Industrial Revolution was a Major

The Industrial Revolution was a major turning point in the history of our world and its transformation greatly influenced society as we know it today. The great uprising of machinery brought about not only efficiency but delivered lower prices and decreased labor costs. Competition in world economies and human need sparked a revolution that would bring about great change for the goods and services.

New inventions and innovations such as the patent system and the Feminism movement would change the world forever. Products could be made faster and for cheaper prices allowing all social classes to benefit. The Industrial Revolution was just that a revolution and uprising that would change the world and bring about positivity for all.

The development of widespread mechanical industry across the world was known as the Industrial Revolution. The revolution greatly changed not only the way people lived but how businesses operated on a day to day basis. The replacement of craft methods with mechanized methods of production would cause the growth of markets (qtd. Reconceptualizing the Industrial Revolution). The industrialization put private business owners in the forefront for profit instead of the state.

The modern cities of today would not have been created had it not been for the Industrial Revolution and the valuable services it brought . Efficiency in production lowered prices on goods because labor costs decreased. The first Industrial Revolution was believed to have begun in Great Britain during the early 1800s when agricultural communities became more sophisticated and goods were produced at faster rates. Later, during the 1820s, the second Industrial Revolution spread throughout America.

The increase in productivity was a major turning point for American history. The increase in speed greatly impacted the way all societies would not only function but produce and provide for its people for years to come. Wealth and speed are what the world admires, and are what all are bent on (qtd. Reconceptualizing the Industrial Revolution). The Industrial Revolution brought both and with both, great change for the world.

One major cause of the Industrial Revolution was the competition that took place between the countries to be considered a superpower. Britain needed desperately to keep up with its enemies therefore laborsaving devices had to be created. Britain also became more open minded about scientific inventions and the much needed help they could bring. Galileo and Newtons scientific inventions were favored and acknowledged as part of new ways to make Britain more efficient. New farming methods were developed. Farmers learned to rotate crops to help maintain soil nutrients and the invention of having closed fields came into play.

Seeds were planted by devices instead of by hand therefore saving labor costs. New crops were accepted such as potato farming. Inventions allowed the population to buy products more readily and for cheaper prices. Britain was more stable during this period because of its open-mindedness to change. This improved stable standing helped them develop better policies and even a patent system as one of its new inventions. Britain began to realize that innovations in technology would be vital to their success and their future. One such invention was the steam engine of James Watt in the late 1700s.

There were many pros and cons of the Industrial Revolution. Goods were produced at a faster pace and were cheaper to buy. The more products produced the more accessible they were to buy to the public. Labor saving inventions such as the telegraph and the railroad made for carrying useful information and goods more efficiently. Another pro, of the Industrial Revolution, were great advances in medicine. New medical instruments were developed as well as the invention of the microscope. This invention allowed doctors to discover cures and treatments for diseases and illnesses.

Although there were many good things to come from the revolution, many bad things developed at the same time. Cities became overcrowded and housing became scarce. Pollution, from factories, became a big problem for people and the environment. Carbon dioxide, as a product, increased global warming. Factory workers were forced to endure poor working conditions and excruciating long hours of hard labor. Worker safety took a backseat along with worker health. The average work day was 14-16 hour days. The average work week was six days. Many bad habits developed because of work habits. Obesity, heart disease, and cancer began to rise in society.

Great innovations, during the Industrial Revolution, also brought about what is known today as the middle class society. Goods became more readily available to society. A more efficient production line made goods cheaper to buy. These lower costs made it possible for people to buy what they needed and have money left over in the end. This extra money could be spent on other things that may have not been a necessity but something simply wanted. Clerks, retail managers, and most anyone with a decent job was considered to be in the middle class. People would no longer be labeled peasant or noble.

This new class was allowed to vote and hold office in parliament. The middle class population grew very quickly and became very wealthy. It eventually became just as powerful as the noble class. Along with the rise of the middle class came the role of women in the workplace. Women joined the workforce to help support their household incomes. Women faced poor treatment and great discrimination in the workplace . One example of discrimination was inequality in pay between men and women. Women were infuriated and felt that their work should be compensated just as mans work. Historian Karl Marx stated that women were known to be little slaveys a free gift to capital ( Foster, Clark. ,monthly review.org) From this injustice the innovation known as the Feminist Movement began.

With any great change with society and how it functions, negativity and cons follow. There are pros and cons to every change in life. When examining the Industrial Revolution, it is plain to see that the pros heavily outweighed the cons. The world needed change in order to provide for its people. It needed change in how products were produced and the speed at which they were produced. Goods should be available to all at competitive prices. Perhaps one of the most important things to come from the Industrial Revolution was the rise of the Middle Class and its role in society as a whole.  

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