Industrial Revolution

During the time known as the Industrial Revolution, there were many basic changes in agriculture, textile, and metal manufacture, transportation, economic policies and the social structure in England. The year 1760 is generally accepted as the “eve” of the Industrial Revolution, but in reality the Industrial Revolution began more than two centuries before this date. Because of improvements in agriculture techniques and practices, there was a more efficient supply of food and raw materials. Also, changes in industrial organization and modern technology resulted in greater production and profits. The increase in commerce (foreign and domestic) also helped to start the Industrial Revolution. Agriculture was very important in the English way of life of this time. Every year, wool and cotton production for the manufacture of cloth was increasing and did food crops were improving too. In the early 18th century improvements in the iron industry arrived. For example, Abraham Darby successfully produced pig iron smelted with coke (and not charcoal). Transportation influenced the cost and availability of manufactured products and was a means of advanced communications. Therefore, the advances of the transportation industry had an effect on the industrial revolution. The steam development was the greatest technical achievement of the industrial revolution. Before the industrialization in England, land was the most important source of wealth. The conditions in which people lived in the industrial factory towns were bad, but the conditions in which they worked were horrendous!

Reference:

• 81.02.06: The Industrial Revolution. 2013. 81.02.06: The Industrial Revolution. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1981/2/81.02.06.x.html.