The Great Industrial Revolution

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The Industrial Revolution was a time in history when society was completely transformed. Beginning in the early 18th century, the Industrial Revolution had a significant impact on people’s lives and surely impacted how society functioned. The Industrial Revolution was a dramatic change from an agricultural to an industrial society. Changes in society were seen through the various new inventions to make life easier: the newly introduced factory system, many scientific and technological advancements, and many more aspects. For example, the factory system was introduced so that the new large and heavy machines being invented could be put in buildings where workers could come and do the work. Now, taking a look at some specific changes in science and technology during the Industrial Revolution, it is quite evident that there were some positive and negative effects. For example, medicine greatly improved during the Industrial Revolution, and all of the new scientific discoveries really helped understand certain aspects of life better. Medicine greatly improved due to advancements in science. Better hospitals and doctors also played a role in the advancements in medicine. These could be looked at as some of the more positive effects of science and technology in the Industrial Revolution. Although, the scientific and technological advancements during the Industrial Revolution had some negative impacts, they also had some positive impacts. Social Darwinism is a prime example of a negative effect of a scientific discovery. It was based on the scientific theory of natural selection. Social Darwinism led to racism and much more. Also, weapons and explosives such as dynamite were invented during this time that were used later on in wars and ...

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...at these scientific and technological advancements were both a curse and a blessing. Although there was some racism and pollution, there were also many new inventions to counter that. As Stephen Gardiner said, “The Industrial Revolution was another of those extraordinary jumps forward in the story of civilization.”

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