history essay outline

history essay outline

Exploring the Impact of the Industrial Revolution on Society

1. Introduction to the Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution had a major influence on the economy and society in that during the 18th century it had brought about sufficient economic security that permitted the rapid increase of the population. It also introduced the necessity for people to work in mines, factories, and offices. Agriculture became more commercialized and little free time was available. The trend toward rural-urban migration decreased the interest of agricultural life. The growth of cities was, therefore, a prominent feature of the economic society. Rapid migration into the cities caused homelessness, crime, famine, dirt, and disease. Unemployment and underemployment were a problem that plagued the urban society. The political structure also had to struggle with the fast speed that the Industrial Revolution was moving at. There was no structure in the nation to deal with the rapid changes occurring. Although the Industrial Revolution helped to define the socio-political structure, it had reversed the situation and was now governing the socio-political structure.

The Industrial Revolution was a period of dramatic change when the world was introduced to machines, primarily because of the great progress made in the field of industry. It completely transformed the economic activities of the world and transformed society as a whole. The Revolution was marked by the mechanization of textile, coal mining, and other industries. A very large portion of money was being invested back into the nation, and the Industrial Age was born. The eradication of the domestic system and the development of factories was an important feature of the Industrial Revolution. Long-term causes of the Industrial Revolution could be because of the social, political, and economic changes that the nation was going through. The short-term cause for the Industrial Revolution was the power and machinery that became available and the low cost of iron and steel.

2. Economic Transformations and Urbanization

The growth of the industrial cities had long-term effects upon the landscape of England. These cities had grown up in areas where few people had lived. The population of the Deer Parks of the great landowners and the Commons of the rural villages was little changed since the time of the Tudors, while the city areas swarmed with industry. Great mills and gigantic factories covered hundreds of acres in the industrial cities. Such establishments had to be built close together because of the scarcity and expense of both land and labor. And so roads, canals, and railroads linked these cities to all parts of the network that served their growing economy. At first, the farmers and the landowners tried to get their share of the new profits made by the capitalist. They found that sheep could be raised and wool produced at a much cheaper rate in America and Australia than they could from raising sheep and manufacturing wool on their own estates. Agricultural improvements multiplied the output of the soil.

A major effect of the Industrial Revolution was the changing relationship between industry and the agricultural economy. In England, the so-called Corn Laws, which regulated the import and export of grains, had been a source of controversy throughout the early nineteenth century because they hindered the growth of an industrial working class. High grain prices meant expensive bread, and expensive bread threatened industrial growth. When, in 1846, the Corn Laws were repealed, it was a victory for industry but also the opening of a rift between the economic interests of the worker and the landless farm laborer.

3. Social Changes and Class Structures

These ideas for reform and social improvement were popular among many businessmen and government officials because this type of privately financed social reform was already happening and supplemented public effort. Middle-class reformers could argue that such private initiatives kept government from interfering with the workings of the market. Referring that officials could handle more difficult problems such as regulations of monopolies, working hours, and safety measures of factories.

Some industrialists supported reform, particularly in the welfare of their employees. Entrepreneurs left large sums to support hospitals, libraries, and schools, while others built model housing projects next to their factories. One such “garden” – often called “jardin” – was developed by George Cadbury at Bournville, near Birmingham. This system provided different kinds of housing, with mature trees, lawns, and private gardens. Families had their own houses with fresh drinking water and ventilation.

Not only did the industrial middle class become more prosperous, they became the dominant force in the country’s economic and political life. Between the years of about 1850 and 1870 – often called the “Age of Optimism” – an influential group supported ideas of progress and reform. They based their ideas on the belief that individuals could use their intellect to solve problems, to benefit society, and to achieve progress.

4. Technological Innovations and Their Consequences

The emergence of the telephone represented a major advancement in telecommunications. Messages could now be sent immediately to any distant location without the need for human messengers, who were susceptible to injury, fatigue, and the dangers of crime. It also allowed for the realization of vast social and economic changes. Entrepreneurs now had the means to conduct business transactions at a moment’s notice. The telephone’s use gradually expanded, and by 1900, there were 600,000 telephones in the United States. By 1915, this number had risen to 9 million. As the telephone became more integrated into industrial life, new dialects, titles, and offshoots of language, such as the familiar “hello,” were created.

From about 1825 until 1900, the world experienced high levels of technological growth and innovation. One of the most important communications developments of the late 19th century was the telephone. In the 1860s, Alexander Graham Bell, who lived and worked in Boston, Massachusetts, began experimenting with the electric telegraph. He replaced the rhythmic clicking of the telegraph with varying electrical frequencies corresponding to the sounds of the human voice. Bell received a patent for the invention of the telephone in March 1876.

5. Conclusion: Legacy of the Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution had a long-term effect on capitalism. The rise of large-scale industry and manufacturing led to a vast concentration of wealth, and capital rested in the hands of a few families. In the heart of industrial districts, banks, brokerage firms, shipping companies, and those who controlled large financial institutions made astronomical fortunes. These business tycoons sought to increase their wealth and power and acted in their own self-interests. They were ruthless and took advantage of their labor force. As large landowners enclosed the countryside to improve their agricultural methods, city markets increased, and food became cheaper and more plentiful. The changing role of the family also underwent enormous change during the Industrial Revolution. As this society evolved, life for the poor was made consistently worse. Overcrowding, pollution, malnutrition, dangerous working conditions, unemployment, addiction, and crime were extreme during this time. The legacy of the Industrial Revolution cannot be ignored, for it is still present today even though it began almost two hundred years ago.

The Industrial Revolution’s impact would be felt around the world. By expanding Western Europe’s economy, the Industrial Revolution contributed to the most profound transformation of the world since the Neolithic Revolution ten thousand years before. The Great Divergence is a term made popular by Kenneth Pomeranz’s book by the same name that refers to the shift of wealth and power from the East to the West. Although some historians have put the rise of the West as far back as the Roman Empire, the major factors were the growth of Western Europe’s population, the voyages of exploration and the conquest of the Americas, the formation of the bourgeoisie and the rise of a merchant economy. The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries laid the groundwork for the Industrial Revolution in technologies, philosophy, and science. By the middle of the eighteenth century, both Europe and China were expanding economically, but the forces within China were not able to reach critical mass, even though the two civilizations were surprisingly close.

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