"The Industrial Revolution, also known as the First Industrial Revolution, was a period of global transition of human economy towards more efficient and stable manufacturing processes that succeeded the Agricultural Revolution, starting from Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840."
- A period of rapid industrial growth and technological innovation that occurred in Europe and North America during the 18th and 19th centuries CE and transformed the world economy and society.
Pre-Industrialization: This period refers to the years before the Industrial Revolution when the agrarian economy dominated as the main source of wealth and power.
Mechanical inventions: The invention of the spinning jenny, the water frame, and the power loom revolutionized textile production and started the Industrial Revolution.
Transportation improvements: The development of steam power, the Steam Engine, and the railroad made it easier to transport goods and people over long distances.
Factory system: The introduction of the factory system allowed for mass production of goods, such as textiles.
Urbanization: As industrialization progressed, people migrated from rural areas to urban centers to work in factories.
Capitalism: The Industrial Revolution was fueled by the growth of capitalism, which saw the rise of banks, investment companies, and stock markets.
Coal and iron: The availability of these materials made it possible to construct large, complex machines and the massive factories that housed them.
The rise of the middle class: As the economy developed, a new class of people emerged, the middle class, who owned small factories and businesses.
Social and economic changes: The Industrial Revolution brought about significant changes in society, including improved living standards and a rise in consumerism.
Labor unions: Conditions in factories during the early years of the Industrial Revolution were often dangerous and exploitative, which led to the formation of labor unions.
Imperialism: The economic gains of the Industrial Revolution spurred European powers to colonize large parts of Asia and Africa.
Social reform: Reforms were made to improve health and safety standards in factories, legislation was passed to limit child labor, and education became more widespread.
Inventions after the Industrial Revolution: The development of the telephone and the light bulb revolutionized communication and brought about a new era of convenience.
Impact on the environment: The Industrial Revolution had a profound impact on the environment, including air and water pollution, deforestation, and soil erosion.
Global Industrial Revolution: The Industrial Revolution was not limited to Europe and the U.S. but spread to other parts of the world, such as Japan, China, and India.
First Industrial Revolution: This revolution began in the late 18th century (1760-1840) in England and extended over the next few decades to Europe and North America. It was characterized by technological advancements in manufacturing, textiles, steam power, and iron production, which led to a shift from hand production to machine production. This revolution brought about significant economic and social changes, led to urbanization, the birth of the factory system, and the rise of the working class.
Second Industrial Revolution: This revolution took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (1870-1914) and was characterized by the growth of the steel industry, electrical power, and the use of chemical processes. It also saw the rise of new industries, such as automobiles, chemicals, and electrical appliances. This revolution saw an increase in industrial production, the growth of global capitalism, and the birth of mass consumerism.
Third Industrial Revolution: This revolution began in the mid-20th century (1960s-1990s) and was driven by the development of computer technology, and specifically, the rise of the internet. This revolution saw the rise of information technology, biotechnology, and renewable energy industries. It has led to a significant transformation in the nature of work, the way businesses operate, and the global economy.
"This transition included going from hand production methods to machines; new chemical manufacturing and iron production processes; the increasing use of water power and steam power; the development of machine tools; and the rise of the mechanized factory system."
"The textile industry was the first to use modern production methods and textiles became the dominant industry in terms of employment, value of output, and capital invested."
"On a structural level, the Industrial Revolution asked society the so-called social question, demanding new ideas for managing large groups of individuals."
"Visible poverty on one hand and growing population and materialistic wealth on the other caused tensions between the very rich and the poorest people within society."
"These tensions were sometimes violently released and led to philosophical ideas such as socialism, communism, and anarchism."
"The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain, and many of the technological and architectural innovations were of British origin."
"The development of trade and the rise of business were among the major causes of the Industrial Revolution."
"The Industrial Revolution influenced in some way almost every aspect of daily life."
"Some economists have said the most important effect of the Industrial Revolution was that the standard of living for the general population in the Western world began to increase consistently for the first time in history."
"GDP per capita was broadly stable before the Industrial Revolution and the emergence of the modern capitalist economy, while the Industrial Revolution began an era of per-capita economic growth in capitalist economies."
"Economic historians agree that the onset of the Industrial Revolution is the most important event in human history since the domestication of animals and plants."
"Eric Hobsbawm held that the Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the 1780s and was not fully felt until the 1830s or 1840s."
"Rapid industrialization first began in Britain, starting with mechanized textiles spinning in the 1780s, with high rates of growth in steam power and iron production occurring after 1800."
"An economic recession occurred from the late 1830s to the early 1840s when the adoption of the Industrial Revolution's early innovations, such as mechanized spinning and weaving, slowed as their markets matured."
"New technologies such as the electrical telegraph, widely introduced in the 1840s and 1850s, were not powerful enough to drive high rates of growth."
"Rapid economic growth began to occur after 1870, springing from a new group of innovations in what has been called the Second Industrial Revolution."
"These innovations included new steel-making processes, mass production, assembly lines, electrical grid systems, the large-scale manufacture of machine tools, and the use of increasingly advanced machinery in steam-powered factories."
"The development of trade and the rise of business were among the major causes of the Industrial Revolution."
"The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, with mechanized textile production spreading to Belgium, the United States, and later textiles in France."