Industrial Revolution: A Brief Introduction

An essential part of the world’s history was the Industrial Revolution. It was a milestone in history as it transformed how the countries produced goods. During the Industrial Revolution, new ideas and innovations took place in the manufacturing processes that aimed to transform the rural, agricultural European and American societies into urban and industrialised ones. 

Two Industrial Revolutions caused a change in the production and manufacturing of goods. The Industrial Revolution was a period of great significance in the history of the world. During the Industrial Revolution, new changes affected every sphere of people’s lives. It caused a shift in the standard of living for people. This article will learn and understand what caused the Industrial Revolutions, their impact on the nations, and their importance. 

History of The Industrial Revolution 

The Industrial Revolution began in the late 1700s and the early 1800s. Initially, the Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain and then spread to the rest of the world. This was referred to as the First Industrial Revolution. It took place between 1760 to 1830. 

The next Industrial Revolution was between 1870 and 1914. This period changed the agricultural sector of the economy. There was the mechanisation of agriculture due to new inventions. Additionally, there was a change in the textile industry too. 

Defining Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution changed a nation’s economy from an agrarian one to one dominated by machine manufacturing and industry. The technological changes brought in new ideas and inventions, which introduced a different way of working and living, transforming society. 

First Industrial Revolution 

The First Industrial Revolution was between 1760 to 1830. This was mainly confined to Great Britain. It started with the use of steam power and the mechanisation of production. Earlier, threads were produced using simple spinning wheels, and now, they have eight times the volume simultaneously. 

Steam power was used before the Industrial Revolution. However, now it is used for industrial purposes, which is one of the most significant breakthroughs for humans. The optimization of steam power increased productivity and effectiveness.

Steam engines were being used as a source of power used by machines. The development of steamships and steam-powered locomotives brought more changes in the lives of humans as goods could be moved to long distances in a matter of a few hours. 

Second Industrial Revolution 

The Second Industrial Revolution was at the beginning of the 19th century, from 1870 to 1914. It began with the discovery of electricity and assembly line production. This was the time when Henry Ford had the idea of mass production. 

The idea of mass production led to the creation of the automobile industry. Every station in the factory did a different job. Earlier, each station had to assemble an entire automobile by themselves. However, now each station had to work on one job, and every car was produced in a partial step. This process was fast and came at a lower cost.  

Additionally, there were changes in the ownership of the means of production. The right, which usually belonged to one person or family, was now open to ordinary people through stocks. A wider distribution of ownership allowed people to purchase companies’ supplies. 

In Europe, many countries socialised their economics. Nations were no longer following the policy of laissez-faire (minimal influence of government). Governments were moving to the social and economic realm to meet their production needs, which came as a part of the Industrial Revolution. 

Impact of The Industrial Revolution 

There was a tremendous impact of the Industrial Revolution on the lives of everyone. It was a time that impacted people’s lives in one way or another. The Industrial Revolution was a crucial moment in human history. 

1. The average income of people and the growth of the population were two things that changed immensely during the Industrial Revolution. Changes in these two were unprecedented and unexpected. 
2. There was a change in the standard of living of people for the first time. When people started bringing a difference in their lives, they started living a better life.
3.  Even though there was no overall improvement in people’s living standards until the beginning of the 20th century, this was a start for people to start thinking about their lives. 
4. The Industrial Revolution gave rise to the modern capitalist economies around the globe. Nations saw exponential growth in their Gross National Product GDP. 
5. According to economic historians, the Industrial Revolution was the second most crucial period in human history after domesticating animals and plants.