3 Things I Have Learned
The development of the locomotive began in Europe. I was always under the impression that the Locomotive had been developed in the United States. Perhaps this is because I always associated railroads with the western development of the US, but it was nevertheless a surprise to discover that railroads were initially in Europe.
Child Labor laws started with the Factory Act of 1833. I thought that child labor had been abused far later in time than it appears it was. I didn't expect to see any child labor laws until at least the 1900s, but I guess I misjudged time here.
The Mines act of 1842 was put in place to keep woman and young boys protected in mines. This was probably a very serious problem that I never really considered, but the fact that laws had to be put in place to save these people is terrifying to me.
2 Things That Interested Me
Life took such a dramatic shift for these people. One minute half the world was starving and the next factories and jobs are abundant. It's amazing what an industry can do to form both bring a country, or even a continent, together. This also marks the first chapter where living conditions are significantly different.
Cotton was an extremely important crop at this time. If the spinning jenny and water frame hadn't been invented this crop may have never taken off. But the importance of cotton really puts into perspective why things like slavery in the US was so big. Cotton was king.
1 Question I Still Have
Why didn't these changes come along sooner? Is there any particular reason it took so long for this shift in focus to industry in Europe? Surely it didn't have to be delayed this long.
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