Impact of the Industrial Revolution on History

2328 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: How does industrialization influence social change

Evolution is life, as life is constantly changing. During Histories most important periods the world changes drastically. According to historians, two of these periods have taken place, and one of them was the Industrial Revolution (Miller, 492). Like its name suggests the Industrial Revolution had to do with the evolving Industry. It was a period during the 18th and 19th centuries marked by social and technological change in which manufacturing began to rely (INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, Timeline Index). Power driven machines began to perform what people had done before. Many significant changes in the way goods were produced took place ultimately transforming and modernizing the world. The basic resources for industrialization: land, capital, and labor, were available leading to mechanization and the modern factory system changing industries such as the textile industry. Steam engines were invented, coal replaced wood and charcoal, steel was created from iron, roads and canals were improved along with railroads and the creation of steamboats advancing transportation means. The division of Labor, interchangeable parts, mass production, and the assembly line, among many other factors contributed to the modernization of the industry. Advances in technology, communication, science, and medicine took place altering society and ways of life. People were changed along with culture (Miller, 489-97). However, throughout these ever flexing times, one thing remained nearly consistent-literature. Of course, even the arts were revolutionized.

During the Industrial revolution literature, as it usually does, reflected the dramatic, social, and economic developments taking place throughout the world. Artists revealed in their work a sense of the ra...

... middle of paper ...

...rial Revolution. Since the scientific revolution literary fantasies have taken a special form inspired by achievements in science-science fiction. Stories similar to todays science fiction were popular during the 1700’s and 1800’s (Miller, 521).

In conclusion, I shall say that the Industrial Revolution impacted Literature greatly. Romanticism and realism, along with its sub-categories, naturalism and regionalism, were all literary movements that brought out of writers many achievements, and from whom many great writers were born. Though these authors opinions on the different issues taking place during the enlightening yet difficult revolution of industrial growth, scientific advancement, and urbanization, differed significantly, they all had one thing in common: each wrote out a part of history and provided some measure of insight of a period we can never enter.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of The Tartarus Of Maids

    1212 Words  | 3 Pages

    Industrial Revolution made people to change their way of living. Most of the humans today do not act how they want but how they must. We see industrialization as the source of the highest living standards that we enjoy in our everyday modern life. In fact this is true but industrial modernization creates a lot of influence on how humans are living by how much they are connected with the nature, and their interaction with the society. A good example of an industrialized life is "The Tartarus of Maids,” written by Herman Melville, which is a story about a man from the upper middle class who goes to purchase envelopes for his seed company in paper factory, located deep in the mountains. In the beginning, he understands that the world is not as it seems to be like. He thought that modernization by developing industry is creating a good life for humans, but the reality is different. As much as these machines create life, they also destroy it. In this essay, I will present how narrator through the “Tartarus of Maid” story represent modern culture and the impact of industry modernization in human life, such as the isolation of humans from the world, separation from the nature, and industrialization causes more human diversity so it makes division of people into social classes.

    Read More

  • The Devil and Tom Walker by William Irving

    1631 Words  | 4 Pages

    " Literature and Its Times: Profiles of 300 Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events that Influenced Them. Joyce Moss and George Wilson. Vol. 1. Ancient Times to the American and French Revolutions.

    Read More

  • The Negative Impact Of The Industrial Revolution On American Society

    1194 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Industrial Revolution has brought a major transformation to the American society. New technologies and advancements changed the way Americans viewed their world. Gender issues, social class, immigration, relations with Native Americans, and slavery were either positively or negatively impacted by the revolution. Nevertheless, the United States’ huge step toward progress during the Industrial Revolution made a lasting impression in American society.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Gurlesque

