-
John Kay's flying shuttle
Mechanisation process started with this new system created by John Kay, which increased the speed of production and made it possible to weave wider fabrics and spinning machines, which significantly increased productivity. -
Period: to
First Industrial Revolution
Was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Europe and the United States, in the period from about 1750 to sometime between 1840 and 1880. This transition included going from hand production methods to machines, new chemical manufacturing and iron production processes, the development of machine tools and the rise of the mechanized factory system. The Industrial Revolution also led to an unprecedented rise in the rate of population growth thanks to the agricultural changes. -
Period: to
Enclosure Acts
Large areas of land and pastures became privately owned and a series of laws called Enclosure Acts were passed by British Parliament to authorise this process, which led to a concertation of land ownership. This reorganisation of land benefited the big landowners, who were able to produce more and increase their profits. -
James Watt's steam engine
Steam engines uses the power from steam to generate continuous movement, which is transferred to machinery.
-Water is heated in a boiler bu burning coal. The resulting high-pressure steam fills a closed chamber known as a steam chamber.
-The front end of the chamber contains a cylinder with a piston. The steam pressure pushes the piston, which rises and pushes a beam. The steam cools down in a condenser and the resulting change in pressure pushes the piston and rod back down. -
Adam Smith publishes The Wealth of Nations
The Wealth of Nations was to critique and offer an alternative to the mercantilist economic system, which he believed would eventually stifle countries' productivity. -
Invention of the power loom
The first power loom was designed by Edmund Cartwright and it dramatically increased fabric production and lowered its cost. -
Period: to
Luddite movement
The first workers to protest against industrialisation were the Luddites. This movement started in England in the early 19th century and it consisted of the violent destruction of machinery in the belief that it was responsible for low wages and unemployment. -
Abolishment of the Combination Acts
The repeal of the laws prohibiting workers' associations in England led to the creation of the first official trade unions, which united workers in the same field, such as the Union of Spinners. -
Stephenson's Steam locomotive
The steam locomotive designed by Stephenson used a steam engine to generate continuous motion of the wheels. The new transport system could carry more passengers and goods in less time and at a lower cost. This improvement boosted trade and helped create a large domestic market. The steam engine was also used in sailing ships and, later, in steamships, which made transatlantic crossing faster. -
Grand National Consolidated Trades Union
Its first tasks were to defend the right of association, to reduce the working day, to improve wages and to regulate child labour. -
Invention of the Bessemer converter
This invention made possible to manufacture steel. This was a more flexive material, ideal for constructing machinery, tools, buildings and public works. -
First International
At the iniciative of Karl Marx, the International Workingmen's Association (First International) was created. Marxists, anarchists and trade unions joined, but the ideological differences between them made it unworkable and it split in 1876. -
Karl Marx publishes Das Kapital
Is a foundational theoretical text in materialist philosophy, economics and politics by Karl Marx. In this book, Marx aimed to reveal the economic patterns underpinning the capitalist mode of production in contrast to classical political economists such as Adam Smith and others. -
Second International
The Marxists founded the Second International to coordinate the various socialist parties. It established some identify symbols of the labour movement, such as the anthem 'The Internationale' and the 1 May Holiday (International Worker's Day).
