How did the Industrial Revolution give birth to Mass Production?
Almost everything in this day and age is most probably mass produced with machines and technology playing a big part in its production, manufacturing and distribution to increase efficiency and reliability while reducing cost. All this this became a reality because of the developments made in the Industrial Revolution, probably the biggest revolution of all time. Trying to comprehend the complex manufacturing process will take us back to the Industrial Revolution, so understanding how a few clicks on a laptop can bring a whole new fashion statement to your door in about two to three business days we will need to understand the beginnings of mass production and the development of factories in the Industrial revolution.
The Industrial Revolution ‘occurred around 1750’ (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2014) and featured countless interconnected inventions and developments. Mass production has its roots in the British textile industry which revolutionised production and manufacturing. Inventions like the ‘flying shuttle by John Kay’ (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2014) increased the speed of and amount of cloth that could be woven which increased the demand for yarn which led to developments like the ‘spinning jenny and the water frame to increase yarn production’ (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2014). These processes were then mechanised by new energy developments like ‘water power and soon after, steam and coal power perfected by James Watt’ (Green, J, 2012). After these developments clothes didn’t have to be hand weaved by labourers rather machines that dramatically reduced production time. Further before the Industrial Revolution one worker used to make a product from start to finish but during the Industrial Revolution Adam Smith introduced the new method of specialisation. Smith showed “If ten workers were making pins each could produce about a dozen in a day however if each of them specialised in individual tasks they could produce thousands working together” (Smith, A, 1776). Specialisation made factories more productive and allowed products to be mass produced at a cheaper cost. The Industrial Revolution made two big changes to factories which made them more productive - new inventions and developments, and specialisation which increased efficiency and gave birth to mass production which changed the world we live in today.
The Industrial Revolution ‘occurred around 1750’ (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2014) and featured countless interconnected inventions and developments. Mass production has its roots in the British textile industry which revolutionised production and manufacturing. Inventions like the ‘flying shuttle by John Kay’ (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2014) increased the speed of and amount of cloth that could be woven which increased the demand for yarn which led to developments like the ‘spinning jenny and the water frame to increase yarn production’ (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2014). These processes were then mechanised by new energy developments like ‘water power and soon after, steam and coal power perfected by James Watt’ (Green, J, 2012). After these developments clothes didn’t have to be hand weaved by labourers rather machines that dramatically reduced production time. Further before the Industrial Revolution one worker used to make a product from start to finish but during the Industrial Revolution Adam Smith introduced the new method of specialisation. Smith showed “If ten workers were making pins each could produce about a dozen in a day however if each of them specialised in individual tasks they could produce thousands working together” (Smith, A, 1776). Specialisation made factories more productive and allowed products to be mass produced at a cheaper cost. The Industrial Revolution made two big changes to factories which made them more productive - new inventions and developments, and specialisation which increased efficiency and gave birth to mass production which changed the world we live in today.
The Industrial Revolution had a large impact on people and society. Before the Industrial Revolution 80% of people lived in the country side as farmers, after the Industrial Revolution this statistic was reversed with 80% living in cities and urban centers. This caused ‘the population of Britain to quadruple after the Industrial Revolution’ (The Economist, 2009) and cities experienced rapid urbanisation as factories and mills began to pop up in urban areas. Women and children now went to work and didn’t stay at home as there was an easy way to earn an income. And as more businesses sprang up, more and more jobs were created which meant that more people could earn an income and this spurred population growth. The impact of the Industrial Revolution dramatically changed society and the world.
The constant changing of factories and the means of production changed the demand for many jobs, skilled weavers and craftsmen for example lost their jobs to more productive machines. The famous economist Adam Smith said “It is truly lamentable to behold so many thousands of men who formerly earned 20 to 30 shillings per week, now compelled to live on 5, 4, or even less” (Smith, A, 1776). While business owners and investors made huge profits and science and technology jobs were becoming ever more popular as machines started to enter factories and people’s lives. The impact of the Industrial Revolution and mass production dramatically changed factories which impacted the society and the world we live in today.
After the Industrial Revolution, the division of labour and increased automation in factories meant workers had less of a connection with the customer and in many cases didn’t even know how their work influenced the final product. ‘Many surveys in the United States and industrialized countries of Europe have shown that workers do not fully understand and appreciate their roles and positions in society’ (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2014). As the division of labor isolated worker’s skills in a specific job which didn’t provide variety, workers often find their jobs fatiguing and unsatisfying. The Industrial Revolution has created many pros and cons for people and the society and changed production around the world.
The Industrial Revolution changed the way that goods are produced and gave birth to mass production, by the division of labour and the increasing prevalence of machines in factories. People and society were changed as an impact of mass production and the evolvement of factories. And the Industrial Revolution still affects the world today with regards to mass production and how todays factories operate. Therefore, the impact of the Industrial Revolution on factories and therefore mass production changed the world we live in today.
The constant changing of factories and the means of production changed the demand for many jobs, skilled weavers and craftsmen for example lost their jobs to more productive machines. The famous economist Adam Smith said “It is truly lamentable to behold so many thousands of men who formerly earned 20 to 30 shillings per week, now compelled to live on 5, 4, or even less” (Smith, A, 1776). While business owners and investors made huge profits and science and technology jobs were becoming ever more popular as machines started to enter factories and people’s lives. The impact of the Industrial Revolution and mass production dramatically changed factories which impacted the society and the world we live in today.
After the Industrial Revolution, the division of labour and increased automation in factories meant workers had less of a connection with the customer and in many cases didn’t even know how their work influenced the final product. ‘Many surveys in the United States and industrialized countries of Europe have shown that workers do not fully understand and appreciate their roles and positions in society’ (Encyclopaedia Britannica 2014). As the division of labor isolated worker’s skills in a specific job which didn’t provide variety, workers often find their jobs fatiguing and unsatisfying. The Industrial Revolution has created many pros and cons for people and the society and changed production around the world.
The Industrial Revolution changed the way that goods are produced and gave birth to mass production, by the division of labour and the increasing prevalence of machines in factories. People and society were changed as an impact of mass production and the evolvement of factories. And the Industrial Revolution still affects the world today with regards to mass production and how todays factories operate. Therefore, the impact of the Industrial Revolution on factories and therefore mass production changed the world we live in today.