In which country did the Industrial Revolution begin?
Show answer
Britain
Coal, capital and inventiveness came together here.
💡 Did you know? From there it spread across the whole world.
All questions with answers
Around which year did the Industrial Revolution begin?
Show answer
Around 1760
It stretched over roughly a century.
💡 Did you know? There is no exact date: it was a process.
Which machine drove industrialisation decisively?
Show answer
The steam engine
For the first time it provided powerful, location-independent energy.
💡 Did you know? It powered factories, locomotives and ships.
Who decisively improved the steam engine?
Show answer
James Watt
He made it far more efficient and practical.
💡 Did you know? The unit of power, the “watt”, is named after him.
Which industry was mechanised first?
Show answer
The textile industry
Spinning and weaving machines replaced hand work.
💡 Did you know? Cotton fabrics suddenly became cheap and plentiful.
Which two raw materials were the foundation?
Show answer
Coal and iron
Coal provided energy, iron the machines and rails.
💡 Did you know? Whole regions became coal and steel districts.
Which new means of transport revolutionised travel?
Show answer
The railway
Goods and people suddenly moved fast over long distances.
💡 Did you know? It connected cities, countries and continents.
Who built “Locomotion No. 1” for the world’s first public steam railway (1825)?
Show answer
George Stephenson
His locomotive “Rocket” became a legend.
💡 Did you know? He is seen as the “father of the railways”.
Where was mass, machine production now carried out?
Show answer
In factories
They replaced the small craft workshop.
💡 Did you know? Work now followed the rhythm of the machine.
Which population movement did industrialisation cause?
Show answer
The rural exodus
Millions moved from the land into the growing cities.
💡 Did you know? Cities often grew faster than housing and sanitation.
Which new social class emerged?
Show answer
The working class
It often lived in poverty and worked long hours.
💡 Did you know? Opposite it stood the propertied bourgeoisie.
Which social evil was widespread in the factories?
Show answer
Child labour
Even small children toiled at the machines.
💡 Did you know? Only gradually was it banned by law.
Which thinker sharply criticised capitalism?
Show answer
Karl Marx
He called on the workers of all countries to unite.
💡 Did you know? His work “Das Kapital” shaped socialism.
What is the plight of the 19th-century workers called?
Show answer
The social question
Misery and exploitation called for reforms.
💡 Did you know? From it came social laws and trade unions.
Which English city is seen as the “cradle” of industrialisation?
Show answer
Manchester
Its textile factories made it world-famous.
💡 Did you know? It was mockingly called “Cottonopolis”.
Which organisations did workers found to protect themselves?
Show answer
Trade unions
Together they demanded better wages and hours.
💡 Did you know? The strike became their most important weapon.
Which new wave followed from around 1870 with electricity and chemistry?
Show answer
The second industrial revolution
Electricity, chemistry and steel drove it.
💡 Did you know? It also brought the car, the telephone and the light bulb.
Which method of manufacturing made goods cheap and plentiful?
Show answer
Mass production
On the assembly line a product was built in many steps.
💡 Did you know? Henry Ford made the principle famous with the car.
Which downside did progress have for air, water and soil?
Show answer
Environmental pollution
Smoking chimneys polluted the air of the cities.
💡 Did you know? London's smog later became a warning sign.
From which to which society did the country change?
Show answer
From an agrarian to an industrial society
No longer agriculture but industry shaped life.
💡 Did you know? This change shapes the modern world to this day.
How PurFact works
- Every new tab, every visit: one question from your packs.
- What you know comes back at growing intervals; what you don't yet comes back sooner.
- Games, learning paths and duels with friends turn studying into a competition.
Home · All topics · Legal notice · Privacy · Terms · Contact