Understanding Industrialization

Industrialization

• Industrialization is the transformative process involving technological, economic, and social changes that began in the mid-18th century.
• It was characterized by innovation, shifting economies from agrarian self-sufficiency towards industry and trade dominance.

Key Factors in the Industrialization Process

Demographic Revolution

• From the mid-18th century, Europe, especially Britain, experienced rapid population growth called the demographic revolution.
• Mortality rate declined due to medical advancements like vaccines, improved hygiene (clean water, sewage systems, soap, cotton clothing), and more nutritious diets increasing disease resistance.
• Birth rate increased because of economic improvements, allowing earlier marriages and more births.
• Population growth supplied more workers for industry and increased product demand, boosting both agricultural and industrial production.

Agricultural Revolution

• Industrialization was paired with agricultural changes that increased production and fed a growing population.
• Land ownership shifted as the Enclosure Acts in Britain concentrated common lands into private hands, leading to more efficient agriculture.
• New agricultural techniques like the four-field rotation system eliminated fallow land and boosted productivity.
• Farm mechanization introduced tools like mowers, seeders, and threshers, which reduced the need for agricultural labor and drove migration to industrial cities.
• Livestock farming expanded via the selection of species and greater availability of fodder, leading to increased meat, milk, and manure production, and improving diets.
• These agricultural innovations ensured food supplies and freed up workers for the industrial sector.

New Economic Mentality

• Industrialization needed a shift in how economy and progress were understood.
• There was an innovative spirit among engineers and manufacturers, leading to constantly improving technologies that increased productivity and reduced costs.
• Economic liberalism, advocated by Adam Smith in "The Wealth of Nations" (1776), promoted an economy without state intervention, encouraging free markets, competition, and private investment.
• Private property protection in Britain allowed investment in new industries without fear of arbitrary confiscation.
• Economic environment encouraged inventions and patents, thus accelerating technological development.

Factors Favoring Great Britain

• Britain became the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution due to some unique advantages.
• Political stability under a parliamentary monarchy ensured a secure environment for business.
• Developed infrastructure of roads, canals, and ports connected raw material extraction sites with factories and markets.
• Britain had abundant natural resources, including large deposits of coal (energy for factories) and iron (primary material for machinery and railroads).
• A colonial empire provided cheap raw materials like Indian and American cotton, and guaranteed markets for industrial goods.

Leading Sectors in the First Industrial Revolution

• The First Industrial Revolution (from 1770) was driven by key technological innovations.
• In 1769, James Watt improved steam engine technology to produce more efficient engines applicable to agriculture, textiles, and railroads.
• The steam engine signified a move from artisan to mechanized production, sparking economic growth and urbanization.

Textile Industry

• The textile sector was the first to mechanize and expand due to growing cotton fabric demand.
• Indian fabric import bans encouraged local British production.
• Raw material supply from India and slave plantations in the US supported the industry.
• Technological innovations were the flying shuttle by Kay (1733), increasing weaving speed, and the power loom by Cartwright (1785), for large-scale fabric production.
• These factors sped up textile production, cut costs, and established the factory system.

Iron and Steel Industry and Mining

• Industrial growth increased demand for iron/steel in machinery, railroads, and ships.
• Advancements in iron production were the use of coke coal by Abraham Darby (1709), increasing iron production in blast furnaces, and the refining/laminating techniques by Cort (1783), which reduced the iron impurities.
• The Bessemer converter (1856) allowed mass production of more resistant, more versatile steel.
• Coal mining expanded as it became the key energy source for factories, trains, and ships.
• Industrial centers were created with pollution.
• These advancements enabled key infrastructure construction and developed means of transportation.

Early Factories and Conditions

• During the First Industrial Revolution, the factory system supplanted artisan and domestic production by centralizing labor within a single building.

Characteristics of the Factory System

• Machinerization was increased by usage of steam-powered machines.
• The factory production line meant each worker performed a particular task.
• Labor was very controlled meaning strict working hours were enforced.
• The new system was efficient and lead to lowered costs.
• However, the system also led to terrible working conditions.

Conditions in Factories and Mines

• Working conditions in early factories and mines were very bad and also dangerous.
• The long working hours were exhausting.
• Work environments being unhealthy.
• Child and women labor provided low salaries.
• There was a lack of safety.

Social Economic Impact

• Urbanization accelerated the growth of industrial cities, but included awful living conditions.
• A massive economic inequality was created between the industrial owners and the workers.
• Early worker unions protested better working conditions.

Changes in Transport & Commerce

• The Industrial Revolution transformed transport & commerce via advancements in technology and infrastructure.
• Increased market speed, safety, and expansion supported the global economy.

Transport Innovations

• George Stephenson improved steamboats.
• Passengers traveled Manchester-Liverpool 1830, with the innovation of railways.
• Travel became faster and safer and cheaper because of this.
• Robert Fulton developed steamboats.
• Regular river cruises helped develop these boats.
• Propellers improved transatlantic journeys, and allowed boats to take over ocean travels.

