The Urban GameIn the following simulation you will be creating an urban area in England during the Industrial Revolution. You need a pencil!

You will identify some of the social, economic and logistic problems created by the Industrial Revolution

As we conduct the simulation, summarize what happens during each round in your notes (include dates)

The beginning• The year is 1700 and the nation is England. The

scene is a rural village.• Draw a river across your paper connecting east to

west; the river should be about 1 inch wide; draw a simple wooden bridge crossing the river; draw 2 roads one running north to south and crossing the river at the bridge and one running from east to west. Neither road need be a straight line. Draw 10 houses; 1 church; 1 cemetery; 1 store; 1 pub; 1 coalmine; & at least 50 trees!!

Round 1

• 1745. England’s geography is unique in that no section of the country is more than 90 miles from the sea and there are many navigable rivers that crisscross the countryside. An enterprising young capitalist (you) decides to invest money in the construction of a privately owned canal. The profits Oxford Canal yielded a 300% annual return for its investors for a period of more than 30 years. This new revolution in transportation reduced the price of raw materials and reduced the cost of transportation drastically. Coal could now be transported from the mines to the towns for half the price of horse-wagon transportation.

• Since you invested your money, thereby making a tidy profit, build yourself 1 nice home anywhere on the map you would like it to be. Don’t forget to construct the canal. It must connect to the river.

Round 2

• It is now 1750. For a variety of different reasons (soap, diet, sanitation, etc…) there is a population explosion in England, and your village.

• Add 5 houses (total 16).

Round 3• It is 1760. The people of your village need a bit more food and

goods to meet the needs of the new inhabitants. Coincidentally, a number of other noteworthy events occur around 1760. First, a number of new mechanical inventions for farming are developed. Perhaps the greatest impact was Jethro Tull’s creation of the seed drill and the horse drawn cultivator. Also, farmers begin to experiment with new, more productive farming practices like crop-rotation, new fertilizers, & new livestock breeding techniques. Consequently farm production is significantly increased. But there is one problem. Most farmers own one tract of land. A series of laws call the Enclosure Acts are passed by Parliament. This means that landowners can buy pieces of common land from the government.

• Fence off an area 3x3 inches to be reserved as a commons. Add 5 houses (total 21) and 1 more nice house.

Round 4It is now 1775

• A new machine called the water frame has been created by Richard Arkwright . This new technology is used in the first factories. The water frame uses running water for power and spins and weaves cloth 100 times faster than could be done by hand. As a result, many people who weave cloth by hand lose their jobs. These people move to your town to work in the new factory.

• Draw 1 factory (no smoke—it is powered by water)placed on the river bank. 10 houses, 1 church, 1 pub, 1 store.

• Draw more roads if needed

Tenements• Profits soared from these textile factories. As

people swarm into your town, housing is in high demand. A new form of housing is created, tenements. Tenements are much like our apartment buildings but very cramped and unsanitary.

Round 5It is now 1785

• As the town grows they need more places to live, eat, shop, and drink. Average work day starts at 6am and ends around 8pm, often with only a short 45 min lunch break. Sunday is the only day of rest. Few workers can save money, and many are in debt. Workers flock to churches and local pubs. A new more effective invention, the steam engine replaces water frame. This change results in making factories more effective.

• Draw 1 store, 3 pubs, 1 church, 1 school, 10 houses, 2 tenement buildings, 5 factories. Make sure factories have smoke.

Round 6 1810• Iron, a very hard and durable metal, is mass

produced, creating a larger need for factories. The demand for coal rises to make factories work efficiently. Typical coal miners are children 8-14 years old. Work is dangerous with illness, explosions and accidents with 14 hour work days. Children have stunted growth from being bent over for so long.

• Draw 1 coal mine, 5 houses, 1 cemetery, and one railroad that connects all factories with coal mine

Round 7 1830• Most children work in factories or coal mines. They are

paid half as much as adults. Men turn to crime and the social life of the pub. Alcoholism becomes an epidemic. Family life is disrupted and family members rarely see each other. Factory works suffer from lung diseases and unsafe conditions. Nevertheless, unemployment lines for the factories are long. Workers struggle to get reforms because women and men without land cannot vote.

• Draw 1 jail, 2 pubs, 2 hospitals, 2 tenements and 1 cemetery

Round 8 1850• There are no pollution controls, the air in your town

looks dark. Layers of soot cover the buildings, and the river is completely polluted. A new disease called cancer is found and life expectancy drops to 30. The loss of privacy and family life contribute to a 300% increase in suicides. Increased production leads to wealth for factory owners. England can easily feed population.

• Draw 1 cemetery, 1 hospital, 10 houses, 5 tenements, 2 stores, 1 church, 5 factories, 1 pub, and 3 large houses

Processing

• On a separate sheet of paper:– How has the town changed over the past 150

years?– How has daily life changed?– Over one hundred fifty years, three generations

would have lived in this town. How does this impression of how life changed relate to how your grandparents view the world today?

Processing

• Using your notes from the activity:– Complete The Industrial Revolution: An

Analytical Perspective Chart

Thought

People now often speak of “21st Century Jobs.” What are some “21st Century Jobs”

and how are they different from “20th Century Jobs?”

How is this economic shift similar to changes from the Industrial Revolution?