Britain During the Industrialization Era of the 17th and 18th Centuries

Industrialization In 17th And 18 Century Britain in the eighteenth century was an all round different place. It is said that the fastest thing on the planet was a galloping horse. People had to rely upon themselves and their communities to provide the vast majority of the things that they needed. The main occupation of the time was agriculture. Clothing was produced locally, making use of animal hides and furs. The people being generally poor, nylon wasn’t an option and cotton wasn’t imported in large quantities. Educational facilities were also very poor, only the rich being catered for by nannies and private tutors. The few schools and universities present weren’t available for ordinary men and women. Politics was carried out on the basis of land ownership and military honors won, with women and ordinary men given few rights over the rich and the privileged. Thus, life for them was a constant battle with famine, a wicked landlord, an egotistic politician, overwork and sheer bad luck. It was horsepower or nothing. For most of the people, life was limited to their village, with their families living in a place for generations, as it is said, horizons were limited and life was slow. Daylight and the seasons ruled the countryside. All this, however, was about to change. In 1769, James Watt invented the steam engine. In the beginning, for several decades, his monopoly prevented noteworthy development and kept prices high. Nevertheless, in the nineteenth century that the real impact of steam was beginning to be fully felt. Steam hit Britain like a nuclear bomb and changed the whole outlook of the country. It was faster and more powerful, and most importantly could work without the natural power resources, such as water. Traction en...

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... Life for a new urban dweller, at that time, was hard but exciting. As industrialization brought with it new inventions, techniques of production, new types of roads, trains and many other forms of communications, the standards of living of people improved. Their horizons expanded and the whole country came closer with boundaries crushed. It became easier for the urban people to communicate and visit their families and friends in other areas. These people were experiencing one of the most flourishing and innovative times of history. The down fall of this all, however was to cope up with the changing environment and mindsets of the people. The increasing population and pollution was an exhausting change for farmers and village people accustomed to peaceful conditions and family oriented living. Thus, these were some of the changes brought about by industrialization.