Figure 1.--School textbooks and popular literature on the Industrial Revolution emphasize the brutlity of factory life, especially the use of child labor. Earely mentioned is how child labor existed .fo mllenia before the Industrial Revoluion. And only with wealth created by the Industrial evolution was the Mffle-class enpowered and socities begin to end child labor. And virtually never is it mentioned that thw wealth created by the Industrial Revolution is what has made modern society possivle, including public education, public health, moderm medicine, higher wages, ecpansion of scienific knowledge, improved tranporation, lower costs food, clothing, and housing, recreation, and an end to slavery. ever mebtion that in the 19h century most of the world made their living via agriculture, but few of thiose doing he farming actually owned the land--usually only receiving minimal renumeratio for ther labor. Only with American and Indusrial Revolution did income levels of the great bulk of the population thst did not own land begin to earn decent incomes. We see this imge beeing extenively used on the internet wit mo indication as to who drew it and when. We see it described as acotton mill, but no mill could be run wit jut chldren. Contrary to the image prmoted by left-wing educators, industrilzation actually reduced child labor.

Britain led the way into the Industrial Revolution. One historian writes, "Great Britain was the pioneer and a portent for the world's future economic organization." [Ashworth, p. 7.] One of the great questions in history and economics, but rarely asked in our modern politiclly corect world, is why this first occurred in Britain and not other richer countries like France or China. It is no accident that the Industrial Revolution was first centered in Britain a variety of factors coallesed that brought this about. First: The first important factor was that Britain was at the center of scientific debate and experimentation. Like the rest of the Protestant north of Europe was that Britain was free of the Holy Office of the Inquisition which as the result of the suppression of Galieo (1564-1642) and other inquisitive minds discouraged or prevented scientific thought to varying degrees in Italy, Spain, and other countries of the Catholic South. The Inquisition not only curtailed scientific thought, but because it also attacked usury, also curtailed economic development. A year after Gaileo's death, Sir Issac Newton (1643-1727) was born in England. His work meant that by the beginning of the 18th century that English and other scientists and tinkerers had through the Newtonian system a more sophisticated understanding of the fundamental laws of physics than ever before. Second English law was a major factor in Britain's rise including the Industrial Revolution. The limitations on absolutist, often aribitary rule. This promoted the interests of the middleclass and yeoman farmers, creating an interest and rewarding those able to put the increasingly important scientific discoveries to practical purpose. While more attention is given to the technolgical developments, underlying English law protecting property rights are a key factor in the economic utilization of the technical inovations. Third: The abundant supplies of raw materias (coal and iron) in close proximity. The fact that without steam power, transport was still very expensive. Much of the indistrialization took place in the English Midlands. The coal and iron was located just to he west in Wales. Thus scientific inquiry, English law, and avaiable raw material combine to explain why Britain led the way in European industrial expansion. The Royal Navy and the acquiisition of colonies, especially India, helped create markets for Britain's expanding production. One fundamenral misunderstanding of the Industrial Revolution is thatnbit created great poverty. It did not. It created great wealth. That wealth was not equitably distributed, but it is not as if huge numbers of poor people were created. That simply is not correct. There seems to be an idea that before the Indusdtrial Revolution that peoopler lived aidelic lives in the countryside. This was not the case. Much of the populatioin was landless peasants are agricultural laborers. And the security of the cottagers was under assault from ythe land owners. There was great poverty in the cities, but as a result of the Industrial Revolution more people began lreading prosperous, secure lives than ever before in history.

English Wool Industry

Through much of history, wool was the major raw material for producing the textiles needed for clothin/ There were other materials such as flax and silk, but none were as imprtant as wool. Cotton existed, but the labor intensive srep of separating the seeds from the cotton bolls made it expensive. In additiion cotton could not be grown in Europe because iof the need for a warm climate. Durig the medevil period, England with its green fields for sheep develooped as the world's largest producer of raw wool. It became a major part of the English conomy. At first England oprioduced the wool anbd the shipped it to the Low Counjtries for wheaving abd the production of textils. Over time, England also develooped the value added heabing step and priduced the textile industry. Thios was all done by hand, mostly by cottagers.

Technical Advances (18th century)

A range of inventios and innovations in Britain led to the Industrial Revolution. These were steps that built on each other. Most of these steps occured in Britain and built on each other. Lewis Paul and John Wyatt invented the roller spinning machine (1738). This device mechanically spun cotton into thread. Until this, thread was produced by hand opertated spinning wheels. This was not done in factories, but for the most part by cottagers in individual abodes. Thread of course was needed for weaving. Another major step was the multi-spool spinning wheel whuch made it possible to spin the needed thread more raidly than ever before (1764). Richard Arkwright invented the water frame (1770). The water frame had two major advantages. It produced stronger threads that could tolerate mechanical stresses. And imprtantly it was pwered by water. Before the invention of steam power, it was thevwater wheel that provided mechnicalm pper. It was the water frame that proved to be crucial step making the transition from the cottage to a factory setting possible. The final major step was the power loom. Edmund Cartwright patented the power loom (1784). It made it possible to weave threads into cloth on a machine. Therev were many other inventions and advances that increased speed and efficiency, but the above steps were the major ones.

