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industrial revolution and impact on society
industrial revolution and impact on society
industrial revolution and impact on society
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The Effect of Industrial Revolution on Britain
"An industrial revolution is the term generally applied to the complex
of economic changes which are involved in the transformation of a
pre-industrial, traditional type of economy, characterized by low
productivity and normally stagnant growth rates, to a modern
industrialized stage of economic development, in which output per head
and standards of living are relatively high, and economic growth is
normally sustained."
CIPOLLA, C.M. (1975).
This essay will critically examine a number of reasons for the take
off of the industrial revolution in Britain. It will critically
explain a number of social changes which took place within Britain due
to industrialisation. The essay will then analyse the reasons why the
state and industry would wish to work together and will analyse the
consequences if the industrial system for the role of the state.
Rural Life & New Techniques
Life in rural England was hard. Poverty was rife. It was an effort to
make ends meet and people were looking for ways of easing the
pressures of the struggle to survive. Land enclosure had been taking
place for centuries, and only now was it showing signs of it having
had any real effect. The enclosures had allowed land to be reclaimed
from pasture (and had taken away the rights to land from the peasants)
so that it would eventually be in shape for production.
Along with the implementation of the new machinery came the incentives
gained from new idea on crop rotation and animal husbandry, a follow
on from the earliest of times when the first people settled with their
crops and their animals, claiming patches...
... middle of paper ...
...y
from a pre-historic attitude to one of technological, commercial and
economical values. The revolution brought with it a fresh approach to
personal human ethics and to the way people look upon each other and
to the way the State viewed both.
The drive in technology created the beginnings of a societal structure
that was now able, at least in principle, to provide for its citizens.
The State had become paternalistic. The State was now looking towards
its people as being part of the communal set up, and not simply as
individual entities best left to fend for them selves.
The country had begun to pull together, and as a result was becoming a
nation of forward thinkers. This was the beginning of the welfare
state that has avoided definition since its inception following this
massive turnaround in British history.
The Industrial Revolution was an age of great change and growth throughout the world. It represented change from 1760 and on. The movement started in Great Britain and impacted everything from manufacturing processes to the daily life of every average citizen. The social impacts of the Industrial Revolution greatly impacted the world for years to come.
By observing the recurring trends throughout history, an individual can conclude that the modern world has evolved through a series of revolutionary eras. Revolutions have occurred since the beginning of mankind and continue to progress into the future. Ranging from a sharp change in political organization or structure, to social divisions within society, all the way to forward-thinking innovations, revolutions have impacted the course of history in numerous ways. Although many revolutions are titled with a specific name to identify the precise location or particular group of people involved, such as the American Revolution or the French Revolution, there are many occurrences in which a revolution is simply identified with a categorization term. However, among all the revolutions that have occurred in known history, there is a specific revolutionary period that has aided in the progress of humanity in addition to establishing the early concepts that shape our modern world. Originating in Great Britain, the Industrial Revolution has transformed the lifestyles of people around the world. However, the progressive transformation introduced a series of outcomes contrary to the prior regime. The Industrial Revolution triggered the growth of Great Britain’s economy, reset the social class divisions, and led to the formation of political reformation.
During the mid 18th century through the 19th century England started the Industrial Revolution. At the end of the industrial revolution there were more advantages than disadvantages, because the industrial revolution had to had cynical altercation in order for an increase in positive results. For example, the way goods were now manufacture. The goods were no longer produced in the household but in factories. England’s society had grown from agricultural to an industry dependent on manufacturing. Since the replacement of manual labor to manufacturing,the transformation of productivity and technical efficiency grew.For example, discipline managers would whip their workers if a task was not complete in the right format. The industrial revolution made people migrate from rural areas into urban communities in search of work which led to the expansion of cities.
The Industrial Revolution brought mass advancements in technology to the people in Great Britain, Europe and in other places in the world during the time of 1750-1850. Britain’s wealth, population, technology, education and resources led to it as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. While the Industrial Revolution increased work wages, it also consequently resulted in harsh punishments, poor living conditions, and deadly accidents.
A major cause for the Industrial Revolution was the enormous spurt of population growth in England. The increase in population meant that there were more people in surplus from agricultural jobs, and they had to find work in industrial factories. Enclosure brought forth a great increase in farming production and profits. Farming was improved through the use of crop rotation, enclosures, and the division on farms across England. Crops that were grown consisted of turnips, barley, clover, wheat. This improvement in farming caused a population explosion, which soon led to a higher demand for goods. The new means of production demanded new kinds of skills, new regulation in work, and a large labor force. The goods produced met immediate consumer demand and also created new demands. In the long run, industrialization raised the standard of living and overcame the poverty that most Europeans, who lived d...
