-
The first Turnpike Trust was established (2/2)
These companies were given permission to build and maintain roads, and charge people to travel these roads. This greatly increased the quality of roads, and therefore allowed factory production to happen much more quickly. -
The first Turnpike Trust was established (1/2)
At the end of the 17th century, British roads were in a bad state. This created serious problems for factory owners, as bad weather often made roads completely impassable. When fresh supplies couldn't arrive, factory production came to a halt. After much discussion, it was decided that this problem could only be solved if road building was made profitable. Businessmen were encouraged to form companies called turnpike trusts. -
Abraham Darby learns how to make coke from coal
In 1709, Abraham Darby, British Ironmaster, produced marketable iron in a furnace fired by coke, the solid residue left after certain bituminous coals are heated to a high temperature. This allowed iron to be produced in a much more efficient way, greatly helping the industrial development. -
The first steam engine (Invention)
In 1712, Thomas Newcomen invented his atmospheric engine that was powered by steam and used to pump flood water out of a mine. It was the first external combustion steam engine that used a piston. -
John Lombe opens his silk factory
In 1719, John Lombe started his silk factory called Lombe's Mill. It was the first successful silk throwing factory in England. During the industrial revolution cotton was becoming more popular than silk, and Lombe's Mill one of the few remaining silk mills still working. -
Spinning Jenny (Invention)
In 1764, the Spinning Jenny, a multi spindle spinning frame, was invented by James Hargreaves. It was one of the first and most important inventions of the industrial revolution. It originally had 8 spindles doing the work of 8 workers at once. The Spinning Jenny was crucial to the development of the cotton industry, which was the biggest driver of the industrial revolution. -
James Watt improves the steam engine
In 1769, James Watt built upon the Newcomen Engine to make a more efficient machine which revolutionised the industry. The steam engine was behind advanced inventions in textiles and transport, and was one of the primary causes for the transition from human power to machine power. -
Richard Arkwright opens his first factory in Cromford
Richard Arkwright was a businessman, innovator and one of the leading entrepreneurs of the 18th century. He is widely credited as being the mind behind the modern factory system. In 1771, he established his first factory. -
The Cotton Gin (Invention)
In 1794, Eli Whitney his machine called the Cotton Gin. Before it was invented, cotton seeds needed to be removed from the fibre by hand. The machine vastly improved the profitability of cotton for farmers, and made many make cotton their main crop. -
British government makes it illegal to destroy industrial machines
In 1812, a law passed making it punishable by death if you destroyed industrial machinery. This was important to the industrial revolution because it obviously stopped people from destroying machinery, letting the industrial revolution actually happen. -
The Telegraph (Invention)
In 1844, Samuel Morse invented the telegraph. This allowed people to send messages over short distance quickly via morse code, an alphabet where the letters are represented by dots and dashes. -
The Bessemer Method for processing steel is created
In 1855, Henry Bessemer created a better way of making steel out of iron. Bessemer's system involved blowing air through molten pig iron to remove the impurities, making steel easier, quicker and cheaper to produce. Having a way of making still more quickly and effectively helps the production of building and city growth. -
Louis Pasteur develops vaccines
Louis Pasteur, a chemist of the 19th century, believed that it was germs that caused disease. Using this knowledge, he was able to create vaccines that prevented many common diseases, helping people live longer. He is best known for inventing the system of pasteurisation to remove bacteria from milk and wine. -
Ransom Eli Olds introduces modern assembly line
In 1901, Ransom Eli Olds created the modern assembly line. The modern assembly line is a line of factory workers and equipment along which a product being assembled passes consecutively from operation to operation until completed. This increased the efficiency of factories, and allowed products to be made faster.
