"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."
Change from manual labor to machine-based manufacturing that began in Great Britain in the 18th century.
Agricultural Revolution: A period of improved agricultural productivity that preceded the Industrial Revolution and provided the food necessary for population growth and urbanization.
Mechanization: The process of using machines to replace manual or animal labor, leading to increased efficiency, output and production capacity.
Textile industry: The industry that produces fabrics and garments, one of the earliest and most important industries to experience mechanization during the Industrial Revolution.
Steam power: The development of efficient steam engines for powering machinery, transportation, and industrial processes.
Iron and steel production: The emergence of the iron and steel industry, which transformed construction and manufacturing industries with stronger, lighter, and more versatile materials.
Factory system: The mode of production where workers are concentrated in centralized factories and use machinery to mass-produce goods.
Transportation: The development of railroads, steamships, and better roads that facilitated economic growth and exchange of goods.
Communication and information technology: The growth of telegraphs, typewriters, and printing presses which enabled rapid communication, recordkeeping, and the spread of knowledge.
Electricity: The invention and use of electricity, which revolutionized manufacturing, lighting, and communication.
Chemicals and synthetic materials: The development of new chemical compounds, dyes, and plastics which created new industries and expanded production capacity.
Urbanization: The growth of cities and changes in society that resulted directly and indirectly from industrialization.
Labor movement: The social and political movement that arose in response to the economic and social impacts of the Industrial Revolution, including working conditions, wages, and rights.
Environmental impact: The significant environmental changes and impacts resulting from the Industrial Revolution, including pollution, deforestation, and other changes in various ecosystems.
Globalization: The spread of industrialization and the resulting economic and cultural impacts on countries and regions around the world.
Innovation and entrepreneurship: The creation of new inventions, innovations, and companies that fueled the growth and expansion of the Industrial Revolution.
First Industrial Revolution: It started in the late 18th century and continued into the 19th century. It brought about significant advances in agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation. The invention of the steam engine was a game-changer, leading to mass production, improved efficiency in factories, and the growth of railways.
Second Industrial Revolution: It occurred between 1860 and 1914, which saw the rise of industries, such as steel, oil, and electricity. New technologies, such as the telephone, the light bulb, and the internal combustion engine, were developed, leading to increased productivity and economic growth.
Third Industrial Revolution: It was a period of rapid technological advancement that began in the 1980s and 1990s. It involved the development of information technology, computerization, and automation, which transformed the way businesses operate and how people communicate.
Fourth Industrial Revolution: It is the current and ongoing period of transformation that is changing the very nature of work, society, and the economy. This revolution is characterized by the integration of digital, physical, and biological systems, leading to the creation of smart factories, intelligent products, and the Internet of Things. It is also known as Industry 4.0.
"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."