English Toolkit

Manchester was only a minor town before it developed into a major textile town. This began at the end of the eighteenth century. The Third Duke of Bridgewater commissioned a canal to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester. This canal was completed in 1761 and was called the Bridgewater Canal. This canal generated a lot of interest so people began to construct numerous other canals. They developed an inter-connected set of waterways where they could transport things during the Industrial Revolution.

The spinning jenny was invented in 1764. That was when the Industrial Revolution really commenced. At least that is what many historians think. Manchester exploited the spinning jenny because its flowing waterways could be used to power the cotton mills. Now Manchester was connected to the nearby port of Liverpool by two canals. This meant that they could easily transport raw cotton from Liverpool and then the barges could return the other way with textiles. These were loaded onto the waiting ships.

The of Manchester from a minor town into a major textile town began at the end of the eighteenth century. In 1761, the of the Bridgewater Canal, which had been commissioned by the Third Duke of Bridgewater to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester, generated such interest that began on numerous other canals. Ultimately, the of an inter-connected set of waterways provided the transportation infrastructure needed for the Industrial Revolution to gain impetus.

For many historians, the of the spinning jenny in 1764 marks the of the Industrial Revolution. Manchester became the main textile town because its flowing waterways could be exploited to power the cotton mills. Furthermore, as Manchester was connected to the nearby port of Liverpool by two canals, was easy. Raw cotton was brought one way on the barges and finished textiles were delivered to waiting ships on the return journey.