Industrial Revolution: Origins, Impact, and Stages

• Technological advancement and innovation occurred during the mid-18th to late 19th/early 20th centuries.

Industrial Revolution Stages

• First stage: approximately 1760-1840
• Second stage: approximately 1870-1914

Significance of the Revolution

• It brought fundamental changes to the political, economic and social development in the West

Origins and Spread

• Originated in Britain during the late 18th century
• Europe, America, and Japan saw its expansion during the 19th century

Mechanization

• Featured the invention and extensive use of machines in production, replacing human and animal power
• Often referred to as the Age of Machines

Industrialization

• Characterized by the rapid growth of manufacturing industries
• Agriculture was replaced as the main economic driver
• Reflected a nation's strength, development, and wealth

Urbanization

• Involved growth and expansion of urban areas
• Increased migration from rural areas to industrial towns

Population Growth

• Steady population growth occurred in Europe, especially in England
• Introduction of new crops, like potatoes, improved nutrition and health
• Increased population provided a larger labor force and growing consumer market

Development of World Trade

• Followed the Age of Discovery
• Increased demand for manufactured goods necessitated more advanced machines, equipment, and technology
• Wealth accumulated by European merchants through global trade led to investments in factories, industries, and new technologies

Scientific and Technological Advances

• The Renaissance and Scientific Revolution of earlier centuries led to scientific and technological advancements by the 18th century

Natural resources in Britain

• Britain was rich in natural resources such as coal and iron

Geographical Advantages

• Being an island separated from continental Europe with a long coastline, Britain was able to develop its maritime trade

Colonial Empire benefits

• Colonies supplied cheap raw materials and a large overseas market for British industries

Enclosure Movement impacts

• Increased farming productivity in Britain resulted in abundant food supplies
• Eviction of rural farmers by landowners led to cheap labor for factories

Government Support (Mercantilism)

• Government actively supported the development of foreign trade
• Statute of Monopolies (1623) granted monopolies to skilled individuals who developed new techniques and inventions
• The Royal Society supported scientists and intellectuals, encouraging technological development

First Industrial Revolution Timeframe

• The First Industrial Revolution took place from 1760-1840

Location and Spread of First Revolution

• It began in 18th century Britain and spread to Europe and America in the 19th century
• Often referred to as the "Age of Steam"

Second Industrial Revolution - Key Countries

• Germany, Britain, USA, and Japan, experienced industrialization during this time
• Often referred to as the Age of Steel and Electricity

Textile Industry Inventions

• New textile machines were invented in the early to mid-18th century
• Key inventions: Flying Shuttle (Kay 1733), Spinning Jenny (Hargreaves 1765), and Power Loom (Cartwright 1785)
• The textile industry was the first to industrialize using steam-powered machines

Factory vs Domestic System

• Factory system (production in factories) replaced the domestic system (production at home)

Steam Engine Development

• Steam engines were developed and used to power cotton mills

Early Steam Engines

• Early steam engines were developed by Savery (1698) and Newcomen (1712), mining operations used these to pump water from coal mines

James Watt's Steam Engine

• Improved upon Newcomen's design
• Used to power machines in factories, such as cotton mills
• The Watt steam engine became the main driver of the Industrial Revolution
• Was nearly synonymous with the Industrial Revolution

Coal Mining

• Produced coal to generate steam power
• Coal gas was used for lighting and cooking
• Coal (and coke) replaced charcoal when it came to iron-making

Iron Production with Coal

• Coal (and coke) replaced charcoal as fuel for iron production
• The lower production costs of wrought iron allowed easier production of steel
• Construction of large blast furnaces

Electricity and Oil Developments

• Early attempts to store electricity (battery) were carried out by Voltra and Leclanche
• Gassner developed the first dry battery in 1880
• Thomas Edison invented the first commercially successful lightbulb in the 1870s and the first electrical supply system
• Gesner (Canadian) distilled kerosene as fuel
• Oil replaced steam as the main energy source by the end of the 19th century, as a result of the Oil Rush in the US in the mid-19th century

