In 1788, a fleet of British ships - which would later become known as "The First Fleet" - brought over 700 convict settlers to Port Jackson, Australia. While they were sent to Australia as a form of punishment, Britain also had the underlying intention of using this free or very cheap form of labour to help construct their penal settlement. Through this, the convicts were exploited and treated harshly; this punishment was worse than it may have been if they had not been transported. From approximately 1700 to 1850 in Britain, the first phase of the "Industrial Revolution" took place. During these years, human labour became obsolete, gradually making way for new technology and machinery to overtake these positions. Because of this, a multitude of people - particularly those from lower socio-economic groups - were replaced by this new machinery and were therefore without work or income. Petty crime subsequently rose and...