Sweet Home Cottonopolis

In your doc, answer the following:


How did geography contribute to Manchester earning the nickname "Cottonopolis"?


How did the workforce change in Manchester from 1760 and 1830?


"COTTONOPOLIS"

Because of the dominance of Manchester in the textile industry throughout the 19th century, the city became known as Cottonopolis. English cotton mills first appeared around 1776, using water wheels powered by nearby rivers and streams. The first large mill was built along the Thames river, followed by the construction of similar mills throughout the north and east parts of the city. Because of the vast amount of waterways around Manchester, the city was an excellent place for textile production. Richard Arkwright owned one of the first mills in Manchester in 1783. Yet with the improvements to the steam engine made by James Watt, productivity in textile mills skyrocketed. By 1816 there were 86 cotton mills throughout the city producing goods at a previously unheard of pace. By 1825 this number had increased to 104 cotton spinning mills with 110 steam engines located throughout the city.
Another factor that led to the growth of productivity in Manchester was the large influx of people that migrated to the city. With the work force mushrooming from 17,000 in 1760 to 180,000 in 1830. This arrival of new workers greatly influenced the amount of cotton being transported into the city to be woven into high-quality fabrics. These workers consisted of men, women, and even children; starting their work at six in the morning and were not able to return home until their 13 hour work day was completed.