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Q. 12. Explain the process of rapid industrialisation in Britain during the nineteenth century. 3×1=3

Ans. The earliest factories in England came up by the 1730s. The number multiplied in the late eighteenth century.
A series of inventions in the 18th century increased the efficiency of each step of the production process (carding, twisting, spinning and rolling). They enhanced the output per worker, enabling each worker to produce more. In the early nineteenth century, factories increasingly became an important part of the English landscape. Growing at a rapid pace, cotton was the leading sector in the first phase of industrialisation up to the 1840s. After that the iron and steel industry led the way with the increased demand for iron and steel. Britain was exporting iron and steel worth about £ 77 million, double the value of its cotton export. The early industrial cities of Britain such as Leeds and Manchester attracted a large number of migrants. Even London had attracted huge migrant population. Five major types of industries were: (i) clothing, (ii) footwear, (iii) wood and furniture, (iv) metals and engineering, (v) printing and stationery and precision products such as surgical instruments, watches and objects made of precious metals. During the First World War, London began manufacturing cars and electrical goods. The number of industries thus rapidly increased.

Group B

Q. 11. How did the abundance of labour in the market affect the lives of the workers in Britain during the nineteenth century? Explain with examples. 3×1=3

Ans. Mills and factories attracted a large number of migrants to industrial cities (Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, London). By 1851, it was noticed that more than three quarters of the adult population of Manchester was of migrants. The abundance of labour in the market affected the lives of the workers:
(i) The actual possibility of getting a job depended on social connections. One was more likely to get a job only if one had a relative or a friend working in a factory.
(ii) Many job seekers had to wait for weeks, spending nights under bridges or in night shelters.
(iii) Seasonality of work in many industries meant prolonged periods without work for many and after the busy season was over, the poor were on the streets again.
(iv) A social survey conducted by Charles Booth (a Liverpool ship owner) brought to light that about 1 million Londoners were very poor and expected to live only up to the age of 29.

Q. 12. Explain giving three reasons, how women gradually lost their industrial jobs due to technological development, during the early nineteenth century in Britain. 3×1=3

Ans. Factories employed large number of women in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
(i) With technological developments women gradually lost their industrial jobs and were forced to work within the households.
(ii) As women lost their industrial jobs, they were forced to work as domestic servants in London. Things became even more difficult when conservative people railed against their presence in public spaces. Women were forced to withdraw into their homes.
(iii) Employment of the male members was given priority over female members of the family.
All the above mentioned reasons forced the women to withdraw from the public space.

Social Science 2008 Question Papers Class X
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