In 1750 political liberalism, the enlightened age, Infrastructure, and the economic climate allowed Great Britain to seek new job opportunities and exploit new business ideas. In addition, literacy, public education and the middle class was rising immensely. Concepts like partnerships and selling shares were introduced during this time period. The process of the Industrial Revolution was rapid in Western Europe however, by the 1900 all of Europe was involved. Over all, the effects of the revolution changed the way materials are transported, how products are made, on a global basis.The Industrial Revolution was a critical turning point in European history because the changes made are integral in the modern age.
From the late 17th century to the early 19th century, industrialization was occurring in the United States and around Europe. The abundance of raw materials and the ambition of business men caused the industrialization before and after the Civil War. The First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, known as the Technological Revolution, caused the United States to thrive throughout those years because of population increase and all the new products or ideas there was. In the 1900s, the United States became the leading industrial power in the world because of both revolutions; the first revolution led into the second revolution because of the technology and economic changes occurring. The First Industrial Revolution changed agriculture customs and the Second Industrial Revolution caused changes in production techniques, but both helped the United States industrialize and become the most successful country in the world.
To most people during this time period believed that this was future, a revolutionary feat that would change the world forever. European countries are thriving off the industrial factories and enormous amounts of trade. British, French, German, and Belgium states are all producing massive factories to support a growing desire for new industrial goods. Railroads and steam powered boats increase the transportation of goods across vast distances, while large work forces drive the industrial era to its limits. How did Europeans push toward such a serious transformation?
This was all a result, somewhat indirectly of the Napoleonic wars. The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain for several reasons. By the mid-1700's, the country had become the world's leading colonial power. Great Britain's colonies not only provided raw materials, but also provided markets for manufactured products. These colonial markets helped stimulate the textile and iron industries, which were probably the two most important industries during the Industrial Revolution.
In the 19th centuries, during the transformation of the Americas’ economy, one of the major influences that had fueled the change was advancement and discovery of new technology. There were inventions of new products. Technological ideas the fastened the change in economy were ideas of iron and steel productions also referred to as the “Bessemer Process.” Another thing that raised the speed of the growth was construction of Railroads. This spurs development. Another item that also sped up the process was the discovery of oil.
In the nineteenth century, manufacturing was the most important factor because it brought about industrialization. The expansion of both economic and technological advances also brought about the changes in American society. The growth and eventual dominance of market capitalism in the United States changed the lives of all Americans fundamentally. The Market Revolution and the rise of market capitalism influenced the working class because of new inventions, like the cotton gin, and it encouraged farmers to raise more cotton in the South, and brought people in the North greater opportunities in the work field. With distant but profitable markets now attainable, farmers and manufactures now produced for the market rather than for their own personal consumption.
However, this spread quickly throughout the world, introducing the modernisation of agriculture, revolution in power and manufacturing of textile. This revolution brought an enormous wave of success in both economic and technical advancement. The first revolution largely focused on the production of new textiles machinery, improved methods of coal production, iron manufacturing and agricultural techniques. However, by the second industrial revolution, a clustering of industrial inventions centering on steel, railroad and agricultural machinery, thus, a big boom on the industry and economy. (Heilbroner and Milberg 2009,54) The revolution of the 18th and 19th century saw an immense transformation in science, technology and our economy, hence, the transformation from a Neolithic economy to an industrial economy.
However, among all the revolutions that have occurred in known history, there is a specific revolutionary period that has aided in the progress of humanity in addition to establishing the early concepts that shape our modern world. Originating in Great Britain, the Industrial Revolution has transformed the lifestyles of people around the world. However, the progressive transformation introduced a series of outcomes contrary to the prior regime. The Industrial Revolution triggered the growth of Great Britain’s economy, reset the social class divisions, and led to the formation of political reformation. 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.
Imperialism in the late 1800’s blossomed when a new phase of global expansion erupted. One of the main goals of this global expansion focused on new markets and sources of raw materials. Due to the Second Industrial Revolution, the demand for new markets and the exploding numbers in production compelled business leaders to search out new sources of investment for the growing economy. Rapid territorial expansion redirected the competing ideologies of agricultural demands, Native Americans, European Immigrants, and industrial capitalist in this new empire. In this search, manufacturers needed to find new raw materials in order to better equip themselves to sustain against the newly rising competitors.
The invention that fired up the Industrial Revolution was the steam engine, which was invented by James Watt in 1775. The steam engine made travel faster and more efficient, which is why it earned the name “Iron Horse”. The steam engine not only powered the trains, but it also powered the factories (The Industrial Revolution United State, page 27). This provided numerous factories and industries to transport their goods farther away and at a faster pace. The numerous inventions led to the radically increasing American economy.