Assess The Impact Of Technology On The British Economy

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Technological innovation was critical to the industrial development of Britain. Assess the impact of technology on the British economy by examining innovations in textile production. The cottage industry in Britain struggled due to the lack of availability of products. The process of making textiles begins with the spinning of raw cotton to make thread. Doing this by hand is a tedious and time consuming task. Because of the difficulties of this, the was a lack of spun thread for workers to turn into textiles. This made it difficult for Britain to compete with Indian textiles, which were produced by low-wage workers. However, technological innovation revolutionized the textile industry. The water board was an invention that used water power …show more content…

Previous to the Industrial Revolution, working class people worked at their own pace in the comfort of their own homes. Merchants would bring them the raw materials they needed, and they would return to the merchant a finished, or partially finished, product. However, with the influx of technological inventions, more efficient systems were being created to benefit the textile industry. However, these machines were expensive and not affordable for a common family to be able to bring one into their home and continue the cottage system. This created a migration of labor needed for …show more content…

It was no longer possible to bring children to work and take care of them while earning a wage, so many women were forced to stay at home. This put pressure on husbands and fathers who were now the sole wage earner for the family. Furthermore, women were restricted to ‘domestic’ jobs such as laudresses, domestic servants, and low-paying textile jobs. For individuals in working class society, the immediate effects of the industrialization were mostly negative. Children were forced into labor, adults had to leave their own homes to work under someone else, and sexism was rampant. However, over time industrialization in Britain promoted a healthy economy and greatly improved standards of living. ALthough work may be dangerous and unsanitary, people could afford luxury goods at home. Although it had its negative and positive effects, modernization and technological advancements was beneficial to working class people in the long term.
Explain how available forms of credit catalyzed or inhibited the Industrial Revolution in different

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