Industrialization in Europe

A social and economic revolution in European life.

Iron and CoalThe extraction and refinement of coal

and iron in the early 19th century made new industrial production possible.

Iron was the best metal for making machinery

Coal was the best power source in light of reduced availability of timber.

The puddling process used coke to create better quality iron.

Britain had significant coal and iron deposits.

The Steam EngineThe steam engine had been used in

mining since the middle 18th century.More efficient steam engines expanded

the use of steam power.Steam power was an essential part of

the blast furnace for iron smelting.James Watt increased the efficiency

and design of steam engines, making them feasible for use in transportation,

TransportationRoad and canal building in Great Britain

and on the continent in the early 19th century was a major government expenditure and undertaking.

Roads and canals linked the coal and iron fields with ports and manufacturing centers, allowing the materials to be processed.

Railroads The development of steam engines and

better quality iron led to the development of railroads.

George Stephenson was the first to produce an economically viable locomotive in 1825.

Railroads soon spread across Britain and Europe.

By 1870, European railroad mileage totaled almost 900,000 miles

Effects of the WarsBritain’s lead in industrialization

increased in the period between 1789 and 1815.

Britain’s insular position and connections to the rest of the world continued the industrial process, while chaos on the continent slowed it.

The debt and change of the post-war years led to a slow return to economic growth.

Industrialization spreads In the years after 1815, industrialization

spread more extensively to the continent. This was seen primarily in Belgium, Western

Germany, Northern France and the Netherlands.

This was due to the availability of natural resources, trade networks, and new free market policies that developed during the Revolution and Napoleonic periods.

Social Effects of Industrialization

The movement of weaving and other industries to factories changed the economic and social landscape.

Production occurred on a massive scale and led to the mass migration of people to cities.

Differentiation (in division of labor, class, or government) had a significant impact on social relationships.

The FamilyFamily roles changed due to the

changes occurring and varied among classes.

More women and children were found in the workplace as the need for unskilled labor rose (leaving skilled men unemployed).

Development of “middle class values” during this period influenced the views of work and of women’s roles in contrast to working class and aristocratic ideas.

Standard of LivingWealth grew dramatically during the

early 19th century, but the middle and upper classes benefited the most.

Living conditions in the factory towns were often deplorable and overcrowded.

Cyclical unemployment kept many families on the brink of starvation.

Even so, standards of living did start to rise by mid-century due to economic stabilization and business reforms.