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    It corresponded to the emulation, which emerged among the lower classes of the postindustrial era, to pretend to have a good taste of art like the upper class. After the Industrial Revolution, the underprivileged, who had previously produced things to fulfill their own daily needs, turned into the working class of the urbans, producing things whose value in daily usage they would never see . This shift from crafting to manufacturing, from formulating to fabricating, and from creative to repetitive triggered a new need among these people. Although they did not have the time or education to enjoy and appreciate fine arts when they were in the countryside, the lower classes felt a new inclination towards art in the factory towns where they had the opportunity to observe that taste in art provided social status. Their desire to own works of art was precluded by their incomes which were no match for the high prices of the art market. With the aid of the mass production technologies and the manufacturing-commercial culture that followed, it became possible to produce multiple copies of artistic works and reduce the prices. This situation not only expanded the scope of art market but also provided the lower class with what they desired –or at least what they thought they desired: affordable art

    Read More

  • Nathaniel Hawthorne's Rapaccini's Daughter and Other Works

    1285 Words  | 3 Pages

    The era of Romanticism during the 18th century was enriched with flourishing qualities of art, historiography, education and natural sciences that are exalted in history to this day. The Romantic era was more than what meets the surface, the literary creations of this time was not superficial love stories as the name may inaccurately suggest. This was a period of love for creation and nature, the exaltation of the common people, the desire for perfection in their community and an overall quest for something greater. The writers’ of this era emphasize on imagination and emotion and was influenced from the changes that were occurring in front of their very own eyes. A prime example of this is the literary works of Nathaniel Hawthorne and the common theme of science and the author’s fear and distaste it has on humanity that has been introduced.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Film 'Two Pills' Scene In The Matrix

    1217 Words  | 3 Pages

    Films are created to tell a story, to tell an effective story a broad range of techniques needs to be used in a successful way (Brown, 2012.) The ‘Two Pills’ scene from the film The Matrix (1999) uses these techniques in a way that creates a strong representation of the characters and storyline. The techniques used include cinematography, the soundtrack and the editing. In addition, mise-en-scéne is used to enhance the narrative through dialogue, costume, setting and lighting to create a highly emotional reaction from the audience.

    Read More

  • Science in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Hard Times by Charles Dickens

    3616 Words  | 8 Pages

    The 19th century was a time of massive change socially, politically and scientifically. This time saw the rise of Imperialism and of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, seeing massive changes in the way industry was run. Also during this time the literary movements of Romanticism and Victorianism emerged. Romanticism dealt with the issues of reality versus illusion, childhood and man versus nature. The first book I will examine in this essay, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, comes from this literary period and focuses on the man versus nature theme, namely the theme of scientific development and it’s contrast to nature. The second book I will look at in this essay comes from the Victorian period of the 19th century. This period saw the rise of the Industrial Revolution and of huge social and political change. Hard Times by Charles Dickens deals with these issues very closely, focussing mainly on the rise of industry in Britain and its effects on the people of Britain. Both of these novels challenge the social, political and scientific developments of the 19th century, namely the advent of science and technology.

    Read More

  • Artistic comparison

    1410 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Philosophers, writers, and artists expressed disillusionment with the rational-humanist tradition of the Enlightenment. They no longer shared the Enlightenment's confidence in either reason's capabilities or human goodness.” (Perry, pg. 457) It is interesting to follow art through history and see how the general mood of society changed with various aspects of history, and how events have a strong connection to the art of the corresponding time.

    Read More

  • Bauhaus and Its Influence on Graphic Design

    1049 Words  | 3 Pages

    Technology and social change have long been vital in the evolution of graphic design and its importance in the society.  In particular was the Industrial Revolution between 1760 and 1840, which brought about the transformation from agrarian to industrialized societies across Europe and America. Mass production was made possible by new technologies; availability and variety of goods increased and cost of manufacturing decreased, accompanied by the higher standard of living for many people. A consequence of mass production on graphic design was that it led to the demise of the unity between design and production. Craftsmen were replaced by modern technologies, sacrificing artistry for speed and cheaper production.

    Read More

  • The French Revolution & Art

    2050 Words  | 5 Pages

    O’Donnell, Sr., Joseph J.. “Art and the French Revolution”. The Eerie Digest, May 2013. Web. 5th May 2013.

