Industrial Revolution Overview

Timeline and Geography

• First Industrial Revolution occurred in Britain from the mid-18th century to around 1830.
• Second Industrial Revolution spanned from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century, impacting Britain, continental Europe, North America, and Japan.
• Spread of the second Industrial Revolution to other global regions in the late 20th century.

Economic Transformation

• Shift from agricultural and handicraft-based economies to large-scale industrial economies driven by mechanized manufacturing and the factory system.
• Introduction of innovative machines and power sources increased productivity and efficiency in existing industries.
• Emergence of new industries, notably the automobile industry in the late 19th century.

Societal Changes

• Overall wealth increased and was distributed more equitably, contributing to the growth of the middle class.
• Transition from domestic production to factory systems and mass production led to long working hours and often hazardous conditions for many, including women and children.
• Poor working conditions catalyzed the trade union movement in the mid-19th century.

Key Inventions

• Steam engine revolutionized transportation via locomotives, steamboats, and machinery in factories.
• Development of electric generators and motors, incandescent lamps, telegraphs, and telephones.
• Internal combustion engine innovations led to the mass production of automobiles, significantly advanced by Henry Ford in the early 20th century.

Notable Inventors

• James Watt enhanced the efficiency of the steam engine.
• Richard Trevithick and George Stephenson were pioneers in steam locomotive design.
• Robert Fulton created the first commercially viable paddle steamer.
• Michael Faraday demonstrated early electric generation and motor concepts.
• Joseph Wilson Swan and Thomas Edison independently invented the light bulb.
• Samuel Morse established the electric telegraph system and Morse Code.
• Alexander Graham Bell is renowned for inventing the telephone.
• Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz developed the first motorcycle and motorcar with high-speed internal combustion engines.