Macadam Roads

• Multi-layered with small and medium-sized stones
• Offered a smooth surface with side ditches for drainage

Railway Improvements

• Metal rails were introduced for coal mining, improving transportation
• Steam engine developments led to steam locomotives

Train Models

• Different models of steam locomotives began appearing in the early 19th century
• The Salamanca locomotive was the first commercially successful steam locomotive, built in 1802
• In 1829, Stephenson built The Rocket, an improved design
• The Rocket became the standard model for 19th-century steam locomotives

Automobile history

• Steam engines were applied during early car designs
• Carl Benz (German engineer) built the first practical automobile (Benz Patent-Motorwagen) in 1885

Steamboat Designs

• In 1807, Fulton designed the first practical steamship, the North River Steamboat
• In 1838, the SS Great Western crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 14 days

Steamship Benefits

• Made transatlantic crossings faster, safer, and more reliable
• Pre-steam crossings took around six weeks, while steamships took around two weeks

Telegraph impact

• In 1832, Samuel Morse invented the telegraph and developed Morse Code (1837)
• Bell invented the first practical telephone in 1876

Medicine Field advances

• Dr. Edward Jenner (Britain) developed the first vaccine against smallpox in 1796, contributing to its eradication
• Louis Pasteur (France) developed germ theory and pasteurization, improving public hygiene
• Marie Curie (France) discovered X-rays (better diagnoses) and radium (cancer treatment)
• Joseph Lister (Britain) introduced antiseptic surgery, reducing infections
• Overall, public hygiene and life expectancy rose by the end of the Industrial Revolution

Rise of Modern Capitalism

• The rise of capitalists marked a rise among the owners of the means of production, e.g. factories, machines, and capital
• Henry Ford and Rockefeller were examples of famed capitalists of the era

Factory Systems

• Featured expansive factories with expensive machinery
• Work included a significant number of works: Assembly lines and divisions of labor
• Assembly lines separated the production process into specialized parts
• Worker tasks became repetitive, raising efficiency and productivity

Investments

• Joint-stock companies were established to maximize profit and raise capital
• Companies issued stocks and bonds to accumulate capital and later expand production capacity

Urbanization growth

• A demographic shift occurred, with people moving to cities, especially new industrial towns,
• Rise of industrial towns happened in Britain, Germany, and America
• Examples included Manchester, Liverpool, and Glasgow in Britain and Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Philadelphia in the USA

Social Classes

• Capitalists: rich industrialists (factory and mine owners/investors), businessmen
• Middle class (Bourgeoisie): professionals like lawyers, engineers, and doctors with expertise and accumulated wealth
• Working class (Proletariat): poor factory workers and miners

Labor Conditions

• Low wages were often paid to factory workers and miners
• Child labor offered limited education and low costs (10-20% of an adult male's wage) and were employed in coal mines and textile factories
• Workdays were 14–15 hours long, alongside frequent accidents due to a lack of safety
• Extremely crowded slums, a lack of basic amenities, poor sanitation, disease, and malnutrition were the typical living environment
• Trade unions were formed by workers seeking to improve their conditions
• A Chartist Movement (1838-1848) seeking shorter work hours, more wages, and political rights for adult males Government Response (Britain)

Factory Acts

• A series of acts sought to improve the lives of the working class
• Factory Acts banned child labor in textile factories and better conditions for workers (e.g. lunch breaks)
• Factory inspectors ensured the previous were complied with
• The Mine Act: Banned child labor in mines, and banned women from working in mines

Rise of Socialism

• An unequal distribution of wealth was criticised, with workers earning low wages as capitalists controlled all wealth
• Thinkers like Marx and Engels were proponents of new governmental ideologies, in their case Communism

World Trade Expansion

• Industrialization meant increased demand for raw materials, which were sourced from colonies
• Industrialization meant increased market overseas: Improved transportation + manufacturing
• This expansion enabled globalization

New Imperialism

• Constant increasing demand for overseas resources led to colonies
• Industrialization increased tech, led to military gains, led to further colonial expansion.