How Did The Industrial Revolution Change European Society

The nineteenth century was a time of major political upheaval, nation-building, and industrial advancement. Systems that had been in place for so long were being changed dramatically and life was altered for almost all members of society. The bourgeoisie and upper-middle class commanded society as rich business owners who profited from the advancing industrial society. They were enabled by the laissez-faire principles of capitalism and could exercise their power over their workers and profit immensely from it. On the other side of the spectrum, the proletariat, the working classes, were no longer peasants confined to villages and farms. The cottage industry of the late eighteenth century was gone and members of the working-class were forced

Massive industrialization of European society occurred partly due to a population rise in the mid-eighteenth century (“Industrial History”). It began in Britain in the mid-eighteenth century (“Industrial History”). Britain was the catalyst for the Industrial Revolution as they had advanced agricultural methods, which put them in a better position to start industrializing. In the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, machines and techniques like spinning frames, mechanical weaving, and textile factories developed (“Industrial History”). The iron industry and cities grew immensely (“Industrial History”). These cities had to suit the rapid trend of industrialization, so they were often poorly-organized, unsanitary, and cramped. The workers who labored in factories were subject to terrible conditions. In addition, many railroads were built, which allowed for goods and people to be moved across large distances in a short period of time (“Industrial

After the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, the victors, namely Austria, Russia, Prussia, and Britain met at the Congress of Vienna in order to restore the balance of power in Europe (McKay 749). France was allowed to attend because the victors did not want to cripple France with war reparations (749). The congress was led by Prince Klemens von Metternich from Austria, which was a multiethnic empire (751). Thus, Metternich wanted to promote conservative order throughout Europe in order to stop revolution and oppressive autocratic regimes whenever possible. He also formed the Holy Alliance with Russia and Prussia. This alliance served the purpose of stopping liberal and revolutionary movements throughout Europe (751). Due to the political climate of the time, European society was very limited and could not express discontent with any political system. They were not able to have revolutionary or nationalistic fervor. Romanticism developed out of the need for expression and intense emotion that was not permitted by the political systems in