What is Industrial Revolution?

The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major

changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transport, and technology had a profound

effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions.

The Industrial revolution took place in Britain, then subsequently spreading throughout

Europe, North America, and eventually the world. The Industrial Revolution marks a

major turning point in human history in almost every aspect of human life.

Industrialization marked a shift to powered, special-purpose machinery, factories and

mass production. The iron and textile industries, along with the development of the steam

engine, played central roles in the Industrial Revolution, which also saw improved

systems of transportation, communication and banking. While industrialization brought

about an increased volume and variety of manufactured goods and an improved standard

of living for some, it also resulted in often grim employment and living conditions for the

poor and working classes.

Industrial revolution can also be described in the words of Nobel Prize winning Robert E.

Lucas, Jr. as he states,

"For the first time in history, the living standards of the masses of

ordinary people have begun to undergo sustained growth. ... Nothing

remotely like this economic behavior has happened before."

Why did Industrial Revolution start?

Before Industrial revolution manufacturing took place was in homes or rural areas and it

was done by hand. Some products made in the home (including clothing, furniture, tools,

cloth, hardware, jewelry, leather, silverware, and weapons) were even exchanged for

food. But, people lived in fear that the crops they grew might fail, as many of them already

suffered from malnutrition. In addition, diseases and other epidemics were unfortunately

common. Hence machines were introduced to enhance the effective production.

Industrial revolution specifically emerged from Britian because it had natural resources

like coal, iron ore and developed farmlands. It also had a stable population growth due to

the boosting agricultural system.

Causes of Industrial revolution.

Collectively there were many major factors that contributed to Industrial revolution. The

urge to increase the quality of human like, to make technological advancement led to the

causes of the Industrial revolution. But there are three most important causes of Industrial

revolution were,

• Dependency on technology :- 'Technology' in this context means scientific way of

thinking. Scientific revolution promoted of scientific thinking. This trend started with the

Renaissance and increased with the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment. Hence with

the increased emphasis on scientific ideology, the concept of Industrial revolution took

birth.

• Impact of education:- Before Industrial revolution a little attention was paid

towards raising the levels of education. But with period of Renaissance bought about a

revolution and led more individuals to be educated. This educated class was the base to

form up the Industrial revolution and bring about an impact in the society and

manufacturing new interventions.

• Protestant Reformation:- The Catholic/Protestant debate existed. A reformation

named as the ‘Protestant Reformation’ was formed. The reform was against the interest

of Protestents because it weakened or prohibitions on lending money, for example, and

helped to develop capitalism. Some also argue that it led to the Protestant work ethic

which helped to drive the Industrial revolution.

New invention of Industrial revolution.

1 The industrial revolution marked the intervention of many new gadgets and gizmos that

boosted all the sectors of manufacturing. The main impact of these interventions was

seen in the steam, agricultural, textile, transport, medicine and mining sector. Intellectual

personalities of the Industrial revolution led to the invention of such machinary that

marked a revolutionary change in the history .

1 http://www.slideshare.net/nictnt/the-industrial-revolution-presentation-1247384 http://www.slideshare.net/theironegoodson/industrial-revolution-powerpoint-8582393?related=1

http://www.slideshare.net/changk/industrial-revolution-11831490?related=2

STEAM ENGINES

Steam power was fuelled by coal, utilisation of water wheels and powered machinery

underpinned the increases in production capacity. Development of all-metal machine

tools in the first two decades of the 19th century facilitated the manufacture of production

machines for manufacturing in other industries. Effects spread throughout Western

Europe and North America during the 19th century, affecting most of the world, a process

that continues as industrialization. The impact of this change on society was enormous.

Some example of such intervention were:-

I - James Watt Steam Engine -

Ideas, capital, and attitudes were all primed

for the Industrial Revolution. All that was needed was the right technology. Factory owners needed a way to efficiently and

cheaply produce the energy needed to power industry. James Watt had the

answer. His introduced the first steam engine that paved for Industrial Revolution to flourish.

Steam engines had been previously invented, as early as the opening of the 18th century. However, these engines

required lots of fuel in order to operate. This made using the steam engine very expensive. A more cost-effective engine was required to make its use widespread.

II - Stephenson's locomotive - In

1813, George Stephenson began the construction of his first locomotive. For the construction of the locomotive, every part

of the engine had to be made by hand, and hammered into shape just like a

horseshoe. The locomotive named “Bucher” that dragged 30 tons of materials on till four miles. This successful

presentation marked the first steam locomotive journey made on railroad that was

specifically created for train use. In 1829, George Stephenson also invented a multi-tubular boiler.

