Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution is a broad period of human history in which countries rapidly industrialised and urbanised. It was not an equal process: the Industrial Revolution occurred first in wealthy European countries and North America. Many countries still today are not industrialised.
The Industrial Revolution is seen as one of the most obvious examples of acceleration in world history: when society produced more, consumed more and did more than at any other time before it.
Jobs of The industrial Revolution
Child Labour Workers
Those working included children as young as three. Young children working endured some of the harshest conditions. Workdays would often be 10 to 14 hours with minimal breaks during the shift. Factories employing children were often very dangerous places leading to injuries and even deaths.
What does industrialisation mean?
Industrialisation meant cities and economies grew rapidly. People would move from the country to the cities (urbanisation). Middle classes emerged as standards of living rose for some. Others - including the poor and their children - were exploited in mines and factories, leading to the emergence of trade unions and a broader labour movement. Industrial Relations is the area of governance applied to rules and regulations around working conditions and salary, which were gradually brought in to address the injustices created in this era by rapid and unregulated industrialisation.
Key Inventions of the Revolution
Spinning & Weaving
The creation of the following ingenious machines made possible the mass production of high-quality cotton and woollen thread and yarn and helped transform Great Britain into the world’s leading manufacturer of textiles in the second half of the 18th century.
The Steam Engine
Through its application in manufacturing and as a power source in ships and railway locomotives, the steam engine increased the productive capacity of factories and led to the great expansion of national and international transportation networks in the 19th century.
The telegraph and the telephone
Two inventions of the 19th century, the electric telegraph and the electric telephone, made reliable instantaneous communication over great distances possible for the first time. Their effects on commerce, diplomacy, military operations, journalism, and myriad aspects of everyday life were nearly immediate and proved to be long-lasting.
