Arkwright, Bessemer and Trade
A global power1714 to 1901
The Industrial Revolution was Britain's rapid development of industry, and no country had industrialised on such a large scale before Britain did. Sake Dean Mahomet and his wife left their own mark on British life by introducing shampooing to Britain, the Indian art of head massage. Richard Arkwright became known for improving the carding machine, and he is still remembered for running his factories efficiently and at a profit.
Steel making changed just as sharply. The Bessemer process made possible the mass production of steel, which fed Britain's shipbuilding trade and its fast-growing railways. Trade and settlement overseas grew alongside industry at home, and Captain James Cook became known for mapping the coast of Australia, where a few colonies were then established.
What to remember
| Captain James Cook | mapping the coast of Australia His mapping was followed by the establishment of colonies there. |
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| Richard Arkwright | improving the carding machine, and the efficient and profitable way he ran his factories Carding prepares fibres for spinning; this was part of his wider textile work. |
| Sake Dean Mahomet | introducing shampooing to Britain He and his wife brought this Indian head-massage practice to Britain. |
| The Bessemer process | the mass production of steel It fed the shipbuilding industry and the railways. |
| The rapid development of industry in Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries | the Industrial Revolution Britain was the first country to industrialise on a large scale. |
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