The Industrial Revolution

• The Industrial Revolution refers to technological advancements in the West from the mid-18th to late 19th centuries.
• These advancements led to revolutionary changes in economic and social developments.

Characteristics of the Industrial Revolution:

• Mechanization involved the invention and use of new machines to replace human and animal power, leading to the era being called the "Age of Machines".
• Industrialization saw rapid industrial growth and the gradual replacement of traditional agriculture as the main economic driver.
• Urbanization occurred as people moved from the countryside to work in industrial towns.

Causes of the Industrial Revolution:

• The population of Europe grew rapidly in the 18th and 19th centuries, providing labor for industry and trade while also increasing demand for goods.
• To meet global demand for manufactured goods, Europeans introduced new machines and technologies.
• European merchants accumulated capital from foreign trade, which was invested it in new machines and technological innovations.
• The Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution led to advancements in science, with European scientists applying their knowledge to improve industrial technologies.

Starting the Industrial Revolution in Britain:

• Britain had natural resources like coal and iron and colonies that provided raw materials and markets.
• The Enclosure Movement caused British farmers to lose farmland, moving to cities and working in factories.
• In 1623, the British government passed a patent law to protect inventors' rights and sponsored the Royal Society for scientific experiments.

Major Developments during the Industrial Revolution:

• In the mid-18th century, Britain invented and improved textile machines, shifting production from the "domestic system" to the "factory system".
• Before the Industrial Revolution, humans, animals, wind, and water were the primary energy sources.
• Early on, steam power was the driving force.
• Watt improved the steam engine in the 18th century, which was used in textile production, mining, and transportation.
• Europeans mined coal to generate steam and coal gas to power machines, for lighting, and for cooking.
• In the 1870s-1880s, Edison invented the light bulb and created the first electric power system, allowing factories to operate longer, marking the start of the Age of Electricity.
• In the mid-19th century, oil was discovered as a high-performance fuel and used to power machines.
• In 1865, the United States laid the first oil pipeline, establishing the oil industry, and by the end of the 19th century, oil replaced steam as the primary energy source.
• Before the Industrial Revolution, the coal mining industry relied on manpower and cast iron was the preferred industrial material.
• During the Industrial Revolution, steam power was used in mining and new iron-making technologies reduced the costs of wrought iron and steel.
• Before the Industrial Revolution, roads were poor, and ox-carts, horse carts, and sailing ships were the main means of transport.
• The "Macadam road" was developed for land transport, and steam locomotives and railway networks were invented, beginning the "Age of Railway".
• Canals were built between industrial towns for efficient cargo transport, and steamships were invented and improved.
• Before the Industrial Revolution, messages were delivered by post, which was slow.
• The telegraph, Morse Code, and telephone were invented during the Industrial Revolution for faster communication.
• Before the Industrial Revolution, there was little knowledge of social medicine.
• During the Industrial Revolution, hygiene was very bad, and doctors began to study social medicine.
• Vaccines against smallpox, cholera, and rabies were invented.
• X-rays and radium were discovered.
• X-rays allowed doctors to observe patients' bodies.
• Radium was used to treat cancer.
• Antiseptic surgery was used to prevent septicemia.

Impacts of the Industrial Revolution:

• People who owned the means of production, like machines and mines, became capitalists.
• Privately-owned properties were put into production, and production capacity expanded through the factory system and joint-stock companies, giving rise to modern capitalism.
• Capitalists built factories, installed machines, and employed workers for mass production, replacing the "domestic system" with the "factory system".
• Production was divided into specialized parts, with each worker assigned to a single part, which improved skill and saved time.
• Increase of productivity led capitalists to set up joint-stock companies and issue stocks or bonds to raise capital.
• Capitalists expanded production capacity, promoting the rise of modern capitalism.
• Farmers, seeking wages, moved to live near factories with their families - leading to the growth of industrial towns.
• Urbanization first occurred in Britain, then in other European and North American countries.
• The capitalist class, including industrialists, businessmen, and owners of factories and mines, became rich and influential.
• The middle class, including lawyers, doctors, and engineers, accumulated wealth.
• The working class (proletariat) worked for capitalists and earned very little, remaining poor.
• Workers faced low income, long hours, frequent accidents, and poor living conditions.
• Workers formed trade unions to improve living conditions. In 1824, the British government recognized their legal status.
• Between 1838 and 1848, trade unions organized the “Chartist Movement” to demand shorter hours, higher wages, and the right to vote for men over 21.
• Starting in the 1830s, the British government passed acts to improve workers' conditions, including legislation for standard hours and prohibition of child labor in mines.
• Some thinkers criticized capitalism, claiming private ownership allowed capitalists to control production and exploit the working class.
• Advocated "socialism," stating that the means of production should be publicly owned and wealth redistributed equally.
• Germans Engels' and Marx's "communism" (Marxism) was the most representative socialist school.

Further Expansion:

• Western industrial powers, like Britain, France, Germany, and the United States, imported raw materials for production and exported manufactured goods.
• The Industrial Revolution strengthened Western countries, encouraging them to acquire raw materials and open markets, leading to "New Imperialism".
• By the early 20th century, Western countries had colonies in Asia and Africa.
• Colonial disputes and economic competition caused among the Western powers.