III - Robert Fulton's

‘Steamboat’ – Robert Fulton vital

work was the steamboats. Besides

that, Fulton made many important contributions to the development of

naval warfare, the submarine, the technology of mine warfare, the design and construction of the first

steam-powered warship, and to canal transportation which began with passenger service and later helped in the

development of canal-based transportation that could transport goods quickly and efficiently. Fulton’s steamboat was the first to become a practical, financial, and commercially successful steamboat. Fulton’s steamboat was names as ‘Clermont’.

AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

Agricultural Revolution began in the early 1700s with an Englishman. Advancement was

seen in farming which was absolutely vital in order for Europe to maintain and feed a

rapidly growing population. Crop yields per acre were increased by new knowledge about

what techniques would allow plants to grow and new agricultural techniques. Fertilizers,

minerals, and soil content were all factors that started to be taken into account. New tools,

and processes were developed to ensure that less people were needed to grow ever

increasing amounts of food. New plows, rakes, and other implements began to be used.

I - Jethro Tull - Jethro Tull invented a Seed Drill which could be pulled behind a

horse. It consisted of a wheeled vehicle containing a box filled with grain. There was a

wheel-driven ratchet that sprayed the

seed out evenly as the Seed Drill

was pulled across the field. A seed

drill sowed seeds that exactly

positions the seeds in the soil and

then covers them. It would sow

seeds in uniform rows repeatedly

instead of the wasteful method of

scattering seeds by hand. The result

was an increased rate of

germination, and a much-improved crop yield. Jethro Tull saw that the usual way of

sowing seed by scattering it across the ground was wasteful. Many seeds failed to take

root. He solved this problem with an invention called the seed drill in about 1701.

II - Lord Townshend - Townshend discovered-or merely popularized, there is

some debate-that if crops were grown in rotation, the land could be kept in production with

no loss of fertility. Example, to do this, the land was divided into four fields and in each

was grown in succession: wheat, clover, barley and turnips. The clover and turnips

renewed the soil when grown after wheat or barley. Townshend's method became known

as the Norfolk Crop Rotation system.

III - Robert Bakewell - Bakewell's great innovation included random breeding

called ‘in-an-in’, resulting in many different breeds with their own unique, but random,

characteristics. Bakewell separated males from females, allowing mating only

deliberately and specifically. Furthermore, by inbreeding his livestock he fixed and

exaggerated those traits he thought were desirable. Bakewell pioneered irrigation,

building canals and establishing experimental plots to test different manure methods.

TEXTILE SECTOR

The textile industry significantly grew during the Industrial Revolution. The demand for

cloth grew, so merchants had to compete with others for the supplies to make it. This

raised a problem for the consumer because the products were at a higher cost. The

solution was to use machinery, which was cheaper then products made by hand (which

took a long time to create), therefore allowing the cloth to be cheaper to the consumer. In

1813, Francis Cabot Lowell set up the first American textile factory.

I - Eli Whintey's Cotton gin -

Inventor Eli Whitney (1765-1825) patented

the cotton gin, a machine that

revolutionized the production of cotton by

greatly speeding up the process of

removing seeds from cotton fiber. Cotton

gin made cotton processing less

labor-intensive, it helped planters earn

greater profits, prompting them to grow larger crops, which in turn required more people. 2

II - The spinning Jenny - James Hargreave’s ‘Spinning Jenny’, revolutionized

the process of cotton spinning. The machine used eight spindles onto which the thread

was spun, so by turning a single wheel, the operator could now spin eight threads at once.

This increased to eighty with improvements in the technology.3

III - John Kay's 'Flying Shuttle' - John Kay in 1733, formed the ‘Flying

Shuttle’. It would weave up to a maximum of the width of a man's body, across his arms.

The machine worked in such a way because the shuttle had to pass backwards and

forwards, from hand to hand. John Kay's invention allowed the shuttle, containing the

thread, to be shot backwards and forwards across a much wider bed. The flying shuttle

also allowed the thread to be woven at a faster rate, thus enabling the process of weaving

to become faster.

2 http://www.history.com/topics/inventions/cotton-gin-and-eli-whitney 3 http://www.bl.uk/learning/timeline/item107855.html http://www.saburchill .com/history/chapters/IR/009.html http://mx.lalela.net/spinning-jenny-industrial-revolution.html

TRANSPORT SECTOR

The growth of the Industrial Revolution depended on the ability to transport raw materials

and finished goods over long distances. There were three main types of transportation

that increased during the Industrial Revolution: waterways, roads, and railroads.

