The Industrial Revolution Overview

The Industrial Revolution

• The Industrial Revolution began in England around 1750 and spread to other parts of the West, beginning around 1830 and fully developed by the 1850s and 1860s.
• European industrial power dominated the world (except for the US which caught up between 1860s-1880s).
• Europe's dominance wasn't due to culture, but access to fossil fuels like coal.

Colonial Conquests

• European colonial conquests in Africa and Asia were not only about military force.
• Factories produced weapons, food sustained soldiers, steamships transported goods, telegraph lines communicated orders and medicines kept soldiers healthy.
• These advancements, fueled by coal and later oil, powered technologies and supported imperial expansion.

Beginning of the Industrial Revolution

• Key to the Industrial Revolution's start was access to fossil fuels like coal.
• Fossil fuels provided unlimited energy for powering factories, machines and transportation.
• This gave Europe a significant advantage over other parts of the world.

Impact of the Industrial Revolution

• The Industrial Revolution changed nearly all aspects of human life.
• It transformed landscapes and led to urbanisation
• The combination of different "revolutions" brought major economic and social changes.
• The concept of "industrial society" emerged. Industries are reliant on abundant cheap energy and mass-produced goods.
• Workers could be easily replaced in this context.

Factors for Britain's Industrial Revolution

• Britain had abundant coal resources in northern England, combined with a burgeoning textile industry.
• Improved farming techniques and sanitation led to a growing population and better food supply. This contributed to fewer infant deaths and overall lower mortality.
• Strong banking system and supportive government policies helped investors build factories.
• Coal, while a necessary resource, had disadvantages (toxins and need for complex pumping systems).

Key Technological Advancements

• James Watt’s improved steam engine was a crucial development providing a much more effective model—a driving force for increased manufacturing.
• Steam power was essential for powering machines in the northern English textile industry. It revolutionized how cotton was processed and turned into cloth.
• Coal, now readily available, made previously expensive materials, like wood, unnecessary for heating.

Textile Industry and Trade

• British cloth became high quality and incredibly affordable.
• British textiles dominated the European market, generating huge profits for industrialists.
• Britain's lead in textile manufacturing further solidified its role as a global powerhouse.

Contributing Factors to Britain's Success

• Britain's political stability, free trade policies, and relatively low taxes were key to its industrial leadership.
• Influential landowners and other elites tended to be supportive of commerce and industrialization.

Spread of the Industrial Revolution elsewhere

• The Industrial Revolution's spread was initially slow in Europe due to skepticism from nobles and elites in many European kingdoms.
• By the late 19th century, the Industrial Revolution reached regions like northern Italy and western Russia.

Transportation and Communication

• The Industrial Revolution dramatically impacted transportation.
• Railroads, initially experimental in 1820, were widespread in Britain between 1830-1850. This rapid expansion also impacted social and cultural contexts, influencing the continent.
• British development of time zones (Greenwich Mean Time) was crucial for coordinating complicated train schedules and enabling a shared sense of time across countries and even continents.
• The telegraph, invented by Samuel Morse, enabled almost instant communication over vast distances transforming long-distance commerce. Other innovations such as paved roads and canals also helped to improve trade.