In modern history, the Industrial Revolution was the transition from an agrarian and handicraft economy to one dominated by industry and machine production. These technological advancements brought about unique working and living arrangements and radically altered society. The 18th century saw the start of this process in Britain, which then expanded to other regions of the globe. The phrase "Industrial Revolution" was initially popularized by the English economic revolution, while being used by French writers earlier .

According to historian Arnold Toynbee (1852–83), Britain's economic growth from 1760 to 1840. Since Toynbee's time, the phrase has been used more broadly to refer to an economic transformation process than to describe a time period in a specific environment. This explains why certain regions—like China and India—did not start experiencing their first industrial revolutions until the 20th century, while others—like the United States and western Europe—started experiencing their "second" industrial revolutions by the late 19th century.

Here is a quick overview of the Industrial Revolution. See Europe, History of: The Industrial Revolution for a thorough discussion of the Industrial Revolution as it happened in Europe.

What the Industrial Revolution was like?

The Industrial Revolution was primarily characterized by technological, economical, and cultural developments. The following were among the technological developments: (1) the use of new basic materials, primarily iron and steel; (2) the use of new energy sources, such as coal, electricity, petroleum, and internal-combustion engines; (3) the invention of new machines, like the spinning jenny and the power loom that allowed increased production with a smaller expenditure of human energy; and (4) a new system of work known as the factory system, which required increased division of labor. The steam locomotive, steamship, car, plane, telegraph, and radio, among other significant advancements in transportation and communication, and (6) the expanding use of industry and science. The increasing exploitation of natural resources and the mass manufacturing of manufactured goods were made possible by these technological advancements.

The following are only a few of the numerous new developments in non-industrial fields: (1) agricultural advancements that made it possible to feed a larger non-agricultural population, (2) economic changes that led to a wider distribution of wealth, the decline of land as a source of wealth in the face of rising industrial production, and increased international trade, (3) political changes that reflected the shift in economic power as well as new state policies designed to meet the needs of an industrialized society, and (4) sweeping social changes

Workers developed new, unique abilities, and their relationship to their work changed; from being hand tool artisans, they became machine operators who were beholden to factory rules. Finally, there was a psychological shift: a greater sense of assurance in one's capacity to manage resources and environment.

The initial Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution, which took place between 1760 and 1830, was mostly limited to Britain. Because of their competitive advantage, the Brits prohibited the export of manufacturing processes, machinery, and trained labor. Since several Britons saw lucrative economic opportunities elsewhere and since continental European businesspeople attempted to entice British know-how to their countries, the British monopoly could not exist forever. By creating machine shops in Liège (about 1807), two Englishmen named William and John Cockerill introduced the Industrial Revolution to Belgium, making it the first economically revolutionized nation in continental Europe. The Belgian Industrial Revolution was centered on iron, coal, and textiles, just like its British forerunner.

Compared to either Britain or Belgium, France industrialized more slowly and less completely. France was engulfed in its Revolution while Britain was building its industrial leadership, and the hazy political climate inhibited significant investments in industrial advancements. Although France had significant progress during the Second Empire, it lagged behind Britain in terms of industrial strength by 1848.

The rest of Europe lagged far behind. The riches, influence, and possibilities enjoyed by their British, French, and Belgian counterparts were not available to their bourgeoisie. Some countries' political environments restricted industrial development as well. Germany, for instance, began its industrial boom until after national unification was achieved in 1870, despite having abundant coal and iron resources. Germany's industrial output developed so quickly once it got started that by the turn of the century, that country was outproducing Britain in the steel industry and had overtaken it as the global leader in the chemical industries. In the 19th and 20th centuries, American industrial power grew more faster than that of Europe. Japan also participated in the Industrial Revolution with remarkable accomplishment.

Early in the 20th century, eastern European nations lagged. The industrialization that took place in Britain over a century and a half was telescopically compressed into a few decades in the Soviet Union only after the introduction of the five-year plans. The Industrial Revolution began to spread into previously unindustrialized nations like China and India in the middle of the 20th century.

Significant societal changes were brought about by the Industrial Revolution's economic and technological features. It initially appeared to make laborers' poverty and misery worse. They were forced to rely on expensive production tools that few people could afford to purchase for employment and survival. There was little job security because of a vast labor pool and frequent worker displacement brought on by technical advancements. Absence of laws and rules protecting workers resulted in long hours for meager pay, living in filthy tenements, and occupational abuse and exploitation. But, when issues occurred, so did fresh suggestions for solutions. These concepts propelled inventions and laws that allowed people to produce more, move faster, and communicate more quickly while also giving them more material comforts.

Second Industrial Revolution

There was growing evidence for a "new" Industrial Revolution in the late 19th and 20th centuries, despite significant overlap with the "old." Modern industry has started to use a variety of previously underutilized natural and manmade resources, including lighter metals, rare earths, new alloys, synthetic materials like plastic, as well as new energy sources. They were combined with advancements in tools, computers, and machinery to create the automatic factory. Although several industrial sectors were nearly entirely mechanized in the early to mid-19th century, automatic operation—as opposed to the assembly line—first became significantly important in the second half of the 20th century.


A change in ownership of the means of production was also seen. Through the purchase of common stocks by individuals and by organizations like insurance companies, the oligarchical ownership of the means of production that defined the Industrial Revolution in the early to mid-19th century gave way to a greater distribution of ownership. Many European nations socialized their fundamental economic sectors in the first half of the 20th century. During that time, political theories also underwent a shift. Rather than the laissez-faire ideologies that dominated economic and social thought during the classical Industrial Revolution, governments increasingly intervened in social and economic affairs to meet the demands of their more advanced industrial societies. In the United States and the world, that pattern was inverted United Kingdom beginning in the 1980s.