Transportation was important because people were starting to live in the West. During

this time period, transportation via water was the cheapest way to move heavy products.

I - Stephenson's 'Rocket' - The Rocket was designed and bui lt by George

Stephenson with the help of his son, Robert, and Henry Booth. The Rocket reached

speeds of 24mph during the 20 laps of the course. This was due to several new design

features. It was the first locomotive to have a multi-tube boiler - with 25 copper tubes

rather than a single flue or twin flue. The Rocket can be seen at the Science Museum, in

London.4

II - The Wright brothers - Wright

were American inventors and pioneers of

aviation. In 1903 the Wright brothers

achieved the first powered, sustained and

controlled airplane flight; they surpassed

their own milestone two years later when

they built and flew the first fully practical

airplane. They observed that birds angled

their wings for balance and control, and tried

to emulate this, developing a concept called

“wing warping.” When they added a moveable rudder, the Wright brothers found they had

the magic formula. They succeeded in flying the first plane, controlled flight of a

power-driven, heavier than air plane. The plane flew for 59 seconds, at 852 feet, an

extraordinary achievement.

III - Henry Ford - Henry Ford invented the assembly line at his automobile

company. The assembly line reduced production time. More cars were made available for

a lower cost, making the cars more common. Also, Ford paid people a “minimum wage”

which was unheard of at the time. He paid people $5.00 a day which made people want to

4 www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/launch_ani_rocket.shtml http://www.history.com/topics/inventions/wright-brothers

http://www.valleytech.k12.ma.us/industrial_revolution/Henry_Ford-RP.htm

work and increased production.

MEDICINE SECTOR

There are many medical advances that occurred during the Industrial Revolution. Some

of these advancement included small pox vaccination, discovery of anesthetic, discovery

of X-ray, invention of asprin and blood tranfusion.

I - Louis Pasteur ‘Germ theory’ -

Louis Pasteur's main contributions to microbiology

and medicine were

1) Instituting changes in hospital/medical practices

to minimize the spread of disease by microbes or

germs.

2) Discovering that weak forms of disease could

be used as an immunization against stronger

forms and that rabies was transmitted by viruses

too small to be seen under the microscopes of the

time.

3) Introducing the medical world to the concept of

viruses.5

II - Edward Jenner - Edward Jenner was apprenticed to a local surgeon and was

trained in London. Jenner subsequently proved that having been inoculated with cowpox,

hid experiment (Phillip) was immune to smallpox. He submitted a paper to the Royal

Society describing his experiment. The advantages of vaccination invented by Jenner led

to protection that won out. Vaccination soon became widespread. Jenner became

famous and spent much of his time researching on developments in his vaccine.

5 http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventors/a/Louis_Pasteur.htm http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/jenner_edward.shtml

http://nfs.unipv.it/nfs/minf/dispense/patgen/lectures/files/history.html

Impact Of Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution consisted of both positive and negative aspects that impacted

Great Britain, its economy, and its people. Positively, inventions such as the steam

engine, pushed Britain and other nations towards manufacturing and engineering

prowess. Britain was by far the wealthiest nation, as it began producing more efficiently.

This led to set new standards to form an industrial economy.

POSITIVE OUTCOME/EFFECTS6

• Positive effect of industrial revolution was seen in the infrastructure as the buildings

and factories were constructed with mordern technique and new architectural ideas.

Example: The buildings structures were more effective because they accommodated

homeless people with shelter. Also residences were built within walking distance of a

factory that was feasible to the working population. They built churches and architecture

was modernized.

• The second effect was was the modern inventions that took place during Industrial

revolution. These interventions bettered people’s lives and increased the standard of

living by maintain well being. The inventions caused advancements in both technology

and medicine.

Example: The telephone was invented which allowed people to communicate with each

other.

• Industrial Revolution also bought about changes in the class structure all around the

world. The changing class structure was positive because people started making more

money. This was because they were withdrawing away from the existing laws that forced

the factory owners to pay a minimum wage. Also a middle class started emerging which

also got rid of aristocracy.

• Another effect of Industrial Revolution was the erosion of gender inequality to some

extent. Women and chi ldren were given jobs but not with equal wages. It marked the idea

of women going out for job, instead of staying home. It was a example for the society that

men were no longer the only one who had the right to work.

