An era of new beginnings was created when industrialization swept through Great Britain starting in the 1760’s. This vast transition included a change in hand production to machine production, brand new chemical and iron production processes, an improvement in water power, major increases in the use of steam power, the development of machine tools, and the conversion towards coal as the major source of fuel. Not only was “he Industrial Revolution an evolving transformation in many sectors of the economy” (Atkins 1), but across the board, aspects of daily life were changed by the Industrial Revolution, and it led to not only economic prosperity, but radical social changes and increased political stratification.
Historians have named the period between 1750 and 1914, as the era of a modern revolution and it is those revolutions that were witnessed during that period that have continued to shape today’s world. The modern revolution was made up of several developments that interacted with one another to yield better living conditions amongst human beings. Until the 19th century, the main source of energy used was biomass, combustion of heat to obtain heat and use of either animal or human muscle power. However, with the Big Era Seven, coal and steam power were adopted as the major sources of energy. By the early periods of the 19th century, steam power had enabled human beings to increase the amount of energy produced from burning coal and this yielded increased amount of energy that could now be used for purposes of industrialization. By 1914, fossil fuel was in use as well as natural gas.
Picture a day where the sun penetrates the atmosphere with a relentless heat, the kind of heat that will cook an egg on your driveway. Now picture this uncomfortably warm circumstance without a fan and a cold water by your side. Welcome to the world before the industrial revolution. While today we live on the effects of industrial revolution, we should come to understand how in the time of its occurrence it accommodated a series of problems, progressions and most deceivingly, promises.
For Europe in the 18th and 19th century, change was everywhere. The Industrial Revolution was pivotal in terms of agriculture, clothing, technology, transportation, communication and urbanization. England is recognized for the birth of the Industrial Revolution. Because they had the government’s encouragement, the technological resources, and a varied trade network. Because Britain lacked oak and had an abundance of coal and iron, these two easy to mine materials then efficiently powered fuel. England continued to be persistent in manufacturing goods and raw materials. Soon, agricultural, technological, and social revolutions would launch across Europe, creating changes in society, forever. [i]
The Second Industrial Revolution had many facets which keyed a major transition from the old way of life based on nature and reason to a new way reliant upon new products and inventions. The Revolution changed people's beliefs. Previously, they had a great propensity to believe in reason to solve their problems whereas now machines and inventions were changing their daily lives. In the First Industrial Revolution emphasis was placed on research and development while in this time frame new items like electricity and steel were the norm. In this report, I'll write about three segments of the Second Industrial Revolution including technological advances, economic struggles and social classes. Henry Bessemer was a key player during this epoch with his process (pictured above) for manufacturing steel in a efficient and economic manner.
The debate around the concept of the initial startup of the Industrial Revolution also concerns the lead of 30 to 100 years that the British had over the continental European countries and America. Some have stressed the importance of natural or financial resources that the United Kingdom received from its many overseas colonies or that profits from...
The period during which there was an increased output of machine-made goods, also known as the Industrial Revolution, played a critical role in reshaping Britain’s economy. The Industrial Revolution, stimulated by advancements that were made during the Agricultural Revolution, began in Great Britain for many reasons. In addition to Britain’s broad availability of natural resources, the count...
Altercations were made to the fundamentals of the British life style in result of the Industrial Revolution. Economic, social, and political changes occurred throughout 18th and early 19th century Britain, in response to various factors regarding the revolution. Primarily it was the contributions from the new refined tools and technology that impacted Britain’s agricultural and industrial progressions; to the point where its society was ultimately influenced.
Modern Day Technological Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was an important time period that started in the 1700s. During this time period there were new methods of manufacturing that transitioned from hand production to machines, chemical manufacturing, and iron production processes. It started in Great Britain and spread to Western Europe and North America within decades. The industrial revolution continues on today with modern technology. The technology that has been invented in the past is constantly upgraded and we are now in a digital era.
England possessed the right settings for the autonomous operation of the economic forces that generated industrialization. Before the industrial revolution England was mainly an agrarian society. Then there was a radical change that moved the citizens from farms and into cities. With the large rise in England’s population there was also a larger demand for goods. There was a necessity for quicker and more efficient methods of producing those goods. During the beginning of the 19th century there was a large push of inventions to help create a more mechanical society. By 1848, when the "Communist Manifesto" was written, machinery had already been assimilated into society.1 The industrial revolution made transportation, commerce, and communication more accessible to the masses. Britain already had many navigable rivers and also utilized the inventions from the revolution to improve even more.2 One of the biggest contributions to those was that of the steam engine. This invention was the first automatic machine that allowed people to work uninterrupted for longer periods of time, ...