Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Technology in the industrial revolution
Technology in the industrial revolution
Industrial revolution and its impact
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Scientific & Industrial Revolution in 1700 Century AD: An Introduction The Industrial Revolution is thought to have started in Britain, and broaden quickly to Western European countries as in North America. The mid-18th Century AD was an era of big industrial modernization with economic and social consequences for the whole world. The industrialization that started in Britain, and which was at first most outstanding in its agricultural field, helped the country to significantly improve the standard of living of the people though definitely not all of its population. The rationales for the origins of the Industrial Revolution taking place in Britain and finding its initial and utmost signs in Western Europe and North America are generally credited to the political and economic systems that were present in those areas. Whilst the notion of democratic regime had not yet completely taken root, the levels of economic and intellectual independence that ruled all over those regions certainly played a critical part in helping the technological modernization that took place and the consequent integration of that modernization into their respective economic spheres. As one historian of that era stated, “The political and moral advantages of [Britain], as a seat of manufacture, are not less remarkable than its physical advantages. . . Under the reign of just laws, personal liberty and property have been secure; mercantile enterprise has been allowed to reap its reward; capital has accumulated in safety . . . [T]he manufacturing prosperity of the country has struck its roots deep, and spread forth its branches to the ends of the earth” (Baines, 1835). The correlation between technological modernization and economic development on the one han... ... middle of paper ... ...centrated on Britain. In large measure this is as a result of the impact of one individual, Robert K. Merton, and his study, Science, Technology and Society in Seventeenth Century England. In some ways, Merton is as fundamental to the historiography of the social supports of this era. Merton's research developed the tradition of Max Weber, R. H. Tawny, and others, to use statistical methods to data compiled from the Dictionary of National Biography and other sources for what became known as the Merton thesis: yet there is a clear relationship between the development of scientific activity in 17th Century Britain and the social and religious existence of Puritanism. Since the emergence of this study, a series of scholarly studies has appeared concentrating on the relationship among science, religion, society, politics, ideology, and organizations (Hatch, Undated).
Starting in the mid 1700s and continuing to the late 1850s, arguably still ongoing today, industrialization is centered on the development of machinery and urbanization. This new era found its roots in Great Britain, and later in the entirety of Western Europe once the French Revolution and the Congress of Vienna were resolved. Development was essential in Great Britain simply because it was not connected to continental Europe and Britain had the resources, like coal, to fuel the industrial revolution. Once the idea of industrialization was sparked, it burned like wildfire and spread to the rest of Europe. The results of industrialization were exceptional and robust; calling for others to join.
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...
The industrial revolution started around 1750. It began in Britain and it spread through out the World. England was known as “the world’s workshop” because at that point in time, England was the major manufacturing center of the World.(Bailey) It took about ten years for the industrial revolution to spread to other places. It spread to America. The Industrial Revolution was favorable to the American colonies by bringing the factory system to America, supplying more employment which increased urban growth, and raising the national economy.
The Industrial Revolution was the major advancement of technology in the late 18th and early 19th century that began in Britain and spread to America.The national and federal government helped the United States grow into a self reliant nation with improvements in transportation, technology, manufacturing and the growth of the population.
The Industrial Revolution began over two centuries ago and has had a major impact on every current world power. It began in a group of islands off the North West coast of Europe and has been imitated or tried by every nation looking to increase its wealth and power throughout the world. Industrialization came out of the basic ideas of capitalism because it fostered individuals who were willing to take high risks in hopes of high returns on their investments. These investments included factories and machines that would be put to use by people to better their standard of living. These entrepreneurs would return their profits back to the expansion and improvement of their factories and machines.
The Industrial Revolution was the rapid growth of industrialization in Europe and later the U.S. Starting in England in the late eighteenth century, the Industrial Revolution was a time of great advancements. Changes took place in almost every industry including transportation, mining, textile, and more. But didn’t just stop there, modifications were also made to the social world. All of these new ideas combined made what we know today as the Industrial Revolution.1
Prior to the Industrial Revolution Great Britain was a relatively advanced country with a small population compared to China, workers had relatively high living standards when compared to Asian workers.(3) Britains economy before the revolution was strong, business restrictions were virtually nonexistent with most companies being free enterprises and the government often backed local business through the funding of projects. (3) The strong economy of Britain and th...
The Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries was arguably the most important turning point in history. It transformed the manufacture of goods from craftsmanship to commercialism, exponentially increasing output and decreasing production cost leading to prosperity and an unprecedented supply of goods for the markets of the world. Industrialization and mass production was the fuel which ignited the flame of capitalism which was already established creating bringing sweeping changes in wealth and its distribution. Within a few generations the very fabric of society was virtually remade as millions left the farms and villages of the countryside for jobs in the cities. This monumental change did not immediately sweep the entire globe, instead it remained concentrated in the countries of western Europe and the United States, thus setting the stage for the hierarchy of nations in the world, which as changed only slightly since. While there are several contributing factors which facilitated this state of affairs, the overwhelming reason for its existence can be compared to a crooked poker game with the West was dealing a stacked deck of cards to the rest of the world. The industrialized countries used restrictive trade legislation, military force at times, and most importantly exploited regional conflicts between ethnic groups to create a hierarchy or class system of nations, the effects of which can still be seen today. Westerners thought themselves superior both culturally and intellectually to the people of places like Egypt, India and the rest of Asia. Thus rather than seeing themselves as exploiting foreign populations and cultures, they instead saw as serving the greater good for humanity by uplifting...
The Industrial Revolution was a time of great change in the world and changed the way many products were manufactured. Originating in England and Great Britain, its effects spread across the globe and influenced the way people lived and worked and lead to the modern world known today. While it did not always have positive effects, through imperialism, Britain’s Industrial Revolution brought about technological innovations that transformed the world and its economies.
In the late eighteenth century, the Industrial Revolution made its debut in Great Britain and subsequently spread across Europe, North America and the rest of the world. These changes stimulated a major transformation in the way of life, and created a modern society that was no longer rooted in agricultural production but in industrial manufacture. Great Britain was able to emerge as the world’s first industrial nation through a combination of numerous factors such as natural resources, inventions, transport systems, and the population surge. It changed the way people worked and lived, and a revolution was started. As stated by Steven Kreis in Lecture 17, “England proudly proclaimed itself to be the "Workshop of the World," a position that country held until the end of the 19th century when Germany, Japan and United States overtook it.”
The industrial revolution of 17th and 18th centuries saw the transformation of Britain from a Neolithic nation into an industrious nation. However, this spread quickly throughout the world, introducing the modernisation of agriculture, revolution in power and manufacturing of textile.
“Revolutions are the locomotives of history” (Karl Marx). The concept of how far we’ve progressed in the past couple of centuries is hard to grasp. A revolution is defined as an instance of revolving and I think this quote from Karl Marx sums up the significance of revolutions in relevance to us as the human race; they pull us forward and allow us to progress. It’s whether or not these progressions are beneficial or not that makes or breaks the usefulness of a revolution. Although the industrial revolution in Britain had its ups and downs, it ultimately paved the road for Britain to become the world power it is today. There is much discussion about how, or why, the Industrial revolution started in Britain. I contribute this to three main attributes of Britain; the scientific and agricultural revolution, the cheap energy economy, and their social structure.
First, Britain had some tremendous natural attributes. It was naturally endowed with many deposits of coal and iron ore, which were used heavily in the early stages of factory production. In addition, Britain was situated at a critical point for international trade. Its position between the United States and the rest of Europe allowed them to have a serious impact in all matters of trade. Likewise, a multitude of navigable waterways, easy access to the sea, and a mild climate all contributed to the onset of industrialism. Britain's topography was conducive to industrialism because its diversity allowed for the production of many agricultural products, preventing any sort of shortage or famine. Evans remarks, “Each single such advantage could be replicated in other European countries and some could be accentuated, but no other nation enjoyed such a rich combination of natural bounties” (111). Furthermore, the nation was free of many trade tariffs that hampered industry in other European nations while featuring a real opportunity for upward movement in society which provided a great incentive for acquiring wealth. Britain also experienced tremendous population growth which provided a potential workforce as well as an increase in the demand for goods.
Horn, Jeff, Leonard N. Rosenband, and Merritt Roe Smith. Reconceptualizing the Industrial Revolution. Dibner Institute Studies in the History of Science and Technology. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2010.
The Industrial Revolution was a movement that shifted England’s economy from one that is focused on agriculture to an economy that is based on manufactured goods. Although, the Agricultural Revolution began around 1500 and ended around 1850, it was not until the Industrial Revolution that the changes significantly took off.