Industrial Revolution

Introduction

The rapid growth brings the question of where the Industrial Revolution began; the revolution came into existence in the 18th century. Since innovation and new technologies were introduced, dramatic changes started to occur in the economic and social structure of the country. Previously, wealthy merchants used to supply raw materials to families to collect the final goods. However, after the Industrial Revolutions, they started to set up large-scale factories. 

New pieces of machinery were installed, raw materials came up, and an abundance of the human workforce was employed in factories to make machine-made goods. This is how the factory system came into existence. 

Fortunately, Britain already had the required resources to emerge as an industrialised power. The impact of the rapid development in industrialisation could be felt worldwide. Later, countries like France, Germany, and the US started industrialisation. 

Innovations and Technological Changes During the Industrial Revolution

During the era of the Industrial Revolution, many inventions, innovations, and technological changes were taken into consideration. It promoted industrialisation in several countries. Now, large-scale production could be done faster, making goods more readily available and less expensive. These inventions impacted the transport textile industries to a great extent and led to a labour organisation.

Textile Industry

Due to the technological advancements in the textile industry, innovation in steel and iron production started. Other countries took inspiration from England and began to follow in their footsteps as manufactured goods from England were flooding the world markets. 

Samuel Slater travelled from England to America in 1789. He adopted the British textile industry and established the Industrial revolution in America based on the knowledge acquired on his tour from England to America. In America, new areas came under cotton plantations which boosted the demand for slaves. Like America, France and Germany faced a Similar incident. Arkwright, or the father of the factory system, established the first factory-built for house machinery, where people got employment under fixed working hours. 

Another significant advancement that took place during the Industrial Revolutions was the establishment of the Steam Engine. Even the earlier devices were updated, after which the production improved, which called for the need for enormous steam power to meet the production demand. Thomas Newcomen came up with building an engine for pumping water from coal mines to ease out the production process. Later, in 1764, James Watt suggested measures for improvement, which revised the drawbacks of the industrial revolution and ultimately improved the efficiency of the Newcomen engine. 

John Wilkinson’s drill gun bore the large cylinder for his engine. Later, the locomotive engines were replaced by the newly introduced steam engines, which boosted the demand for railway lines. Since the steam engines were easy to carry, their demand increased as there was no longer a need to locate factories near water bodies such as rivers, lakes, etc.

Coal and Iron

The foundation of modern industry in the era of Industrial Revolutions was laid by the steam engine, iron, and coal. This pops us a query of where did the industrial revolution begin again. It was said that people working in mines had death wishes. The muscle power of men, women, animals, and children plays a significant role in the movement of coal, which makes it a complex process. Above all, children mainly were preferred for this task as they were smaller in size. 

As the usage of steam power increases, the demand for coal simultaneously increases. Innovations were taking place in coal mining, such as transportation of coal, tunnel ventilation, use of gunpowder, and using safety lamps. Still, the people working in coal miles suffered several life-threatening diseases such as lung infection and lung cancer. 

Henry Cort, an ironmaster in 1784, innovated a method to produce less brittle iron known as wrought iron. Later, it was proved beneficial in the Industrial era. John Wilkinson, in 1774, invented the drilling machine to accurately drill holes. After this invention, the production of the iron doubled up, especially between 1788 and 1806. To move raw material and finished goods quickly and safely, there was an urgent need to develop the transportation sector 

Impact of the Industrial Revolution 

The Industrial Revolutions allowed people to move to the city side, which led to a helping hand to establish the urban society. Now, workers live close to their workplace, which opens doors for better employment opportunities. However, the working conditions were miserable in factories, with nearly no hygiene, poor health, and housing facilities. 

During this time, the factory owners wanted to pile up money and make huge profits. Hence, they forced workers to work for longer hours at low wages. Even children and women were employed at low wages. The factories were noisy, poorly ventilated, dirty, and dark, giving rise to another problem. Finally, workers realized what they were missing, which created pressure on the owners. Later, a movement to protect workers from the injustices of the factory system started. Laws were formulated to improve living and working conditions which created a huge impact. 

Conclusion

Industrial Revolutions brought massive economic and social changes that helped to transform from an agriculturally stable place to modern industrial society. The place where the industrial revolution began and the growth it experienced showed phenomenal success because of its simplified process of weaving cloth leading to less time consumption to create the final output. The advancements in technology were beneficial for the economic development and organization of labour by providing employment opportunities.