    Read More

  • Restoration Vs. Romantic: Literature Between The Restoration And The Romantic Period

    877 Words  | 2 Pages

    Literature between the Restoration and the Romantic period alters primarily because of changes in society, culture, and government in England. In the Restoration period, approximately between 1660-1700 A.D., after the previously unseated Stuart family returned from exile in France to rule Britain, new leaders struggled to establish a stable social and political norm. The general feeling of the people was dislike of this change, and thus this conservatism was a recurring theme in the writing of this time, as well as the decomposition of the old cultural order and people’s personal opinions towards a new idea of order and understanding of the world. The late 18th and early 19th century was known as the Romantic age, and was influenced by both the American and French revolutions, which instilled a new revolutionary mindset, and then further by the Industrial Revolution, about which authors spoke of liberal and radical reforms. Romanticism writers sought to liberate themselves from the restrictions and standards of the 18th century through expressing freedom to further explore imagination. The historical events influencing European authors differed, but the changes helped the authors change mindsets and allowed them to slowly become more free in their thinking and writing. Although the Restoration and Romantic periods were historically not very far apart, the changes in the writing style, form, and theme were greatly influenced by the time’s social status quo, culture, and authoritative style of the government.

    Read More

  • Gerard Sekoto's Song of the Pick

    1604 Words  | 4 Pages

    This discontent also had a big influence on artists, and they reacted differently as a result of it. Courbet painted pictures of labourers and everyday scenes, which was revolutionary for his time. Seurat developed his individual...

    Read More

  • Impact of Industrial Revolution on International Trade

    912 Words  | 2 Pages

    Prior to unfolding of the events in the 18th century the interlinkages of increasingly global world, stirred agrarian and rural society's. In particular, the families had begun to produce surplus and buying new commodities, which were hitherto, considered luxuries. This era of industrious revolution laid the foundation for the industrial revolution. The trade in this time to Europe was mainly spices from India, silk and porcelain from China and inspite of silver flowing in from Americas kept the balance in favour of the East. The capital and labour requirements were not intensive and the mercantile activities were primarily housed in the guilds. This essay attempts to understand how the industrial revolution impacted the commerce

    Read More

  • The Impact of Industrialization on Literary Characters

    2096 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Industrial Revolution was a period of time in which Great Britain saw advancements in technology, agriculture, and transportation. These changes heavily influenced the country economically and socially. The creation of the unskilled factory labor worker emerged and a movement began from rural to urban areas. With an increase in wages from factory work, the population of the country increased as well. Overall Britain was becoming smaller during this time period. The Industrial Revolution did not solely bring positive outcomes. The interactions humans once held despite social status were gradually deteriorating as values began to shift. The industrialization taking place in Britain had a great presence in current and up and coming literature. Through the years authors such as Mary Shelley, Oscar Wilde, and D.H. Lawrence created characters whose morals were altered due to the evils of industrialization despite their social classes. During the course of the eras in literature, characters began to have a shift in morals which caused the relationships held with other characters to fall apart. The presence of industrialization and its troubles amongst the range of classes is present in Frankenstein, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

    Read More

  • Influences of the Romantic Period

    1583 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...en established, the events of the Romantic Era, such as the French Revolution, the change of the English urban economy, and the divergent religions that came upon the scene influenced the writers of the period. These authors were also affected by the ideology that came to be; the new belief that placed more value on imagination than on science and put more emphasis on emotion than on reason. A newfound freedom gave way to innovations in art and music. These factors all combined to influence authors, playwrights, and poets. The result was a great shift in literature. This shift allowed movement from the calm, structure of classical writing to the imaginative and emotional writing that is still valued today. All these developments led to a new season of writing, the Romantic Period without which we may not have a Mary Shelley, or the modern literature we have today.

    Read More

More about Impact of the Industrial Revolution on History

Open Document