Starter quiz
- Which key Enlightenment idea contributed to the transformations in English society during the long 18th century?
- Absolute monarchy
- Religious intolerance
- Liberty and intellectual freedom ✓
- Divine right of kings
-
- What was the main reason for Britain's ability to fund a powerful Royal Navy by 1815?
- High taxation on agriculture
- The invention of the steam engine
- Adoption of Dutch financial institutions after the Glorious Revolution ✓
- Wealth from American colonies
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- What was a significant effect of the Industrial Revolution on British society by 1815?
- Decreased agricultural productivity
- A decline in population growth
- The rise of a mass consumer society ✓
- A reduction in global trade
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- Which invention played a critical role in advancing Britain's Industrial Revolution by enhancing textile production?
- The steam engine
- The spinning jenny ✓
- The printing press
- The cotton gin
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- Britain's victory in the Seven Years War enabled it to control global trade routes and secure access to vast...
- 'wealth' ✓
- By 1815, which regions had Britain established significant colonies in, contributing to its status as a global empire?
- South America and Antarctica
- Canada, Australia, South Africa, and the Caribbean ✓
- China and Japan
- The Middle East and North Africa
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Exit quiz
- What key raw material was imported from the southern states of the USA and was crucial to Britain's textile industry during the Industrial Revolution?
- Sugar
- Tobacco
- Cotton ✓
- Rubber
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- Which innovation was considered the height of labour-saving technological advancements during the Industrial Revolution?
- The spinning jenny
- The cotton gin
- The steam engine ✓
- The power loom
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- The Transatlantic Slave Trade was crucial in providing ______ that were invested in Britain's infrastructure, including canals and railways.
- 'profits' ✓
- Which British colony was nicknamed "white gold" due to its lucrative sugar production?
- India
- Jamaica ✓
- Australia
- Canada
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- By 1776, the population of the thirteen British colonies in America had grown to over ______ million, creating a large market for British goods.
- '2.1' ✓
- What argument do some historians make about the relationship between the Industrial Revolution and the growth of the British Empire?
- The British Empire had no impact on the Industrial Revolution
- It made it possible by creating a need for raw materials and markets ✓
- The British Empire existed only because of the Industrial Revolution
- The Industrial Revolution was hindered by the expansion of the British Empire
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- During the 'long eighteenth century' Britain underwent both agricultural and industrial revolutions.
- Historians have debated the extent to which these domestic developments led to the growth of the empire, or vice versa.
- A growing population in North America and the burgeoning trade in enslaved people created a demand for British goods.
- Some have argued that British manufacturing production owed more to demand from the domestic market than from overseas.
- Others have suggested that protectionist trade policies led to colonies becoming a burden on Britain.
Common misconception
The Transatlantic Slave Trade made up a large percentage of Britain’s national income.
The direct profit from the trade in enslaved people was 1% of Britain’s national income. However, much more wealth was generated in Britain from the trade in products produced by enslaved labour, and by provisioning the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Keywords
Industrial - economic activity related to the manufacturing and production of goods
Demand - the willingness and ability of people to buy something
Manufactured - something produced on a large scale by machines, usually in a factory
Investment - the act of putting money, effort, time, etc., into something to make a profit or get an advantage
Domestic market - the number of customers who have the ability to buy goods within their own country
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