Was the Industrial Revolution a Blessing or a Curse?
The Industrial Revolution was a period of technological improvement that took place in Britain from about 1750 into the 1900’s. To many, the Industrial Revolution was the gateway into modern-day factories and machinery. The Industrial Revolution was spurred by the competition of Britain against India or China. India and China were both very productive in the production of goods, meaning the people of Britain had to buy the cheap products imported from India and China. British businessmen developed new technology so they could manufacture their own cotton textiles, the main product imported into Britain. Although some historians believe that the Industrial revolution was a blessing
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Overseers took most of the money earned and kept it for themselves. Any worker who dared go on strike or stand up for thei pay was beaten and tortured. This piece of evidence shows that since the majority of people were part of the working class, they were abused and were arguably better off working hard and receiving most of the fruits of their labor on farms instead of doubling their repetitive work for half of the payoff. Adolf Levenstein, a coal miner living during the Industrial Revolution Reflected in a letter, later collected into the book, From the Depths: Workers Letters, published in 1905, states how, “The work is becoming increasingly mechanical. No more incentive, no more haste, we muddle along wearily, we are worn out and mindless. My forehead burns like fire…. But in my head it rages and paralyzes me beyond control or without my being able to think. When it becomes unbearable I stop my slow, energyless working….And that is not all; the spirit too, the conscience of the individual, degenerates. And one drudge, grown vacuous through his work, is put beside another one, and another one and finally this “modern” circle has closed in on the entire working force” (Levenstein). The work in the mines was tiring and repetitive. Since machines have taken more of the desirable jobs and workers have been laid off, the laborers who are still employed had to work tedious jobs. This letter provides a view into the daily
The Industrial Revolution was the beginning of mass production of goods and urbanization of Britain and later the United States. It took place from the mid-1700’s until about the mid-1800’s. The industrial revolution began in Britain but later spread to other countries, including the United States. This revolution happened because with populations rising in areas, there was a higher demand for not only manufactured goods, but also for jobs. So the industrial revolution really did meet both of those demands at once. More factories with new methods of mass production helped meet the
The Industrial Revolution was a period where many major technological advances, such as the steam engine, were made. It began in Britain some time after 1750. The technological advances allowed for much higher rates of production, but had several other effects as well. The Industrial Revolution altered the political situation, social structure, and economic standing of Great Britain. Drastic change in technology during the Industrial Revolution led to several political changes.
The Industrial Revolution set people away from farms and small villages and moved them to cities and towns because of the job opportunities that arose in the cities. The Industrial Revolution not only helped people move along in the late 1700s and early 1800s but also it has made the people what they are today. During the Industrial Revolution, the movement from an agrarian society to an industrial one reshaped the roles of families, widen the gap between classes, and led to the developments in communication, transportation, and other scientific fields that completely changed humanity.
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing and technology had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions of the world. The Industrial Revolution began in the United Kingdom as large deposits of coal and iron were found throughout the land which brought the rise of factories and machines, the idea then subsequently spread throughout the world. It was perhaps one of the greatest moments in human history, as it gave rise to industrialization and the switch from manpower to machine power. It completely revolutionized the world and forever changed the course of humanity. However, many scholars and historians believe that the Industrial
1712 – The first steam engine was invented by Thomas Newcomen. After Thomas Newcomen invented the steam engine this became a very important source of power for the industrial revolution.
The Industrial Revolution in the US occurred over a period stretching for over a century, as the production of commodities changed from home businesses to machine-aided production in factories. This was after the factory system evolved from the cottage industry just at the beginning of Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century. The cottage industry was driven by workers who would buy raw materials from merchants and then take it home so that they could produce specific commodities. It was a slow and tedious system because the items were made by hand. Additionally, the workers’ productivity was also low. Subsequently, the prices of commodities were very high and could only be accessed by the wealthy.
Think about your life for one second: you communicate with people, travel, make purchases, and utilize those commodities. But have you ever wondered what made those things possible? After all, you go to the store to buy things you need. You drive a car to work and to visit your friends. If you need to talk to someone, you simply pick up your phone or computer. However, none of this would be possible without a means of communication, factories to manufacture the products you need, places to work, and ways to travel and transport goods. And what made these possible? The answer is the Industrial Revolution, which started in Europe around the year 1730. A revolution is a major change or turning point in something. The Industrial Revolution
97% of the scientists believe that global warming is being caused by CO2 emissions. What truly is happening on earth with all the sudden climate changes is just a cycle. Therefore global warming was just an assumption and isn't true. Disregarding that around 1800's the industrial revolution first began as well as the global warming (Lapulo, "Global. Many people made assumptions that the level of carbon dioxide rising had caused the of the global warming. Just simply jumping to conclusions without really searching for previous climate changes, but now that 214 years has passed the earth's climatic patterns are seen.
The Industrial Revolution was a fundamental change in the ways goods were to be produced. How this was done is people start to invent machines that would do the same job but a lot faster, there for replacing human labor.
