The industrial revolution domestic system vs. factory system of production answer key

One of the central impacts of the Industrial Revolution was the transformation of society from rural communities based upon agriculture to industrial urban communities based on the factory system. Before the start of the Industrial Revolution, which began in the 1700s, the production of goods was done on a very small scale. Historians refer to this method of production as the ‘cottage industry’. Simply put, the cottage industry refers to a period of time in which goods for sale were produced on a very small scale, usually in a home. In this system, people produced goods, such as wool, in their homes or on their own farms and then sold it to local communities since long distance transportation was uncommon. This method of production was slow and inefficient and struggled to keep pace with the growing demand caused by the increased population. As a result, entrepreneurs and inventors sought ways to increase production, which ultimately led to the creation of the factory system.

Cottage Industry in the Industrial Revolution

The factory system is a term that historians use to refer to the development of centralized factories or mills that produced goods on a mass scale. Throughout the 1700s, inventors such as Richard Arkwright, Eli Whitney, James Hargreaves, and Edmund Cartwright, developed machines and techniques that helped improve production, especially in terms of the textile industry. The textile industry was based on the development of cloth and clothing, and was the main industry that benefitted from the early developments of the Industrial Revolution. For example, James Hargreaves created the spinning jenny in 1764, which allowed a machine which allowed many spindles of thread to be spun at one time. Richard Arkwright added to this by developing the water frame in 1769. The water frame allowed over one hundred spindles of thread to be spun at one time but was so large and needed so much energy that he built it next to rivers and creeks in order to use the force of the water to spin the machine. For his part, Edmund Cartwright developed the power loom in 1785 which allowed quicker production of cloth. Finally, American inventor, Eli Whitney developed the cotton gin in 1793, which allowed for quicker production of cotton. Previously, cotton had to be hand cleaned in order to remove fibers and seeds. Whitney’s cotton gin sped up this process and allowed for much faster harvesting of the resource. In all, these inventions mechanized the textile industry and led to the establishment of factories throughout Britain, which was the first country to industrialize.

Factory System in the Industrial Revolution

The development of the factory system involved the creation of large factories in city-centers. This was done because factory owners needed a large population of people to employ in the factories. Cities, at this time, were growing quickly due to the effects of the Enclosure Movement, which saw small farmers and their families forced off of the land. Cities were also beneficial to the factory system because they were usually built on rivers or canals which gave the factory owner access to water power if needed and for means of transportation. In the 1700s, most shipping and transportation was done by waterway and cities allowed factories easy access to a means of transporting finished products and for obtaining the raw materials needed in production. The development and success of these early factories caused more people to leave the countryside and move to the cities in search of work. As a result, cities exploded in population at this time.

In conclusion, the cottage industry is the term that historians use to identify production that was completed before the start of the Industrial Revolution. It involved people producing goods on a very small scale in their homes and was not centralized in one location. In contrast, the factory system developed as part of the Industrial Revolution and generally replaced the cottage industry. The factory system involved the creation of mechanized forms of production which were usually placed in centralized location such as cities. This led to the mass production of goods and the dramatic increase in the population of cities as people move there in search of work.

Factory System

History >> Industrial Revolution The factory system was a new way of making products that began during the Industrial Revolution. The factory system used powered machinery, division of labor, unskilled workers, and a centralized workplace to mass-produce products.

Lowell Mills: An Early Factory in Massachusetts
(1850) by Sidney & Neff

What was there before the factory system? Before the factory system products were made one at a time by individual workers. The work was generally performed at a small workshop or at home. As machinery became larger and more expensive, factories formed where business owners purchased the machines and hired workers to run them.

What makes up the factory system?

The factory system of the Industrial Revolution introduced new ways of making products. Products could be made cheaper, faster, and in larger volume. Some of the key characteristics of the factory system include:

Centralized workplace - Rather than have individual workers spread out in their homes and workshops, the factory was a large central place where many workers came together to make products. Factories were necessary because the machinery was expensive, large, needed power, and was operated by many workers.
Division of labor - The factory system introduced the division of labor. This is where different workers each have a specific task in making the product. Each worker can specialize in one small task and doesn't have to know how to make the entire product.
Unskilled workers - Because of the division of labor, many of the workers could be "unskilled" workers. They could be taught one simple task that they would repeat over and over.
Standardized parts - Different parts of a product were standardized. This meant they were built the same way and to the same measurements. This concept eventually led to interchangeable parts where individual parts could easily be replaced and repaired.

Woman and Children Workers During the Industrial Revolution, women and children became an important part of the workforce. At first, this was because they would work for low pay compared to men. Often the working conditions were poor and dangerous. Eventually laws were passed to outlaw child labor.

Changes in Society

The factory system had a large impact on society. Before the factory system, most people lived on farms in the countryside. With the formation of large factories, people began to move to the cities. Cities grew larger and sometimes became overcrowded. This movement from a rural society to an urban society created a dramatic shift in the way people lived.

Interesting Facts about the Factory System

In order to fight dangerous working conditions and long hours, workers began to form unions and strike.
Early factories used water for power and were usually located along a river. Later factories were powered by steam and, eventually, electricity.
Many factories during the Industrial Revolution had dormitories on site where the workers lived.
Many factories use an "assembly line" where products move from workstation to workstation getting new parts added at each station until the final product is complete.

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