3.2.1. Summary

Three Things I Learned
1. I learned who created communism, when, and why and that true communism has never existed (and probably never will).
2. I also learned that Great Britain was the first country to abolish slavery in 1833. The abolition of slavery came not only because of moral reasons but business reasons as well.
3. I learned that Egypt also industrialized during this time under Muhammed Ali.

Two Things That Interested Me
1. That the Agricultural Revolution occured before the Industrial Revolution and was a key factor in the industrialization of Britain, and thus, the world.
2. All of the different -isms that came out of the Industrial Revolution to try and improve society. It's fascinating how diverse the ideas are.

One Question I Have
1. Were the child labor reforms that occured in Great Britain repeated in other European countries shortly thereafter? In other words, were the improvements in the lives of the working class citizens also brought to other industrialized countires?

Communism

Communism was created by Karl Marx in the 1800s as a result of the Industrial Revolution and as a means to improve society. Communism is a form of complete socialism in which all means of production would be owned by the people. All goods and services would be shared equally and private property would cease to exist. Communism still exists in the world today in countries such as China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea and Vietnam. These countries however, are not purely communist because they are run by dictators. In a true communist country, the need for government would cease and the government would dissolve to leave a country which is run equally by the people with no need for intervention.

lol

Child Labor Reform Laws

During the Industiral Revolution, the working conditions for many people, especially children, were horrible. In Great Britain in 1832, Parliament created a committee to investigate child labor. What the committee found resulted in the passing of the Factory Act of 1833. The Factory Act made it illegal to hire children under the age of nine, and children between the ages of nine and twelve could not work more than eight hours a day. It also specified that kids between the age of thirteen and seventeen could not work more than twelve hours a day.
I think that these reforms were absolutely necessary. I do not like that children between the ages of nine and twelve could even work at all, let alone up to eight hour days. It is sad that factory owners could take advantage of children like they did, and regrettable to known that it was legal for so many years. This reform could not have come quick enough, and was a good start to bettering the lives of children during the Industrial Revolution.

Connection Across Time: The Cell Phone

The invention of the modern cell phone is accredited to Dr. Martin Cooper. He invented the technology for the cell phone, and made the first call on a cell phone in 1973. The cell phone has changed the world in many ways. The cell phone gives people the ability to make calls on the go, outside of their homes or businesses. With the ability to contact almost anyone at any time, businesses have grown, ideas have spread, and the market for cell phones has proven to be an important part of today's economy. The cell phone has allowed for growth in international business and trade, and simple communication between people. Much like many of the inventions of the Industrial Revolution, the cell phone has changed the way we work and communicate forever.

The Railroad Line

After the invention of the steam locomotive, it became necessary to make rails for it to run on and transport goods from industrialized cities to ports and supply towns. An early road engineer named George Stephenson began work on the first railroad line in 1821. The line was to run 27 miles from the Yorkshire coalfields to Stockton. It opened in 1825 and used four locomotives that Stephenson had designed and built. News of this success spread throughout England and soon railroads were being built between many cities. The railroad made trasporting goods and materials faster and cheaper for factories and their owners. The use of railroads spread throughout the industiralized countires of Europe and to America. The railroad changed the way goods were transported forever and helped to spread the Industiral Revolution.

The Steamboat

After the invention of the steam engine, an American inventor, Robert Fulton, ordered a steam engine from Boulton and Watt. He used this steam engine to create the first steamboat. He named the steamboat the Clermont and its first successful trip was in 1807. The steamboat ferried passengers and cargo up and down rivers with ease. It made the transportation of materials up river much easier and thus, helped to speed up production of various goods. The steamboat revolutionized water transportation and dramatically reduced the cost of transporting raw materials.

The Spinning Jenny

In 1764, a textile worker named James Hargreaves invented a spinning wheel which could keep up with the fast pace of weavers. In fact, it allowed one worker to spin eight threads at a time. He named his invention the spinning jenny, after his daughter. The spinning jenny dramatically increased the output of spinners, and made the textile industy even more efficient. The spinning jenny changed the textile industry and thus, the world. It helped to increase the output of Britain's textile industry and later, was taken to other countries and put into use there. The spinning jenny helped countires to make more money and furthered the Industrial Revolution.