Industrialization: One Part Technology Plus One Part Transportation

For this project, each group had an "ingredient" of industrialization to focus on. The ingredients were people, resources, technology, and transportation. Each group had to look up key terms pertaining to their ingredient and answer our essential question (What was 'revolutionary' about industrialization?) by explaining what their ingredients did for industrialization.
Technology was a key element in industrialization. The steam engine, invented by Thomas Newcomen and improved on by James Watt, was the first to harness electrical energy by burning coal. It became a key source of electrical power that powered factories, trains, and boats. Iron was improved upon by the Darby family, who were able to remove the impurities to make it cheaper and stronger. This made iron more reliable, especially for use on train tracks. Before the Industrial Revolution, people used the "putting out" method to weave. John Kay solved that problem by creating the flying shuttle, which made weavers work faster and outpace spinners. In 1764, James Hargreaves invented the spinning jenny, which spun multiple threads at the same time. This solved the problem of the weavers outpacing the spinners. A few years after the spinning jenny was invented, Richard Arkwright invented the water frame and sped up spinning by using water power.

spinning jenny

steam engine

water frame

Without transportation, these revolutionary inventions would not have been able to spread. Steam boats and steam locomotives were newer versions of old vehicles, improved upon by being powered by stream engines. Suppliers no longer had to rely on rivers to transport large quantities of goods and people who didn't live in cities near rivers were able to get goods and supplies more easily than before. Transportation became faster and cheaper, and cities were able to grow. Trade of perishable goods over long distances was made possible. Canals, bridges, harbors, and turnpikes were made and railroads soon became widespread. Without transportation, this new and faster technology would not have been able to get anywhere.

steam boat

steam locomotive

Pictography

http://www.saburchill.com/history/chapters/IR/images/091107012.jpg
http://www.portlandfiremuseum.com/images/steam_engine.jpg
http://www.mainlesson.com/books/bachman/inventors/zpage096.gif
http://portal.norwalkps.org/schools/tracey/PublishingImages/History_of_Norwalk/steamboat.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Steam_locomotive_IS20-317.jpg