Commerce Expansion

• High inland connectivity was helped by rails and steamboats improving trade.
• Lowered costs of travel and trade by using railways and boats.
• The exchange of raw materials and produced items increased between Europe and its territories.
• Facilitated growth and product specialization.

Impacts of the Revolution

• Economic stimulation made major investments to create steel railways and boats
• The industry now provided both construction and industry work.
• International good traffic was seen with trade growth and expansion.
• Locations could produce specific products.
• Safety and speed increased with a safer experience.
• Travel times also reduced, saving hours of travel.
• Cities also grew because factory workers move into urban areas.
• New districts, transit (trains, trams) and utilities began to become installed.
• Rural Exodus sent country workers to urban centers making a city revolution.

Industrial Capitalism

• Industrial Capitalism grew with the Industrial Revolution, creating an economic base of private wealth.
• There was a lack of government intervention, supported by Adam Smith.
• Investment lead to more wealth, not just riches in the system.
• Free reign helped inspire more innovation and growth.
• Production ownership happened for the rich, while other worked for wages.
• US, Europe, and Japan began to also move into these systems.
• Large investments were needed for growth to support things like steam engines.
• These industrial booms also spread to other continents.
• US became a large industrialized nation after 1950 for large industry growth
• Belgium, France and Germany also grew thanks to state support in their factories.
• Japan also grew, and became a military superpower.

2nd Industrial Revolution Context

• Advancements in science and technology created a boom in new productions.
• Innovations were focused on better output, consumerism, travel, and corporate management, resulting in this period.

Main Technological Changes

• Electric growth was caused by electricity becoming mass produced thanks to the dynamo.
• Oil use began because of the Diesel engines and explosive engines being made.
• New production of electric bulbs happened.
• The chemical department in Germany was the leader in medicine production.
• Metal buildings became commonplace.
• Better medicine and vaccines helps humans live a better life and longer.

Transport Changes

• Both trains and motors came into the transit.
• Cars and planes also made transport better than before.
• Fordism lowered production costs by creating chains of factories.

Production Transformation

• Making processes became a focal point of new inventions.
• Mass production lowered prices and allowed a wider market to create new opportunities for profit.

Corporate Changes

• Money was easily able to be gained with new corporate policies.
• Cartels fixed quotas and pricing of new markets.
• Trusts helped create a fusion of companies leading to more investment.
• Banks also helped loan and create funding for further growth.

Interpretation of Causes

• Scientific Advancements that allowed lower cost, faster manufacturing and transportation.
• Energy was easier and cheaper to obtain helping reduce expenses for normal living.
• Urban population and growing markets became profitable because of it.

Results

• Quicker world industrialization happens.
• Monopoly Capitalism becomes normalized.
• Better lifestyles occurred and new transport lowered travel times.
• Inequality and working rights were still missing giving rise to unions.
• Globalization occurred as companies and products were able to cross continents.

What kind of world did industrialization lead to?

End of Old Class Systems

• The revolutions ended old norms and class systems.
• A class system grew in order to create a economic upper hand of the wealthy.
• Work was based on wage and class, creating a Burguesia.

High Rise Bourgeoisie

• Corporate owners lead the new market, banking and trade.
• Extravagent homes were bought in the new market for leisure
• Although lost, wealth connected to the new groups
• Culture became tied with economics.

The Middle Class

• People in the middle made their wealth with effort and small business.
• Effort, saving and working made some wealthier thanks to that.
• Ambitions to get higher created new jobs.

The Population Exploitation

• Workers had hard jobs in very bad and unsafe conditions.
• Labor was abused because it needed to fill quotas.
• Unsafe housing was typical among those in poverty.
• The common acceptance made conditions poor.

How did the Labor Unions grow?

• The people pushed for jobs and labor laws in these conditions.

Inhumane Labor Conditions

• Jobs with long hours, low pay, and child labor lead to these conditions.
• Bad living conditions were a result of all of these factors as there was a lacking regulation of these aspects.

Social Inequality

• A large discrepancy created an environment of economic and industrial divide.
• Recognizance lead to similar hardships to give unions momentum.

New Ideas and Theories

• Communism and Marxism provided theories to union groups.
• Political vote and no representation meant a political lacking of their needs.

Union Groups Evolutions

• Groups destroyed the machines thinking it put laborers out of work.
• Labor unions support safety and disease prevention to improve jobs.
• International groups coordinate and protect different areas and countries to coordinate struggles around the workd.

Workers ideas

• Workers felt resistance, anger, and community to their workplace.

Two paths to success for Workers

• Reformists hoped to improve laws in the capitalism model
• Revolutionairies want to destroy class systems.

Marx and Angles contrast

• Leadership was the key ingredient to marxism.
• Society without class would be seen after a state transition.
• Labor was used to achieve these means.