The very first textile machines were developed in 1733, which was around the time the Industrial Revolution started. These newly created machines had a major impact on the economy and the quality of life for many people in Brittan at the time. The Industrial Revolution has made the world a better place. The machines that were created, made clothes cheaper to make and sell, provided people with jobs and also made the workplace a safer, more desirable place to work.
The very first textile machine was made by Mr John Kay; he called it the ‘flying shuttle’. The ‘flying shuttle’ was a revolutionary machine that made creating clothes, far cheaper and easier to make. Before textile machines came into play, it took weeks to months, for people to make a piece of clothing. By bringing in machines, it cut out more than half of the time it would usually take to make clothing. After having textile machines for a while, they began to make factories. Richard Arkwright was the person credited with being the brains behind the growth of factories. After he patented his spinning frame in 1769, he created the first true factory at Cromford, near Derby (Chris Trueman, 2013). This would also reduce cost and give employees extra time at home with their families. These effects had a major impact on the economy, which included a huge increase in exports and jobs.
With textile machines getting larger and producing more cloth, more people are needed to run them. This led to many more jobs being created, yet the working conditions were still horrible. In 1819 the first legislation on work hours was passed, which meant that adults and children’s work times were of limited hours. A boost in the economy enabled workers to earn a higher salary, which in turn has made their home life more enjoyable. These salary increases have allowed people to afford beds, food and clothing, as well as other pleasures like exotic foods and shiny gold objects. Factories have also increased in size since the industrial revolution. This increase has provided more jobs for people who work in this industry, more clothing being made and a higher pay for the people who spend their time making the clothes. The development of working conditions has continued to improve, in the present day.
In the Industrial Revolution working conditions were horrible. Men, women and children worked all day everyday, with extremely poor