Most Important Changes Ushered in by The Industrial Revolution in Britain

Most Important Changes Ushered in by The Industrial Revolution in Britain

The industrial revolution saw many changes to Britain from work to transport. A very important change was the development of the railway system. The railway system changed the face of Britain forever. The development of the railways meant that Britain could become a superpower. The railways changed Britain in many ways from social to economic.

An economic change that occurred during the creation of railways was a new level of trade. Before the invention of the railway system, factory owners dreaded the long; cumbersome journey that lay ahead. For example, in 1750 the road transport was often dangerous as there were many obstacles in the way, the horses would need changing as they couldn’t pull the carriage for ever and horses could only do 10 miles per day pulling only ½ a ton, when the train was introduced it could pull 40 tonnes at 200 miles per day. This meant that factory owners could easily export their goods. This changed Britain because it meant that people in other towns could get other goods (such as coal) cheaper and quicker meaning towns were never left out.

Another economic change was the growth of industries. Iron and steel industries grew enormously because the railways required them to function. As more goods became easier to transport, coal became cheaper and because coal was an important part of iron and steel production, these two industries grew. The growth of the iron and steel industries led to more employment because people were needed in the manufacturing of steel and iron. This changed Britain because it meant a new, powerful industry was created that helped to lead Britain become a superpower.

However, despite the new jobs t...

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A final social change was the creation of new suburbs and towns. Suburbs were created to house the construction workers (and families). Towns, such as Swindon, Crewe and Doncaster predominantly became railway towns. These changes meant that a new type of town was being developed and the suburbs meant that the workers were being treated with respect and being house.

The most important change that occurred was the new levels of trade. This was more important because it meant that money was always flowing in England. It meant that people could access cheap essential goods. Some could argue that the new forms of communication was more important than the trade, however without trade, people could not actually afford to buy newspapers. Trade also brought new important things to England – such as people in the mainland could have fresh fish rather than salty, rotten fish.