INVENTION OF NEW MACHINERY + THE DISCOVERY OF NEW POWER SOURCES ----------> = GROWTH OF THE FACTORY SYSTEM OF PRODUCTION ----------> = GREAT CHANGES THAT HAD SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES = INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION · WHEN: * at the end of the 18th century · WHERE: * Britain -------> * It had plenty of raw materials (coal and iron deposits) * had a class of small capitalists prepared to invest money * increase in population + changes in agricolture = large labour force available * great inventions in the mechanical field * new markets were opened · Machines were 1st introduced in TEXTILE INDUSTRY : 1) mechanical shuttle (= spola meccanica) 2) spinning-jenny (= filatoio meccanico) 3) water frame (= telaio ad acqua) 4) mule (= filatoio intermittente) 5) Watt --> steam engine (= macchina a vapore) · MAIN CONSEQUENCES: * improvement of transport --> roads, canals, railways * development of industry --> small work-shops were replaced by BIG FACTORIES because of the high cost of machines and the enormously increased production (--> beginning of MASS PRODUCTION) --> capitals concentrated in few hands THE CAPITALISTS ----------> Invest the money required formation of 2 new classes THE URBAN WORKING CLASS SOCIAL PROBLEMS: 1) new machines = drastic REDUCTION in the NUMBER of PEOPLE EMPLOYED 2) masses of labourers called in the cities 3) badly-paid; badly fed and badly-clothed 4) hard working hours (16 hours a day) 5) terrible conditions of hygiene 6) women were paid less than men 7) children used for work in mines (they could crawl through small tunnels) 8) origin of pollution 9) they lived in overcrowded SLUMS EXPLOITATION OF THE WORKING CLASSES= conditions of physical and moral misery NEW INVENTIONS (seed-drill; threshing machines; wheeled ploughs) development in AGRICOLTURE NEW SYSTEM (ENCLOSURES) By Giulia Nardini