Why did machines and factories take over production?

During the 1700s the whole world was speeding up, populations were growing, and these extra people needed more food, more homes and more jobs. At the same time, industry was expanding at an amazing rate, thanks to the development of new machines, new methods of making things and new sources of power. The result was a dramatic change in the way people lived and worked. Machines in factories created millions of new jobs, so many people began to leave the countryside to work in towns. We call this change the Industrial Revolution.

Fact file

Whitney's cotton gin machine was a simple way of cleaning raw cotton. It brushed out the seeds from the cotton fibres.