Factory System

The FactorySystem is a term often used to describe the new pattern of manufacturing that grew up in the IndustrialRevolution in Britain during the 18th Century.

The manufacturing of cloth and particularly lace are prime examples.

Previously, material had been produced on a small scale, CottageIndustry? basis by individuals or small groups of people, working either at home or in small local establishments, and using traditional spinning (wheel, frame) technologies.

The FactorySystem changed all that. Pioneered by RichardArkwright, large new factory buildings near Nottingham and elsewhere, housing large manufacturing machines powered by water or steam energy.

Using water power, the new factories were initially located near to rivers in generally rural locations. However, once steam power was exploited on a larger scale, the factories moved to the cities, dragging their workers with them, and leading to rapid urban expansion, overcrowding and all the horrors of the Victorian slums.

-- MartinNoutch

CategoryHistory