What the Industrial Revolution Did for Us is a BBCdocumentary series produced in conjunction with the Open University that examines the impact of the Industrial Revolution on modern society. It was originally broadcast on BBC Two from 7 October to 11 November 2003.
Reception
Ratings
Episode one this episode produced the lowest ratings of the series.(2003-10-07): 2.6 million viewers.[1]
Episode four (2003-10-28): 2.4 million viewers.[2]
Episodes
Episode one: Material World
By the early 18th century the British had become, well, very materialistic, they craved exotic goods, sugar, porcelain, fine cotton, but it was tea that particularly took their fancy. Mid-18th century people of taste liked nothing more than to sip this Oriental import sweetened with Caribbean sugar, they drank from the finest Chinese porcelain and dressed in Indian cottons including calicos and chintzes, this was the good life and everyone wanted a taste. How this dream became a reality is one of the most fascinating adventures in British history.
— Dan Cruickshank
Cruickshank travels around Britain to introduce the idea and inventions of the Industrial Revolution that created the modern material world.
Mass production emerged from all these innovations bringing the good life of the elite to the masses.
Episode two: Working Wonders
In the middle of the 18th century Britons made there living by one means above all, farming, as they always had done. However Britain was about to undergo the most profound social change in its history, a change that would affect and define us all. In the space of just 60 years Britain would experience a revolution, a revolution which would take the worker out of the country and into the city, out of rural economy and into urban factories. This is the story of the machines and people that for better or worse created our modern world of work.
— Dan Cruickshank
Cruickshank travels around Britain to introduce the idea and inventions of the Industrial Revolution that created the features of modern working life.
Innovations in agriculture allowed farmers to produce enough food to allow the expanding population to flourish.
By the middle of the 18th century the only way to get around Britain was pulled by a horse, but it wasn’t as much fun as it might look. If it had been then passengers might not have been referred to as the martyrs of the highway. There were potholes big enough to drown in, highwaymen were a constant threat and the carriages themselves were heavy and lumbering boneshakers that made passengers sick as they juddered along the road.
— Dan Cruickshank
Cruickshank travels around Britain to introduce the idea and inventions of the Industrial Revolution that created the features of modern transportation.
In the mid-18th century Britons had one overriding personal concern, their health, with good reason, average life expectancy was 36 years. People generally treated themselves based on little more than superstition, magic and hearsay. There were trained doctors but without an accurate way to diagnose or cure illness your chances were limited.
— Dan Cruickshank
Cruickshank travels around Britain to introduce the idea and inventions of the Industrial Revolution that created the features of modern medicine.
The stethoscope of René Laennec allowed Charles Thackerer to examine the effects of industry on workers' health.
The Anatomy Act allowed doctors like William Hunter make huge advancements in understanding the human body.
Episode five: War Machine
Until the Industrial Revolution battles were normally won on lost according to the training and discipline of the soldiers. After nearly 10 years of fighting the French and the British were pretty evenly matched and deadlocked. If Britain was to win it needed new tactics and new technology, it was time for a change.
— Dan Cruickshank
Cruickshank travels around Britain to introduce the idea and inventions of the Industrial Revolution that created the features of modern warfare.
The riflemen were the first to wear green as camouflage and taught to use their initiative.
Rifling was used on the Baker rifle by Ezekiel Baker] to increase distance and accuracy.
During the Industrial Revolution Britain’s economy had begun to boom, to keep it booming the City of London needed a whole new set of financial machinery. The Bank of England was already in place, the Stock Exchange got going in 1773, and in 1771 Lloyds underwriters established their own premises just down the road. So the city as we know had started to emerge, and these new commercial mechanisms needed a new type of worker to operate them, these workers became the backbone of the emerging middle-class.
— Dan Cruickshank
Cruickshank travels around Britain to introduce the idea and inventions of the Industrial Revolution that created the features of modern city life.
Standardised house construction with integrated services were created by architects of the Westend housing boom like Thomas Cubitt.
High-pressure water from cast-iron pipes specified in the 1817 Metropolitan Paving Act led to the modern bathroom.
Consumer choice emerged through the flat fascias and plate glass windows of the arcades and parades of modern shop fronts.
