the Avon Gorge, in

England. He also designed and

built the Great Western Railway

and the Great Britain, which was

the first large steamship with an

iron hull and a screw propeller.

Co-oPS AnD UnIonS

Working people fought to improve their

conditions. Some set up labor unions to fight

for shorter hours and better pay. others

created co-op stores to provide wholesome

food at reasonable prices. These stores later

grew into a cooperative movement.

MILLS

The first factories were water-driven cotton mills that produced

cloth. They were noisy, dangerous places to work in. Mill owners

employed many women and children because they could pay

them lower wages than men.

Find out more

Farming

Farming, history of

Science

Science, history of

Trade and industry

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