Britain Leads the Way

Britain led the way into the Industrial Revolution. One historian writes, "Great Britain was the pioneer and a portent for the world's future economic organization." [Ashworth, p. 7.] One of the great questions in history and economics, but rarely asked in our modern politiclly corect world, is why this first occurred in Britain and not other richer countries like France or China. It is no accident that the Industrial Revolution was first centered in Britain a variety of factors coallesed that brought this about. Scientific inquiry, English law, avaiable raw material, and the Royal Navy combined to explain why Britain led the way in European industrial expansion. First: Britain was at the center of scientific debate and experimentation. Like the rest of the Protestant north of Europe was that Britain was free of the Holy Office of the Inquisition which as the result of the suppression of Galieo (1564-1642) and other inquisitive minds discouraged or prevented scientific thought to varying degrees in Italy, Spain, and other countries of the Catholic South. The Inquisition not only curtailed scientific thought, but because it also attacked usury, also curtailed economic sevelopment. A year after Gaileo's death, Sir Issac Newton (1643-1727) was born in England. His work meant that by the beginning of the 18th century that English and other scientists and tinkerers had through the Newtonian system a more sophisticated understanding of the fundamental laws of physics than ever before. Second English law was a major factor in Britain's rise including the Industrial Revolution. The limitations on absolutist, often aribitary rule. This promoted the interests of the middleclass and yeoman farmers, creating an interest and rewarding those able to put the increasingly important scientific discoveries to practical purpose. While more attention is given to the technolgical developments, underlying English law protecting property rights are a key factor in the economic utilization of the technical inovations. Third: The abundant supplies of raw materias (coal and iron) in close proximity. The fact that without steam power, transport was still very expensive. Much of the indistrialization took place in the English Midlands. The coal and iron was located just to he west in Wales. Fourth: The Royal Navy and the related acquisition of colonies, especially India, helped create markets for Britain's expanding production.

American Cotton

English textiles through the 18th century were basically woven with wool. That put a limitation on British textile production. There was only so much wool that Britain could produce wuith land abailable for raising sheep. Eli Whitnet in Ameriva invented the cotton gin. This solved the problem of separting the seeds in the ciotton boll from the cotton. It created another major raw material that couild be used for textiles. And a material that could be produced in far greater quantatiess than wool and at a substantially lower cost. America had an astronomical potentuil to produce cotton. The framers of the Cionstitution faced an issue on which compropmose was not possible--slavery (1789), The rsolution of theslavery issue was put ogg. Thev framers werev willing tom do nthat in part because slavery was a dying instituition. The cotton gin reversed this dynamic. Cotton proved the perfect crop for southern agriculture and slaves provided the needed workforce. s Americans moved vwestb from the coatal southern states, vast new areas ere converted in cotton plantations and cvotton production expanded rapidly. Most of the production was exported to Britain and other European countries. Smaller quantities were shipped to mills in the northern states. By the 1860s, domestic issues in America brought the county to a crisis. The Anolitiionist Movement was having a real impact on northern states. Cotton is a demanding crop and leaches the productive capacity of soil. At the same time the southern planters were determined to expamd slavery into the new wesrern terrotories.

Poverty

One fundamenral misunderstanding of the Industrial Revolution is thatnbit created great poverty. It did not. It created great wealth. That wealth was not equitably distributed, but it is not as if huge numbers of poor people were created. That simply is not correct. There seems to be an idea that before the Industrial Revolution that people lived idelic lives in the countryside. This was not the case. Much of the populatioin was landless peasants are agricultural laborers. Thre were large numbers of people that were adversely affectedm most prominently the cottagers. They were essentially put out of business. They were also under assault from the land owners who saw more profitable ways of employiing their land. There was great poverty in the cities, but as a result of the Industrial Revolution more people began lreading prosperous, secure lives than ever before in history. Mill owners needed workers. Among the cyttagers, women generally did the soinning and men the weavin. Mill owners saw an opportunity to employ not only men, but women and children. On the great estates men had great value because they were casoable of hard physical labor. The mills were different. Water wheels abnd eventually steam engines provided the power. Thus women and children could accomkplish the same work as men. And they were a nmore amenable work force and willing to work for lower wages.

India