The Industrial Revolution Heavily Influenced England by 1914

The Industrial Revolution Heavily Influenced England by 1914

Industrial Revolution could be argued to be "the most fundamental

transformation of human life in the history of world."[i] Furthermore,

the definition of the industrial revolution is as abstract as what had

enabled it to happen. A French economist, Jerome-Adolphe Blanqui,

first used the term industrial revolution in 1837, when he claimed

that the social and economical change in Britain is parallel to the

French revolution of 1789, in the manner of the speed and impact. His

view was later criticised by Sir John Clapham, who argued that the

process of industrialisation in Britain at the time took a more

evolutionary line, and that there was no empirical evidence of change

by 1851. Nevertheless, the definition of industrial revolution can be

approached in three ways. The first view considers an industrial

revolution as a process which altered certain important sectors of the

economy, notably heavy industry and the development of factory

production, in a relatively short time period. The second view would

place emphasis upon the changing nature of employment from primary

activities[1], to secondary activities[2] and eventually tertiary

activities[3]. A third attributable to W.W. Rostow sees the industrial

revolution as a dramatic complex changes triggered by the

transformation of Britain's cotton industry into a full blown

multiplier effect of the economy, thus resulting in a 'self sustained'

growth.

It does become questionable whether Britain was a fully industrialised

society by 1914. Yet again, it depends on what is considered a 'fully

industrialised society.' Is it th...

... middle of paper ...

..." taken from

www.bbc.co.uk/history/society_economy/economy/industrialisation/speed_01.shtml,

august 2001

[iii]Michael Lynch, An Introduction to Nineteenth-century British

History1800-1914, Hodder and Stoughton

[iv]taken from a popular song "Humphrey Hardfeatures," 1820

[v] Phil Chapple, The Industrialisation of Britain 1780-1914, Hodder

and Stoughton

[vi]Phyllis Deanne, The First Industrial Revolution

[vii] W.W. Rostow, Stages of Economic Growth

[viii] Phyllis Deane, The First Industrial Revolution

[ix] Phil Chapple, The Industrialisation of Britain

[x] T.R. Gourvish, "Railways 1830-70," in Transport in Victorian

Britain, M.J. Freeman and H. Aldcroft (Ed) 1988

[xi] Eric Evans, The Birth of Modern Britain

[xii] WD Rubinstein, Capitalism, Culture and Decline in Britain

1750-1990 (1993)