THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

(1750-1914)

THE FIRST INDUSTRIAL

REVOLUTION: BRITAIN (1750-1850)

THE SECOND INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: WESTERN

EUROPE, USA, JAPAN (1850-1914)

Historical Significance of the Industrial Revolution An ancient Greek or Roman would have been

just as comfortable in Europe in 1700 because daily life was not much different – agriculture and technology were not much changed in 2000+ years

The Industrial Revolution changed human life drastically

More was created in the last approximately 250 years than in the previous 2500+ years of known human history

What was the Industrial Revolution? The Industrial Revolution was a

fundamental change in the way goods were produced, from human labour to machines

The more efficient means of production and subsequent higher levels of production triggered far-reaching changes to industrialized societies

Developments Machines were invented that replaced

human labour

New energy sources were developed to power the new machinery – water, steam, electricity, oil (gas, kerosene)

Increased use of metals and mineralsAluminum, coal, copper, iron, etc.

Developments Continued Transportation improved

Ships○ Wooden ships → Iron ships → Steel ships○ Wind-powered sails → Steam-powered boilers

TrainsAutomobiles

Communication improvedTelegraphTelephoneRadio

Developments Continued Mass production of goods

Increased numbers of goodsIncreased diversity of goods produced

Development of factory system of production“Division of Labour” – complex tasks

completed as a series of simpler tasks. Less skilled workers needed.

Rural-to-urban migrationPeople left farms to work in cities

Developments Continued Development of capitalism

Financial capital (investment) for continued industrial growth

Development and growth of new socio-economic classesWorking class (proletariat) and wealthy

industrial class (bourgeoisie or middle class)

Commitment to research and developmentInvestments in new technologiesIndustry and government interest in

promoting invention, the sciences, and overall industrial growth

Background of the Industrial Revolution Commercial Revolution

15th, 16th, and 17th centuriesEuropeans expanded their power

worldwideIncreased geographic knowledgeColonies in the Americas and AsiaIncreased trade and commerceGuild system (associations of

tradespeople or merchants) could not meet the demands of increasing numbers goods

Background of the Industrial Revolution Scientific Revolution

17th and 18th centuries Discoveries of Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, etc.

Intellectual Revolution (Enlightenment) 17th and 18th centuries Writings of Locke, Voltaire, Rousseau, etc.

Atmosphere of discovery and free intellectual inquiry Greater knowledge of the world Weakened superstition and tradition Encouraged learning and the search for better and newer

ways of doing things

Remember the simulation?

Something occurred in Britain that was both a cause and an effect of the Industrial Revolution…

THE AGRICULTURAL

REVOLUTION

The Agricultural Revolution Agricultural methods had not changed much since the

Middle Ages

Tools – hoe, sickle, wooden plow

Open-field system – unfenced farms with few improvements made to the land. Farmers sometimes worked several strips in different locations – inefficient.

Three-field system – farmers left 1/3 of the land fallow each year to restore fertility to the soil – inefficient, but necessary.

No significant surplus – only enough food was made to feed the population

Open-field System

3 Field System

Britain’s Enclosure Acts Between 1760 and 1830, Britain consolidated

(enclosed) the small parcels of land in the Open Field System through a series of acts to make farming more efficient

Formed large parcels of land that could now be owned by wealthy land owners and experimented on (new methods/varieties of crops applied to fallow)

Much of the taken-over land was used for sheep grazing to feed the Industrial Revolution’s demand for wool

Less available land and low demand for farmers cost a lot of farmers their land and livelihood

Agriculture and Industry The Industrial Revolution brought machinery to

farms and increased food production

The use of farm machinery meant that fewer farm workers were needed

Displaced farm workers moved to the cities to find work in factoriesThis is called rural-to-urban migration

Growing populations in urban cities required farmers to grow more cropsFood to eatRaw materials (like cotton) for textile factories

Agricultural

Revolution

Increased food

production

Lower food

pricesPeople ate

more

More healthy babies

were born

Population

skyrocketed

Social Changes:Population Increases

• 1750 – 144,000,000• 1900 – 325,000,000Europe

• 1750 - 11,000,000• 1900 - 30,000,000

England

• Many people immigrated to industrialized countries• Numerous nationalities to the United States• Irish to Manchester and Liverpool in England

• Population growth in industrialized nations required growing even more food