he Industrial Revolution was one of the most significant societal upheavals in human history. Not only did it completely, and perhaps irrevocably, change how economies function, the material situation of humanity, local ecosystems, and the global climate, but how humans perceive the world around them.
This innovation, of course, was possible because of the exploitation of the colonies, where the British were able to both but raw materials at dirt cheap rates and undercut local manufactures because of their ever-evolving manufacturing processes. Imperialism and industrialism fed went hand in hand; they drove the expansion of one another.
The cotton industry catalyzed changes across the industry, indirectly growing the coal and iron industries, leading to the steam engine, the locomotive, and gaslighting; all of these innovations were motivated by the promise of increased efficiency and profit.
Britain was the epicenter of the Industrial Revolution. Despite losing the United States to revolt, it still had the largest empire in the world in the late eighteenth century. These colonies allowed British capitalists seemingly limitless quantities of cheap, raw materials, as well as millions literally captive consumers.
As a result, once abstract units of clock time, such as the hours and minutes, became embedded amongst the minds of factory workers who were selling their labour, measured in units of hours, every long working day. And employers unsurprisingly enforced time discipline, while punctuality became a virtue.
The Industrial Revolution brought rapid urbanization or the movement of people to cities. Changes in farming, soaring population growth, and an ever-increasing demand for workers led masses of people to migrate from farms to cities. Almost overnight, small towns around coal or iron mines mushroomed into cities.
The industrial revolution is considered a major turning point in world history because it impacted almost every aspect of daily life across the world. Industrialization changed the economy, transportation, health and medicine and led to many inventions and firsts in history.
It created jobs for workers, contributed to the wealth of the nation, increased the production of goods which eventually lead to a raised standard of living, healthier diets, better housing, cheaper mass produced clothing, higher wages, shorter hours and better working conditions after labor unions were formed.
(i) Industrialisation brought men, women and children to factories. (ii) Work hours were often long and wages were poor. (iii) Housing and sanitation problems were growing rapidly. (iv) Almost all industries were properties of individuals.
The Industrial Revolution transformed economies that had been based on agriculture and handicrafts into economies based on large-scale industry, mechanized manufacturing, and the factory system. New machines, new power sources, and new ways of organizing work made existing industries more productive and efficient.
The Industrial Revolution did encourage a middle class of people who were not abundantly wealthy, but who also were not unskilled laborers in a factory barely getting by. They included merchants and mid-level bureaucrats, as well as a few skilled laborers whose jobs had not been replaced by industrial machines.
Why was the industrial Revolution a turning point in world history? The Industrial Revolution was a fundamental change in the way goods were produced, and altered the way people lived. The Industrial Revolution was a major turning point in world history as it resulted in a complete change in society on all levels.
he Industrial Revolution was one of the most significant societal upheavals in human history. Not only did it completely, and perhaps irrevocably, change how economies function, the material situation of humanity, local ecosystems, and the global climate, but how humans perceive the world around them. Innovations of the industrial revolution gave ...
Cotton was the material that drove the industrial revolution. It was available as a cheap and relatively abundant raw material thanks to British colonial holdings, most importantly India. British capitalists transformed this raw material into a finished cloth and sold it at home and abroad.
Trains were inorganic and were far removed from nature. They ran on schedules, didn’t need to take a break, and the traveler was physically separated from the conditions. Steam-powered locomotives were “characterized by regularity, uniformity, duration ] and acceleration”, historian Wolfgang Schivelbusch writes.
Trains allow people to travel distances short and far relatively economically and quickly. In Europe especially, trains can take you anywhere you need to go. The industrialization of Europe, in a sense, made Europe a smaller continent, as it was more easily navigated.
This innovation, of course, was possible because of the exploitation of the colonies, where the British were able to both but raw materials at dirt cheap rates and undercut local manufactures because of their ever-evolving manufacturing processes.
Travelers were limited by the endurance of the horse. Horses had to be switched out and fed every few hours of riding; in fact, high grain prices during the advent of the train further incentive its adoption... Travel times were unpredictable. The traveler was exposed to the heat, cold, wind, or rain during travel.
Trains created a sense of a “shrinking of the natural world” as humans could travel anywhere faster and more efficiently than ever before without nature’s natural limits. Places that seemed distant became much closer as the travel time got shorter and shorter.