Pop Quiz: 15 Things to Know About the Industrial Revolution

Question: Which country is credited with beginning the Industrial Revolution?

Answer: The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain around the time of the American Revolution. It was in Great Britain where machines were first used to make cloth and steam engines to run the machines. From Britain, the Industrial Revolution spread gradually throughout Europe and to the United States.

Question: What were some of the inventions from the Industrial Revolution?

Answer: The Industrial Revolution began with the invention of the flying shuttle for looms in 1733 and the spinning jenny in 1764. These inventions revolutionized the way yarn and cloth were produced, leading to further developments in production and transportation.

Question: What were the three inventions that opened the way for the later machines of the Industrial Revolution?

Answer: The three inventions that opened the way for the later machines of the Industrial Revolution were the crude, slow-moving steam engine built by Thomas Newcomen (1712); Kay’s flying shuttle (1733), which enabled one person to handle a wide loom more rapidly than two persons could operate it before; and a frame for spinning cotton thread with rollers, first set up by Lewis Paul and John Wyatt (1741).

Question: What was one of the first uses of steam engines?

Answer: As early as 1720, steam engines were used to pump water out of coal mines in order to prevent flooding. This was one of the first uses of steam engines, and it was essential for the development of the coal and iron industries.

Question: What did Eli Whitney invent that revolutionized the cotton industry?

Answer: Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, a machine for cleaning the seeds out of cotton. This invention revolutionized the cotton industry, making it easier and faster to clean out the seeds and process the cotton.

Question: The Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 had what effect on the spread of the Industrial Revolution to the United States?

Answer: The Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 caused a delay in the adoption of machine methods of manufacture in the United States, because France and the United States had little opportunity to introduce machinery during the wars. The wars did, however, provide an opportunity for the United States to invest in manufacturing when English products became difficult to obtain.

Question: What was the first area in the United States to industrialize?

Answer: New England was the first area in the United States to industrialize. It had swift streams for power and a humid climate, which kept cotton and wool fibers in condition for spinning and weaving. In Pennsylvania iron for machines, tools, and guns was smelted in stone furnaces. Spinning machines driven by steam were operating in New York by 1810. The first practical power loom was installed at Waltham, Massachusetts, by Francis Cabot Lowell in 1814. Shoemaking was organized into a factory system of production in Massachusetts in the early 19th century.

Question: Who was the first to introduce machine methods of manufacture to the United States?

Answer: Samuel Slater was the first to introduce machine methods of manufacture to the United States. He was hired by Moses Brown of Providence, Rhode Island, to build a mill on the Pawtucket, or Seekonk, River.

Question: What is the principle of laissez-faire?

Answer: Laissez-faire is a principle of economic policy that holds that the government should keep hands off business. This means that under the policy employers are free to arrange working conditions in whatever way they pleased, which can lead to grave problems for workers.

Question: What was the goal of most 19th-century labor unions?

Answer: Most 19th-century labor unions sought to benefit themselves by political action in order to win improvements through collective bargaining and strikes. Although some workers did attack the reliance on machinery in the name of older, more humane traditions of work, most labor unions focused on improving their conditions through collective action.

Question: What is the Second Industrial Revolution associated with?

Answer: The Second Industrial Revolution is characterized by new scientific knowledge and industrial technology applied to industries such as steel, chemicals, and petroleum, as well as the study of electricity and magnetism.

Question: In which year did Thomas Edison introduce a system of electric lighting in New York City?

Answer: Thomas A. Edison introduced a system of electric lighting in New York City in 1882, marking the beginning of the age of electricity.

Question: Who invented the electric telegraph?

Answer: The electric telegraph was invented by Samuel Morse in 1844, and it was used to relay commercial information about prices and markets.

Question: What innovation did Henry Ford introduce in the manufacture of his Model T Ford in 1913?

Answer: Henry Ford introduced the assembly line in the manufacture of his Ford Model T in 1913, which greatly increased the speed of production and was soon adopted by many industries.

Question: What did the "American system of manufacturing" involve?

Answer: The "American system of manufacturing" involved using machine tools to make parts and arranging machines in lines for more efficient production. This system was admired by all other industrial nations.