The Industrial Revolution
- began in Britain around 1760
- factories built; steam power grew important
- cities grew quickly
- transport improved (railways, canals)
Inventions
steam engine, spinning jenny, railways.
Life in the Factories
Working conditions
- 12–16 hour days
- dangerous factories
- child labour, poor pay
Living conditions
overcrowded, dirty water, pollution, disease spread quickly. Poor families could end up in workhouses.
Slavery: Triangular Trade
- Ships left Britain with goods.
- Goods traded in Africa for enslaved people.
- Enslaved people shipped to the Americas (the Middle Passage).
- Sugar, cotton, tobacco taken back to Britain.
Middle Passage & Abolition
The Middle Passage was a terrible Atlantic crossing — crowded, unsafe, and many died.
Campaigners included William Wilberforce and Olaudah Equiano.
Key dates1807 slave trade abolished in Britain · 1833 slavery abolished across the Empire
The British Empire
Why? trade, money, resources, power, and to spread British influence.
Countries: India, Canada, Australia, parts of Africa.
| Seen as positive | Seen as negative |
|---|---|
| railways, schools, trade routes | locals lost power; resources taken |
| violence, unfairness, cultures damaged |
Migration to the UK
Pull factors: jobs, safety, opportunities, education.
- Windrush generation (after WWII)
- Irish migrants (potato famine)
- South Asian migrants (1950s–70s)