Great Britain, as well as many other European countries went through a time of great change in the mid-1700's. This time of great change is known as the Industrial Revolution. While many countries were in shock as a result of the big changes going on, Great Britain was prepared for the big change. Britain had a large number of able workers and entrepreneurs. Also, Britain was rich in natural resources, had many fine harbors and markets, and plenty of extra money. Although this time period raised the standard of living and made work less difficult, life became harder for some farmers and some small business owners.
             Agriculture was boosted to a new level in this time period. New inventions made farming easier and more efficient. Jethro Tull invented the mechanical drill in 1701. This drill made holes in soil and put seeds in the holes. This saved farmers a lot of time. Tull also invented the horse-drawn hoe, which loosened up soil and helped to make plants grow faster. Charles Townshend made the first fertilizer by mixing clay and lime into soil. This enabled farmers to use already used land. Townshend also taught farmers how to grow turnips, which could be used to feed livestock during the winter.
             Agriculture wasn't the only thing that received a big boost during the industrial revolution. The textile industry improved rapidly because of a few spectacular inventions. John Kay invented the flying shuttle in 1733. This sped up the weaving process. In the 1760's, James Hargreaves invented the spinning Jenny, which let spinners turn out more thread in a shorter period of time. Later on that decade, Richard Arkwright invented the water frame, which used running water to run a spinning machine. In 1793, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. The cotton gin tore the fibers from cottonseeds.
             The iron-making process also progressed during this time of great change. In the 1780's, Henry Cort pat
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