More beer, butter, bread, milk, meat, vegetables, fruit, fish and all other foodstuffs were now being bought rather than made or grown at home. More people were buying a greater variety of textiles, clothing, shoes, household and domestic items – on their list was china, cutlery, mirrors, books, clocks, furniture, curtains and bedding, as well as a variety of small wares, such as buckles, ribbons, buttons, snuff boxes and other fancy goods. Increased wage earning opportunities for women and juveniles boosted family spending, notably in textile districts and in the towns. This helped to provide a secure bedrock for mid-Victorian prosperity. There was also increasing domestic demand both as a result of rising incomes for the middle classes and for workers with particular skills, and a population that increased from nine million in 1801 to thirty-six million in 1911. A huge range of British products were displayed for foreign and domestic visitors in the monumental visionary architectural achievement of the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park. The Great Exhibition of 1851 marked the peak of British economic dominance. An unprecedented range and variety of products thus came within the grasp of a new mass market both within Britain and overseas. In many other sectors more modest organisational improvements coupled with greater specialisation and the employment of cheap labour brought similar, though less dramatic, results. This in turn brought a steep decline in prices. In some industries, most notably textiles, massive changes took place in technology and in the organisation of production causing dramatic productivity growth. Others saw revolutionary change focused around the development of trade and ship building in port cities.Īt least for a few decades, most mass manufactured items were produced more efficiently and competitively in Britain and the country had the commercial, financial and political power to edge out rivals. Some regions, notably coalfield areas, rapidly industrialised. This was seen in the organisation and finance of industry and commerce, the skills and work practices of production and technology, massive population growth and the development and disciplining of labour. The period from the late 18th century to the mid-Victorian years witnessed a major shake up and change in both the economy and society.
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