There are moments that define history and there are moments that redefine history. The Industrial Revolution was the great turning point in United States history. Never before in history had a period of growth been so great and so full of powerful sustaining change. As Nobel Prize Winner Robert E. Lucas, Jr. so aptly stated, "For the first time in history, the living standards of the masses of ordinary people have begun to undergo sustained growth.... Nothing remotely like this economic behavior has happened before." The Industrial Revolution was time period from the 18th to 19th century where there were major changes in transport, technology, agriculture, and more. First starting in Great Britain, and eventually moving towards the United States. Before the Revolution happened, the United States had most people living on farms and there were small villages with hardly any manufacturing. The Industrial Revolution was a major turning point in everyone 's life because income increased as well as population. This time period molded society into what is seen as today. Nearly every advance in technology can find its roots in the Industrial Revolution. And not merely that, the whole setup of our society was originally molded by the advances that came from that time. No period again would change history as much as did the Industrial Revolution.
The Industrial Revolution, beginning in the early 18th century, set the stage that allowed for a major turning point in history. All areas of daily life were impacted by new methods of technology and new ways of thinking. Mass production blossomed with the invention of machines and tools, textile manufacturing took off, increased road and canal building occurred, and use of many new energy sources took place (Schmidt 1930). This historical landmark in time also allowed for increased human population sizes that could be sustained through improved agricultural methods that allowed for increased crop production, and also allowed for the development of cities. Humans were able to transform and control almost every aspect of their lives and
The backdrop of the industrial revolution highlights one of the most significant growths in human history. Its development between the 18th and 19th century is often considered one of the leading causes for globalisation (Dunphy, Griffiths & Benn, 2003). In spite of this, humanity did not foresee the environmental consequences associated with the volatile expansion of the corporate world. To reinforce this notion, leading Australian change theorists and researchers Dunphy, Griffiths and Benn (2007) suggest that the emergent ecological crisis must be resolved in order to prevent a “cataclysmic collapse of human civilisation” (friedman, 2009 cited in Benn et al, 2011, p.i). Albeit alarming research, it has not triggered enough awareness
In late 1700s England ran out of wood. Wood was hugely vital to life in England because everything ran on wood, it helped people stay alive by not freezing to death because wood fueled their fires. When forests ceased to exist in England people needed to get creative, as it turns out Britain had large amounts of coal. Coal quickly became very important, and it was easy to access and just as easy to transport. Soon other life changing discoveries were made. The power loom was invented in England in 1787 and inventions such as the power loom were the kickstart to the industrial revolution. Before, everything was made by hand in Europe. Every single article of clothing was hand woven with painstaking time consuming detail, by 1850 Britain was producing 200 times more textiles than they had been 100 years previously. More inventions followed and new technology was rapidly taking over. Life altering and wondrous new inventions and discoveries were around every corner, previously the Steam Engine was invented in 1775 (of which coal was the main heat source) and flushing toilets came about in 1778.
One cannot decide the time or era in which one is born. Fortunately enough, I am thriving in a society where technology allows me to gain access to a relatively easy lifestyle compared to those who lived in the 18th century. Prior to the 18th century and pre-industrial times, the way one sustained and obtained means for survival transformed fairly insufficiently. However, once the Industrial Revolution ignited throughout Europe, the course one’s of livelihood forever changed. While the Agricultural Revolution was a sufficient step forward in metamorphosing human society, it did not reign like the technological advantages of the industrial revolution. The introduction of mass production, steam engines, cast iron, coal, and textile miles profoundly changed the life of the 18th century greatly more than anything else. Due to these innovations, abundance of urban town arose cross Europe, unearthing a way of life never before attainable to those of less fortune. Dreams seemed more within ones grasp, societies transformed. Furthermore, the Industrial Revolution not only provided opportunities, the vicissitudes brought forth monopolization, grafting politics, and cheap labor.
The Industrial Revolution was the quintessence of capitalistic ideals; it bred controversy that led to Karl Marx’s idea of communism as a massive grass roots reaction to the revolution’s social abuses. Firstly, the Industrial Revolution featured the construction of machines, systems and factories that allowed goods to be manufactured at a faster rate with a lower cost. The seed drill made it so there could be “a semi-automated, controlled distribution and plantation of wheat seed”(Jones 2013). Secondly, there was a great social and economic divide between the wealthy owners and the poor workers, which gave rise to the mass’s vulnerability to the advent of extreme socialism. Figures of authority severely oppressed their employees by giving them insufficient pay, a treacherous work environment, and even making some children work more than 12 hours per day (Cranny 150). Finally, far right capitalism created a brutal boom and bust cycle of economics that made, for the multitude at the bottom, a perpetual nightmare of poverty and death. People responded to this social situation by taking part in violent protests; oppression sires rebellion. The Industrial Revolution was the chassis of great imagination and progress of political, economic, and social force that still affects this world today.