Abstract
In the early eighteenth century the textile industry consisted of four materials — wool, cotton, silk and linen. The industry was organised on the domestic system using hand-powered machinery; wool was by far the most important fabric. By 1850 the textile industry had been totally transformed into one which was based on the factory system with steam-powered machinery. Output was vastly increased as a result. By now cotton was the dominant sector of the textile industry. How and why these changes occurred will be the main theme of this chapter, along with an assessment of the role of the cotton industry in the industrialisation of Britain.
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© 1988 W. D. Taylor
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Taylor, D. (1988). The Textile Industry 1700–1850. In: Mastering Economic and Social History. Macmillan Master Series. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-19377-6_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-19377-6_4
Publisher Name: Palgrave, London
Print ISBN: 978-0-333-36804-6
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