The Industrial Revolution (Lecture Four) PDF

The Industrial Revolution Dr. Rawia Ahmed  European colonial conquests in Africa and Asia were not solely about the military w Instead, these battles were supported by a range of technological and logistical advan Factories produced the weapons, food sustained the soldiers, steamships t...

The Industrial Revolution Dr. Rawia Ahmed  European colonial conquests in Africa and Asia were not solely about the military w Instead, these battles were supported by a range of technological and logistical advan Factories produced the weapons, food sustained the soldiers, steamships transporte telegraph lines communicated orders over long distances, and medicines kept them he these advancements were made possible through the use of coal and, later, oil, which we for powering these technologies and supporting imperial expansion. he Beginning of Industrial Revolution: The Industrial Revolution started in England around 1750. It took nearly 100 years to spread to other parts of West beginning around 1830, and fully developed by the 1850s and 1860s. European industrial power dominated the world, except for the United States, which began to catch up between 186 Europe's dominance during the Industrial Revolution wasn't because of any special cultural or intellectual s Instead, their rise to power was largely due to their access to fossil fuels like coal. Fossil fuels provided unlimit which was crucial for powering factories, machines, and transportation, giving Europe a huge advantage over other world. So, it wasn't about culture but about having the right resources to fuel industrial growth. The Industrial Revolution changed nearly every aspect of human life, especially how people interact with nature. It reshaped the way we use natural resources, leading to large-scale environmental impacts. The Industrial Revolution transformed entire landscapes and led to the construction of cities. It was actually a combination of different "revolutions"—it began with technology, but those technological changes also brought about major economic and social effects. All of society was transformed, giving rise to the term "industrial society." This is a society where everything relies on abundant cheap energy and mass-produced goods, including workers who can be easily replaced. The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain because of its natural resources, strong banking system, and supportive government. This helped Britain become the most powerful European country in the 1800s.  One reason the Industrial Revolution began was that growing populations and better farming techniques provi more food. Also, improvements in sanitation in the early 1700s led to fewer infant deaths and overall less disea which helped support this population growth. Britain had a lot of coal in northern England, where the textile industry was already booming. This combination m northern England a key area in the early days of industrialization. The coal deposits in northern England are part of a large underground band that extends into Belgium, east France, and western Germany. This area became Europe's industrial heartland. If you draw a line from Engl across the English Channel and towards the Alps, you'll see most of Europe's industrial centers from the early 18 along this path. Britain had coal, and people knew it could be burned for heat. However, coal was not popular for a long time beca it produced toxic smoke and lots of black ash. Mining coal was also challenging, as mines would quickly fill w water, requiring complex pumping systems to keep them dry. ewood became too expensive, people in Britain increasingly turned to coal. The previous negative of coal being dirty and unpleasant changed because it became a necessary and practical fuel e for heating. ral key technological advancements fueled the Industrial Revolution, all originating in n: most significant was the development of an efficient steam engine by Scottish engineer James Watt 63, with manufacturing starting in 1775. While Watt didn’t invent the steam engine, his improved n was much more effective than earlier models. rst major industry to benefit from coal power, apart from mining, was the northern English textile try. This industry used steam power to drive new machines that processed cotton and turned it into ed cloth. itish cloth made by the new machines was of very high quality and much cheaper than hand-produ xtiles because British mills could produce it in vast quantities. a result, British cloth quickly dominated the European market, leading to huge profits for Br dustrialists. This had a massive impact on Britain’s economy and cemented the textile indus minance over European competitors. its first century, the regions in Europe that benefited most from the Industrial Revolution were those clo coal. Along with access to coal, political stability and cultural attitudes in Britain were also major fac ving industrial expansion. e reason that Britain was the leading industrial power is that its parliament was full of believers in nciples of free trade, which meant that commercial enterprises were not hampered by archaic restrict cultural prejudices. itain was the wealthiest society in Europe due to its strong banking system. Investors could easily se ans at fair interest rates to build factories, and they had a legal system that supported and protected Finally, taxes in Britain were relatively reasonable and not excessively high, unlike in many parts of Spa and Italy. Additionally, British elites, including influential landowners, were supportive of commerc enterprise, which helped Britain maintain an early and lasting lead in industrialization. n many European kingdoms, nobles were prohibited from participating in commerce until the Fren Revolution. Even after the Napoleonic Wars, continental nobles often remained skeptical and dismissi of new industries. They often looked down on those who made their wealth from factories rather th and. This attitude contributed to a delay in the spread of industrialism across Europe. n the late nineteenth century, the Industrial Revolution began to reach regions like northern Italy a western Russia. ransportation and Communication: The Industrial Revolution started with mining and textiles, but its most dramatic impact was transportation. The first experimental railroad began operation in 1820, and the first passenger railro started in 1830, running between the industrial cities of Manchester and Liverpool in northern England Between 1830 and 1850, Britain built about 6,500 miles of railroad. This rapid expansion was so mirrored on the continent. Beyond their economic impact, railroads also had significant social a cultural effects. The British developed the system of time zones, using Greenwich Mean Time as the standard, coordinate railroad schedules. This was the first instance where an entire country—and eventually whole continent—needed a precise, shared sense of time for managing departures and arrivals. Similarly, the telegraph was invented in 1830 and was initially used to alert train stations about t presence of multiple trains on the tracks. The telegraph enabled almost instant communication ov long distances. Samuel Morse invented the telegraph and also developed Morse Code, which translated signals in letters and allowed for the transmission of messages. This made Morse Code the basis for the fi modern mass communications device. For the first time, messages could travel faster than a messenger on horseback. Simultaneous steamships were transforming long-distance commerce. Two other key transportation advances were paved roads and canals. In the 1830s, Scottish engine John McAdam developed a method to cheaply pave roads. These innovations made travel mu cheaper, simpler, and faster than ever before in human history.