The Factory System

Industrial production required organizing workers in central locations around expensive machinery, working set hours under managerial supervision. This was a fundamental break from earlier patterns of work.

How the factory system differed from cottage industry

<table> <thead> <tr> <th>Aspect</th> <th>Cottage industry (pre-1750)</th> <th>Factory system</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Location of work</td> <td>Home or small workshop</td> <td>Large factory building</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Power source</td> <td>Human or animal muscle</td> <td>Water, then steam, then electricity</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Hours of work</td> <td>Set by family, seasonal rhythm</td> <td>Set by clock, 12-16 hours common</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Supervision</td> <td>By family elder</td> <td>By paid foreman or overseer</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Skill required</td> <td>High; full process learned</td> <td>Low; one repetitive task</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Wage structure</td> <td>Piecework or family income</td> <td>Hourly wages</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>