Section 2The Industrial Revolution

Preview

• Main Idea / Reading Focus

• Production before Factories

• Factories and Factory Towns

• The Factory System and Workers

• Quick Facts: Effects of the Factory System

• Factories and Mass Production

Factories and Workers

Section 2The Industrial Revolution

Reading Focus

• How was production organized before factories?

• What were factories and factory towns like?

• How did the factory system affect workers?

• What was mass production, and what were its effects?

Main Idea

1. The transition from cottage industries changed how people worked in factories, what life was like in factory towns, labor conditions, and, eventually, processes within factories.

Factories and Workers

Section 2The Industrial Revolution

• Raw materials delivered

• Work done to completion

• Merchant takes product to market

• Workers controlled schedules, quality

• Family life revolved around business

Work in the Home

Production before Factories

• Destruction of equipment

• Time to learn skills

• Physical strength required

• Factory owners took advantage of drawbacks

Problems for Cottage Industries

Section 2The Industrial Revolution

Find the Main Idea

What were some benefits of the cottage system of production?

Answer(s): workers made decisions about when to work, rest, and eat, how much to produce; family could adjust work schedule, all family members could be involved

Section 2The Industrial Revolution

Where employees worked

• Major change from cottage industry• Had to leave home to work• Hardships for some workers

Life in factory towns

• Towns grew up around factories• Towns, factories rose near coal mines• Sanitation poor in many factory towns

2. Working in a factory

• Dangerous work for all• Long workdays• Poor factory conditions common

Factories and Factory Towns

Section 2The Industrial Revolution

Identify Supporting Details

What are some facts that illustrate the difficulties of factory work?

Answer(s): injuries, long workdays, noise, lack of ventilation, poor sanitation, inadequate food

Section 2The Industrial Revolution

Workers in a New Economy

• Wealthy to invest in, own factories

• Mid-level to run factories

• Low-level to run machines

Changing Labor Conditions

• No government regulation

• Labor unions organized

• Strikes brought change

Cottage Workers’ Unrest

• Handmade goods more expensive than factory made

• Luddite movement, 1811

• Violence spread, 1812

3. New Class of Workers

• Growth of middle class

• Managers, accountants, engineers, mechanics, salesmen

• Economy increased

The Factory System and Workers

Section 2The Industrial Revolution

Section 2The Industrial Revolution

Identify Cause and Effect

How did the factory system affect different groups?

Answer(s): Different groups that were part of the factory system became part of the middle class.

Section 2The Industrial Revolution

The factory system changed the world of work. In addition, new processes further changed how people worked in factories.

• Mass production began in U.S.

• Elements:

– Interchangeable parts

– Assembly line

• Production and repair more efficient

• Production more swift

Mass Production• Dramatic increase in

production

• Businesses charged less

• Affordable goods

• More repetitious jobs

• Soon became norm

Effects

Factories and Mass Production

Section 2The Industrial Revolution

Summarize

What was mass production?

Answer(s): a system of manufacturing large numbers of identical items