Download - cottage industry in pre industrial britain
THE COTTAGE SYSTEM© Dr Sayah 2nd Years.
Development of the Domestic System of Production Domestic system developed in England Late 1600s-late 1800s Rural society experienced the
beginnings of an industrial system called “the cottage industry”
Domestic system of production – “putting out” system or the cottage industry”
Domestic System Agricultural families worked at
night in their cottages in carding, spinning or weaving cloth.
Used rudimentary machines, such as old spinning wheels.
Carding Spinning
Processing fibers as cotton or wool before spinning
Converting these fibers into threads
Weaving (early textile production)
Man weaving on a 17th century shuttle
Threads are interlaced to form a fabric or cloth
Cottage industry
Early organization of Cottage industry
The Cottage industry
Typical system:• Single room dominated by a spinning wheel worked by a
young lady - the spinster. • Food is being cooked in the same room. • A ladder on the left of the picture will take the workers to
their beds • A window allows for light and ventilation.
Merchants’ Role in Cottage Industry Supply materials – wool and cotton
– to cottages to be carded and spun
Pay workers for finished item Take supplies from spinning
cottage to weaving cottage to dying cottage to sell finished cloth
Take goods to market Keep profit from sale, make larger
investment = higher profit
Workers’ role Almost never provided own raw
materials Never marketed their goods either Were “wage earners” Who owned
tools of production Or rent tools, or move to work in
other cottages
Work organization Household’s head manages work of
housewife, grandparents, and children. Work involved monotonous repetition of a
few simple movements of the fingers Unskilled and undemanding
Use of women’s and children’s labour Worked as a team so practice division of
labour Female workers were generally in a clear
majority in the work force until late 19th century
Merchants vs workers Disputes about wages could be
frequent and bitter. Employers using the domestic system
operated in tough competitive environment
In times of crisis, cut the piece-rates they paid their workers.
Scattered rural outworkers disorganised no resistance,
Women and children: a miserable pay better than no Work at all
Economic organization Scattered mass of labourers Dixons of Carlisle, cotton manufacturers,
employed 3,500 handloom weavers scattered over England and Scotland
Belper, hosiers, provided work for some 4,000 knitting frames in counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire
Required an elaborate system of communication and control by agents — called ‘putters- out’, ‘bagmen’ , and ‘foggers
Effects of Cottage Industry Big profits for new class of
merchants Rise of capitalism (an economic
system based on private ownership, free competition, and profit)
Cottage industry is an example of early capitalism
Alternative source of income for peasants
Stengths of the Domestic System Workers could work at their own
speed Work at home or near their own
home. Rested when they needed to. Meals could be taken when
needed. Tension at work minimal as family
worked as a unit.
Stengths of the Domestic System (2)
Children better treated than in the factory system.
Mothers work at home = someone to look after the children.
Conditions of work better as windows could be open
And Weaknesses Production slow and not enough to
meet the demand. A better and faster system of production
needed. Loss of time
Materials taken from cottage to cottage (production done in several stages)
Small cottages could not take advantage of new sources of power. (such as water)
No quality lifestyle : - Four year old children work in the
domestic system - Waste gathered around country
cottages - Small wages
Q1- How did the cottage Industry serve as a transition from a rural to an industrial economy?
Two concepts wage labor, cloth production, tools and machines, a market to buy and sell raw materials (cotton) and finished products (clothes).
Let’s Sum Up
Quiz time
Q1
A. Putting inB. Putting on C. Putting outD. Putting off
Domestic system is also called
Q2
A. Converting fibers into threadsB. Processing fibers of wool and
cottonC. Collecting wool from sheepsD. Interlacing threads to make
cloth
What is spinning?
Q3
A. Supply wool and cotton to cottages
B. Distribute tasks within the cottage
C. Pay workers for itemsD. Take finished cloth to market
Which of the following is not part of the merchants’ role?
Q4
A. Provided own raw materials
B. Owned tools of productionC. Marketed their goodsD. Fixed prices of finished
items
Wich statement about workers’ role is right?
Q5
A. Work managed by Putters-out.B. Required skilled labor C. Women were a majority in the
workforceD. System based on individual work
Which of the following best describes Work organization
Q6
A. Disputes about wages frequent. B. Workers were cheated on piece-
rates. C. Women and children had to accept
a miserable payD. Outworkers offered resistance
Merchants vs workers: tick the wrong statement
Q9
A. Production exceeded the demand. B. Production was done in only one
stageC. Production was slow D. Small cottages reluctant to use
new sources of power.
What were the disadvantages of the Domestic system?
Q7
A. Rise of consumerismB. Rise of capitalismC. Rise of communismD. Rise of absenteeism
Effects of Cottage Industry
Q8
A. Workers now have access to imported goods
B. Workers could work at their own speed
C. Workers could take their Meals when needed.
D. Tension at work was minimal
Stengths of the Domestic System: tick the wrong statement
Q10
A. Men who manufactured cotton bags
B. Men who supervised cottages’ work
C. Men who wore baggy trousersD. Men who manufactured bags
Who were the ‘bagmen’