Which of the following was were result of the Industrial Revolution?

Where and when did the Industrial Revolution take place?

How did the Industrial Revolution change economies?

How did the Industrial Revolution change society?

What were some important inventions of the Industrial Revolution?

Who were some important inventors of the Industrial Revolution?

Industrial Revolution, in modern history, the process of change from an agrarian and handicraft economy to one dominated by industry and machine manufacturing. These technological changes introduced novel ways of working and living and fundamentally transformed society. This process began in Britain in the 18th century and from there spread to other parts of the world. Although used earlier by French writers, the term Industrial Revolution was first popularized by the English economic historian Arnold Toynbee (1852–83) to describe Britain’s economic development from 1760 to 1840. Since Toynbee’s time the term has been more broadly applied as a process of economic transformation than as a period of time in a particular setting. This explains why some areas, such as China and India, did not begin their first industrial revolutions until the 20th century, while others, such as the United States and western Europe, began undergoing “second” industrial revolutions by the late 19th century.

A brief treatment of the Industrial Revolution follows. For full treatment of the Industrial Revolution as it occurred in Europe, see Europe, history of: The Industrial Revolution.

Characteristics of the Industrial Revolution

The main features involved in the Industrial Revolution were technological, socioeconomic, and cultural. The technological changes included the following: (1) the use of new basic materials, chiefly iron and steel, (2) the use of new energy sources, including both fuels and motive power, such as coal, the steam engine, electricity, petroleum, and the internal-combustion engine, (3) the invention of new machines, such as the spinning jenny and the power loom that permitted increased production with a smaller expenditure of human energy, (4) a new organization of work known as the factory system, which entailed increased division of labour and specialization of function, (5) important developments in transportation and communication, including the steam locomotive, steamship, automobile, airplane, telegraph, and radio, and (6) the increasing application of science to industry. These technological changes made possible a tremendously increased use of natural resources and the mass production of manufactured goods.

There were also many new developments in nonindustrial spheres, including the following: (1) agricultural improvements that made possible the provision of food for a larger nonagricultural population, (2) economic changes that resulted in a wider distribution of wealth, the decline of land as a source of wealth in the face of rising industrial production, and increased international trade, (3) political changes reflecting the shift in economic power, as well as new state policies corresponding to the needs of an industrialized society, (4) sweeping social changes, including the growth of cities, the development of working-class movements, and the emergence of new patterns of authority, and (5) cultural transformations of a broad order. Workers acquired new and distinctive skills, and their relation to their tasks shifted; instead of being craftsmen working with hand tools, they became machine operators, subject to factory discipline. Finally, there was a psychological change: confidence in the ability to use resources and to master nature was heightened.

Causes

The Industrial Revolution began in Britain in the 1760s, largely with new developments in the textile industry.

spinning jennyPhotos.com/Getty Images

Before that time making cloth was a slow process. After wool was gathered it had to be spun into yarn and then woven into fabric by hand. A machine called a spinning jenny, first conceived by James Hargreaves in 1764, made it easier to spin yarn. In 1793 Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, which helped clean cotton after it was picked. These and other devices permitted increased production with a smaller expenditure of human energy.

Whitney also came up with the idea of interchangeable parts. Before a worker would spend a great deal of time making a single product by hand. Whitney discovered that a machine could make many copies of the individual parts of a product at once. The parts could then be assembled by any worker. This meant that many goods could be produced quickly.

Other changes that helped bring about the Industrial Revolution included the use of steam, and later of other kinds of power, in place of the muscles of human beings and of animals.

glass factoryWellcome Library, London (cc-by-4.0)

Another key development was the adoption of the factory system. This system of manufacturing is based on the concentration of industry into specialized—and often large—establishments. The use of waterpower and then the steam engine to mechanize processes such as cloth weaving in Britain in the second half of the 18th century marked the beginning of the factory system.

Effects

The Industrial Revolution brought about sweeping changes in economic and social organization.

These changes included a wider distribution of wealth and increased international trade.

Managerial hierarchies also developed to oversee the division of labor.

By the late 1700s many people could no longer earn their living in the countryside. Increasingly, people moved from farms and villages into bigger towns and cities to find work in factories.

Cities grew larger, but they were often dirty, crowded, and unhealthy.

Machines greatly increased production. This meant that products were cheaper to make and also cheaper to buy. Many factory owners became rich.

Although the machines made work easier in some ways, factory work created many problems for the laborers. Factory employees did not earn much, and the work was often dangerous. Many worked 14 to 16 hours per day six days per week. Men, women, and even small children worked in factories.

Labor Day paradeLibrary of Congress, Washington, D.C. (digital file no. cph 3a34038)

Workers sought to win improved conditions and wages through labor unions. These organizations helped establish laws to protect workers. Such laws, for instance, limited the number of work hours for employees and guaranteed they would be paid a certain amount.

The process of industrialization continues around the world, as do struggles against many of its negative effects, such as industrial pollution and urban crowding.

What were 3 major effects of the Industrial Revolution?

The Industrial Revolution had many positive effects. Among those was an increase in wealth, the production of goods, and the standard of living. People had access to healthier diets, better housing, and cheaper goods. In addition, education increased during the Industrial Revolution.

What were the 4 causes of the Industrial Revolution?

Historians have identified several causes for the Industrial Revolution, including: the emergence of capitalism, European imperialism, efforts to mine coal, and the effects of the Agricultural Revolution.

People Move to New Industrial Cities The Industrial Revolution brought rapid urbanization or the movement of people to cities. Changes in farming, soaring population growth, and an ever-increasing demand for workers led masses of people to migrate from farms to cities.