What was the role of the factory at the beginning of the industrial revolution? What made the factory system possible? The Industrial Revolution in Britain is recognized as a period of great industrial capitalism, the development of machinery and the birth of the working class.1 The growth of factories began shortly after Richard Arkwright patented the spinning wheel in 1769.2 Factories enabled hundreds of unskilled workers to find work as machine operators and dramatically changed their lifestyle as jobs moved away from rural areas. The decommissioning system, in which work was subcontracted, slowly disappeared as work was centralized in factories. 3 Few industries continued with domestic production, such as the iron industry. At the height of the Industrial Revolution, few laws had been passed to protect all workers. A factory system has four main characteristics; mechanized equipment, workers under one roof, division of labor, and supervision of employees.3 Technological advances in cotton, water looms, and steam power quickly became too large to fit in families, leading factories to replace the once domestic system.3 Once upon a time There were factories, people in rural areas who could not find work took jobs in factories. The Industrial Revolution in Britain was successful due to investment in machinery, the use of supervision and improved quality control. 4The factory system allowed materials and goods to be produced faster and at lower costs. Before the industrial revolution, working hours were irregular and long periods of inactivity were the norm. In the agricultural sector, workers worked in conjunction with the harvest schedule. With factories, a stable production program was mandatory to maintain... middle of paper... plementarity: the factory system in the British Industrial Revolution." Doctor of Philosophy diss., Northwestern University, 2002.6 Galbi, Douglas. "Change economic and sexual discrimination in early English cotton mills., King's College, 1994. GalbiThink www.galbithink.org/womwork.htm.7, Peter N.. The Industrial Revolution in World History Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 19938. Hutchins, Elizabeth Leigh and JJ Mallon Women in modern industrial.. with a chapter contributed by JJ Mallon. London: G. Bell and Sons, 1915.9 of the factory system on women and children [England: Pendlebury and Sons , 1899. Unknown. “Working Women” and The Common Cauce, July 18, 1913. “The Human Achievements of the Industrial Revolution. "The Woman Leader and the Common Cause, August 3, 1917.