Coal, steam, and the factory

History · The Modern World · ages 14-16

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Which task did the power loom mechanise?
- Spinning fibre into thread
- Weaving threads into cloth
- Sewing cloth into clothing
What often changed for people who moved from making goods at home to factory work?
- Workers set shifts and chose how fast machines ran.
- Farm seasons set shifts and controlled machine speed.
- Owners set shifts, and machines helped set the pace.
The spinning mule mechanised making thread from fibres.
Circle one: True False
A railway carries coal more cheaply than a wagon route. Why might the coal's sale price fall?
- Stations fixed a single coal price for all sellers.
- Sellers paid less to bring their coal to market.
- Trains removed buyers' need for coal.
Which group describes costs faced by many people during early industrialisation?
- Long shifts, child labour, and unsafe machinery
- Lower prices, more goods, and faster deliveries
- More investment, new machinery, and wider trade
Which group of factors helped Britain industrialise first?
- Coal alone caused growth, without skilled workers or investment.
- Machines alone caused growth, without fuel or overseas markets.
- Coal, skilled makers, investment, and trade links.
A proposed museum label says that power looms and spinning mules made factory workers unnecessary. Which correction is accurate?
- They increased hand work per length of cloth as machinery went unused.
- They ended all factory employment because machines ran without people.
- They reduced hand work per length of cloth but still needed operators.
A factory town has cheaper cloth, but many workers face long shifts and unsafe housing. Which judgment fits all this evidence?
- Cheaper goods could coexist with harm to workers.
- Cheaper goods meant every worker's living conditions improved.
- Unsafe housing meant factories made no more goods than before.

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Coal, steam, and the factory W1-mt_tiftXKn0P6-s1

Weaving threads into cloth · A power loom mechanised weaving threads into cloth. Spinning made the thread, and sewing was a different task.
Owners set shifts, and machines helped set the pace. · Factory owners organised shifts and supervised workers. Machinery helped set the pace. Farming and home production continued elsewhere.
True · Spinning turns fibres into thread. The spinning mule mechanised this task, but workers still operated it.
Sellers paid less to bring their coal to market. · Cheaper delivery lowers sellers' costs and can allow a lower sale price. Other costs, supply, and demand still matter.
Long shifts, child labour, and unsafe machinery · Long shifts reduced rest, children worked, and machinery could cause injuries. These were harms experienced by workers rather than measures of output or trade.
Coal, skilled makers, investment, and trade links. · Coal supplied fuel, skilled makers built machinery, investment helped pay for it, and trade provided materials and customers. Their relative importance is debated.
They reduced hand work per length of cloth but still needed operators. · These machines reduced hand work per length of cloth, but people still operated them. Mechanising tasks did not make factories workerless.
Cheaper goods could coexist with harm to workers. · Cheaper cloth is a benefit, while long shifts and unsafe housing are costs. These can occur together. Neither observation proves that every worker's living conditions improved or that factories made no more goods than before.