Key innovations: textiles, steam and transport
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Flip to reveal answersWhat did Kay's flying shuttle (1733) do?
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All 12 Flashcards — Key innovations: textiles, steam and transport
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Question
What did Kay's flying shuttle (1733) do?
Answer
It let one weaver work a wide loom alone and weave much faster, which used up thread quickly and created a thread shortage.
Question
What was the spinning jenny (Hargreaves, 1764)?
Answer
A home-sized frame that spun many threads at once, fixing the thread shortage caused by the flying shuttle.
Question
Why did Arkwright's water frame (1769) matter?
Answer
It spun strong, even thread but was too big for a cottage, so it was driven by a water wheel and moved spinning into factories.
Question
What made Crompton's mule (1779) special?
Answer
It combined the jenny and water frame to spin thread that was both fine and strong, ideal for the best cotton cloth.
Question
What was Newcomen's atmospheric engine (1712) used for?
Answer
The first working steam engine; it pumped water out of flooded coal mines but wasted huge amounts of coal.
Question
What two improvements did James Watt make to the steam engine?
Answer
A separate condenser (1769) for efficiency, and rotary motion (1781) so the engine could turn machinery, not just pump.
Question
What was Abraham Darby's coke smelting (1709)?
Answer
Smelting iron with coke (baked coal) instead of scarce charcoal, allowing cheap iron in far larger amounts.
Question
What did Henry Cort's puddling and rolling (1784) achieve?
Answer
Stirring molten iron to remove impurities, then rolling it, producing strong wrought iron in large quantities.
Question
What did the Bridgewater Canal (1761) do?
Answer
Carried coal from Worsley into Manchester, roughly halving coal prices and setting off 'canal mania'.
Question
What were turnpike roads?
Answer
Hard, all-weather roads built by trusts that charged a small toll and used the money to maintain the road.
Question
Why was coal the key energy source of industrialization?
Answer
It fuelled steam engines, fed iron furnaces, heated factories, and later powered the railways, tying all the innovations together.
Question
Compare water power and steam power for factories.
Answer
Water wheels only worked beside fast rivers; steam engines freed factories to be built anywhere, especially near coalfields.
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Full study notes for Key innovations: textiles, steam and transport
Topic 12.1 hub
Origins and causes of industrialization
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