Pre-Industrial Origins
The concept and the use of factories actually predates the onset of the industrial revolution yet they were constructed and used in very rare circumstances, mainly because the relatively low rates of production did not justify their high set up costs. Generally those factories that were constructed and produced things before the industrial revolution were related to the production of weapons and munitions for governments to be used in wars and armed conflicts, as only governments could afford to set them up. Or to be more precise only governments could borrow enough money or raise taxes to pay for new factories.
Cottage Industries And The Reasons For Switching To Factories
Generally before the onset of the industrial revolution the majority of production took place in small workshops in small villages, the emerging towns such Birmingham and Manchester, or the actual homes of workers involved in cottage industries. Factories were often seen as too expensive to construct whilst it was more cost effective to have cottage industry workers produce goods in their own homes.
However it was the development of large and more effective machinery that meant the industrial revolution was responsible for the rise in the number of factories. Larger machines obviously required much more space than cottage industries traditionally used whilst also needing to be powered somehow.
Machines Made Factories Economically Viable
Purpose built factories were there increasingly constructed in order to adequately accommodate expensive yet highly productive machinery as well as equipment. Not only did constructing new factories mean that machines could be used, it meant that they could be used all day and all night in order to maximise production levels as well as profits.
The rise of factories in the industrial revolution was logical because the factory owners and their investors were seeking to make as much money as possible through keeping the machines operating continuously and effectively. Factories were the best method for generating profits for the factory owners and other capitalist investors although their workers were generally lowly paid. Factories offered plenty of work yet low pay and frequently unhealthy and dangerous working conditions were bad for the majority of workers.
Bibliography
Churchill W S (1957) A History of the English Speaking Peoples 3 – The Age of Revolution, Cassell, London
Ferguson N, (2003) Empire – how Britain made the modern world, Penguin, London
Hobsbawm E, (1962) the Age of Revolution 1789-1848, Weidenfeld & Nicholson, London
Hobsbawm E, (1975) the Age of Capital 1848-1875, Weidenfeld & Nicholson, London
Hobsbawm E, (1987) the Age of Empire 1875-1914, Weidenfeld & Nicholson, London
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