6 http://mbaldwinss9.blogspot.com/2012/10/positive-and-negative-effects-of.html http://teacherweb.com/Blog/PA/HanoverPublicSchoolDistrict/MrEugeneWKraus/6/blog.aspx?Post=221e8ad8 -3786-4057-a490-07764c00fc09

http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/industrial -revolution-408421

• The fourth effect was the improvement in Education system. The government

provided more financial support to schools for the large number of children working.

Example children were able to receive an education for 2 hours a day. New technical

schools were established that increased the ability of children to become skilled industrial

workers in the new age of manufacturing and technology.

• The fifth and final effect of Industrial Revolution was that conditions in the coal mines

also increased. Not only the conditions of the coal mines increased, the production of

coal also increased. Coals were used in place of wood for fueling stoves in the

manufacture of brickes, dyes, and other products.

NEGATIVE EFFECT

• The most basic negative effect of Industrial Revolution was the work condition. The

factories were dirty and dangerous. They didn’t have any laws for the minimum pay or

safety issues. The workers were paid low salaries that could barely cover their costs of

living. Their hours were long and they were not permitted any breaks.

• Industrial revolution also led to the concept of child labor. Children were given very low

pay and worked in very bad conditions. They worked barefoot for 12 to 14 hours and were

given no breaks. Since they were working in a factory all day, they were not able to get a

very good education so they couldn’t get out of the cycle of factory working when they got

older. Example: In coal mines children had to crawl through narrow underground

passages as low as 16 to 18 inhes in height.

• Another negative effect of Industrial revolution was the increase in rural urban migration.

The enclosure moment led people to leave away their farms and move towars the urban

cities.

• Increased migration led to the detoritaing effect of pollution. Ommision of harmful

cheicals from factories were dumped into nearby rivers that caused marine pollution as

well as water, air and noise pollution. Example: The smog in 1873 killed over 700 people

in London. However, the largest air pollution disaster in Britain was the Great London

Smog of December 1952 which killed approximately 4,000 people.

• Industrial revolution also led to increase in population. Due to high fertality and high

mortality rate more babies were born. The death rate declined due to advancement in

medicines that furture incresed population. Example: At the dawn of the Industrial

Revolution in the mid 1700s, the world’s human population grew by about 57 percent to

700 million. It would reach one billion in 1800.

Industrial Revolution today

From boiling a kettle to working in an office, much of the modern world was shaped

by the achievements of the Industrial Revolution. The legacy of the Industrial

Revolution has led the world from the first jigsaw portraying the infant Empire, to

Stephenson's Rocket, to the making of modern medicine, urban living and the

innovations of war. Although it can be said that the period of Industrial revolution

was from 18th to 19th century but scientist and philosophers argue that Industrail

Revolution is still on a go.

Even in today’s time we’re experiencing Industrial Revolution. Weather its war

machines, modern medicine or infrastructure, the effect of Industrial revolution can

be greatly seen. Every techonolgical advancement made is a sign of Industrial

revolution.

Industrial Revolution has gradually grew from the use of information and was

dominated by computers both electro-mechanical and electronic, and eventually

the Internet. It also saw the institutionalization of management practices into

business. A whole new industry develops around information technology. The

transition of technological leadership continues from Europe to the United States.

One such example of Industrial revolution is the Social Media or Internet. The

Internet is bringing a revolution along with it. Access to information combined with

global supply and demand is reshaping established conventions and destroying

old world definitions. Internet has become such an integral part of our lives,

bringing with it change not only technological, but societal and epic in scope.

Hence it can be concluded that, YES, industrial revolution in history as well as

today is continuously shaping and reshaping our lives.

Bibliography

1)http://www.valleytech.k12.ma.us/industrial_revolution/Henry_Ford-RP.ht

m

2) http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/industrial-revolution-408421

3)http://mbaldwinss9.blogspot.com/2012/10/positive-and-negative-effects-o

f.html

http://teacherweb.com/Blog/PA/HanoverPublicSchoolDistrict/MrEugeneWK

raus/6/blog.aspx?Post=221e8ad8-3786-4057-a490-07764c00fc09

4) http://nfs.unipv.it/nfs/minf/dispense/patgen/lectures/files/history.html

5) http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventors/a/Louis_Pasteur.htm

6) http://mx.lalela.net/spinning-jenny-industrial-revolution.html

7) http://www.bl.uk/learning/timeline/item107855.html

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10)http://www.valleytech.k12.ma.us/industrial_revolution/Henry_Ford-RP.ht

m

Topic: Industrial Revolution

Submitted By: Hareem Syed

Submitted to: Professor Farooq Solangi

Section: BS-SS (5)

Roll Number : 1217-106