Steam, Coal and the Factory Town

In the picture

1. 1Steam locomotive: coal-fired engines turned railways into fast links between cities, ports and mines
2. 2Coal wagons: coal was the fuel of the age, burned to make steam and to smelt iron
3. 3Mechanised textile mill: power-driven machines spun and wove cloth in a single huge building
4. 4Terraced workers' houses: cheap, crowded housing built quickly so workers could live near the mill
5. 5Mill workers: men, women and children paid wages by the hour or the day, working long, fixed shifts

Examples

• Railway timetables made towns use one shared clock time, the same way train schedules organise travel today.
• Many old brick mills now house flats, offices or museums in cities that grew during industrialisation.

Quiz: Steam, Coal and the Factory Town (Age 16)

1. 1

   Why was coal so important to mid-19th-century industry?

   • It was mainly used to light the streets of the new towns
   • It was burned to make steam and to smelt iron
   • It was mainly used to heat the workers' crowded houses
2. 2

   What drew millions of people away from farm work and into the industrial towns?

   • Bigger and more comfortable homes than in the countryside
   • The chance to earn wages in mills and factories
   • Free land handed out to families who moved to the towns
3. 3

   Why were terraced workers' houses built cheaply and packed closely together?

   • So workers could live near the mill, with homes put up quickly
   • Because land next to the railway lines was free to build on
   • So the houses could be heated by the factory’s steam engines

The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This quiz is free there while the lesson is in the free week.