The Industrial Revolution in Britain’s history is marked as the period of great development that led to the modern era of growth, improved living standards and technology. Moreover, this revolution was not just limited to Britain; it affected the rest of Europe and America in the same positive manner. Due to the Industrial Revolution’s success in many countries, it is now commonly cited as the surest way for a country to develop. In economics, goals of a developed country are high production of goods, high Gross Domestic Product (GDP), low unemployment and sustained growth; during an Industrial Revolution all these are achieved. However, despite the main goal of IR to improve living standards for the population, the actual success when weighed against the social cost is debatable. It is accepted that IR improved the living standards of many; it created a new class, which Marx called the “bourgeoisie”, who had control over wealth, decisions and helped improve the lives of many others. However, many historians view this new class as “rapacious landlords and conscienceless capitalist[s]” [9] who exploited the working class for their own benefit. For a majority of “the working class… ‘Industrial Revolution’ … must have appeared… as a gigantic and cruel experiment, which, insofar as it was affecting their house, their health, their subsistence and their pleasure, was proving a calamitous failure” [9]. Therefore, this group will be examined to determine more general effects of IR on the society.
The Industrial Revolution created many changes in society. Two of these changes had positive and negative effect on the labor forces and the growth of the modes of transportation that was used to. New jobs were created with the assumption that things would be better for everyone. The increase of the development of technological and industrial fields weren't what society thought it would be. The Industrial Revolution was the good and bad of many civilizations.
The Industrial Revolution of Britain took place from 1780 and throughout the 19th century, during this time period, Britain thrived off extreme production rates and this caused Britain to become the top country in the world to produce goods so rapidly during the 18th century. Although, the growing success of Britain had a fatal price. The revolution changed the culture of Britain, manufacturing was no longer a task done in the home but now became centralized in the factory. The birth of factories brought child labor, dense living conditions, urbanization, and changes in economy, but the factories were not just the whole part of the revolution. Many inventions were created and their impacts were substantial when reviewing the overall revolution.
The Industrial Revolution brought many changes to the societies that experienced the process of industrialization. Some of the changes benefited society, while others caused harm to most of the society. Most affected by these changes was the working class of these societies. In regards to the working people of the country of England, they experienced a lot of pain caused by industrialization. The gains of the Industrial Revolution in England from 1780 to 1850 were not worth the pain that was caused by it, which primarily affected the working class of England. The working class experienced harsh working and living conditions during the Industrial Revolution. The workers, especially women and children, were overworked and exploited by the higher classes which included the owners of the factories or mines in which they worked in. Their health was affected negatively by the working conditions that they experienced. Even though some of the effects that the Industrial Revolution brought benefited the working people in a way, they were not worth the pain and suffering that they experienced.
Life drastically changed during the industrial revolution. People were living in germ infested, crowded and very unhealthy conditions, much like the places where they work. Women and children worked in harsh conditions for almost whole days and only received little pay. The British Parliament stepped in and limited child labor. This sparked a revolt. People, especially wealthy capitalists, wanted the government to stay out of its issues, called the laissez-faire system5. Many people opposed the laissez-faire system, saying the capitalists would gain too much power and people would be mistreated. The laissez-faire system was disregarded after a few years.
The Industrial Revolution was a time of great change in the world and changed the way many products were manufactured. Originating in England and Great Britain, its effects spread across the globe and influenced the way people lived and worked and lead to the modern world known today. While it did not always have positive effects, through imperialism, Britain’s Industrial Revolution brought about technological innovations that transformed the world and its economies.
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the Industrial Revolution in Europe had a significant influence on society. There were many changes in social classes and equality. The rise of the middle class had a momentous effect on the population of Europe and was a catalyst for many changes in the social makeup of the region. The influence of technology and electricity changed many aspects of social interaction and created a new class system. The migration of workers and the separation of the classes had political and social repercussions throughout Europe. Labor unions and political parties provided protection and a voice to many of the working class, and urbanization provided the stage for reformers to push for modernized cities. Women in this era also had distinct differences in their treatment and standing regardless of their social class. Two of the key social concerns of this new industrial era in Europe mainly revolved around the emerging social classes and the equality of women.
“Revolutions are the locomotives of history” (Karl Marx). The concept of how far we’ve progressed in the past couple of centuries is hard to grasp. A revolution is defined as an instance of revolving and I think this quote from Karl Marx sums up the significance of revolutions in relevance to us as the human race; they pull us forward and allow us to progress. It’s whether or not these progressions are beneficial or not that makes or breaks the usefulness of a revolution. Although the industrial revolution in Britain had its ups and downs, it ultimately paved the road for Britain to become the world power it is today. There is much discussion about how, or why, the Industrial revolution started in Britain. I contribute this to three main attributes of Britain; the scientific and agricultural revolution, the cheap energy economy, and their social structure.
The aims of this paper are to evaluate the effects the Industrial Revolution had on the wider world. This essay will be assessing the impact of technology and innovation on employment of the era, and how the factory system gave rise to socialism. In addition, it will be evaluating how the Industrial Revolution was the precursor to the phenomenon of consumerism and the resulting globalization.
Great Britain was the first country to experience industrialization due to its abundant natural resources such as coal and iron, immense expansion throughout the world and subsequent economic growth from trade, and its governmental and financial strength. The industrial revolution was fast and maintained strength in Great Britain, whereas other Western countries experienced industrialization much more gradually and with more difficulty, due to political, social, and economic instability.