Study Guides

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils learn about the changes to life brought about by the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions. They learn about calls for political reform and how this led to the 1832 Great Reform Act. Pupils end the unit by considering how much the Industrial Revolution changed people's lives.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to describe changes in Britain's population and assess the quality of living and working conditions in new industrial cities.

Key Notes

• The population of Britain more than doubled between 1750 and 1841.
• Many people moved from the countryside to industrial towns like Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow.
• Many people in industrial towns lived in poor conditions.
• Working conditions in factories were dangerous and unpleasant.
• Cotton mills commonly employed chiildren as workers.

Vocabulary To Learn

• urban: an urban area is a town or city
• rural: a rural area is in the countryside
• migrated: people who have migrated have moved from one area to another
• unsanitary: if conditions are unsanitary they are dirty and likely to damage people's health
• exploitative: if something is exploitative it involves treating others unfairly, in a way that helps make money for you but could harm others

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• The Industrial Revolution led to a decline in living conditions across all parts of Britain.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Calls for reform and the 1832 Great Reform Act Study Guide
• Inventions of the Industrial Revolution Study Guide
• Political radicals and the Peterloo Massacre Study Guide
• The Agricultural Revolution Study Guide
• The Industrial Revolution and change in Britain Study Guide