Beginning of the Industrial Revolution
Topics
- Industrial revolution (Youtube search)
- urbanization and factories (Youtube search)
- exodus to the cities (Youtube search)
- agricultural technology: crop rotation, seed drill, potato (Youtube search)
- cottage industry (putting-out system) - distributed manufacturing (Youtube search)
- spinning jenny and water frame (Youtube search)
- Richard Arkwright: father of the factory system because of water-powered spinning wheel (Youtube search)
- Eli Whitney and interchangeable parts (Youtube search)
- division of labor (Youtube search)
- assembly line manufacturing (Youtube search)
- steam engines and coal power (Youtube search)
- importance of private property for industrialization (Youtube search)
Discussion
The pace is really picking up now, as increased freedom and working capital lets people but some effort into improving their lives. Technology becomes center-stage as people realize that they could do far, far more with much less effort.
Video on industrial revolution today
As we watch
- What was better about life during this time?
- What was worse?
- How people's experiences of the industrial revolution differ? Who benefited? Was anyone worse off after? How?
- In today's world, we're currently in the middle of the "AI Revolution." If it works like the Industrial revolution did, who will be making the money from it? Who will be poorer for it, at least in the short term? What do you think is likely to happen as a result, based on this example?