Effects of the Industrial Revolution

It has been thought by many historians throughout history that the Industrial Revolution has influenced what is known as the most productive revolution ever to occur in European history. Along with great events such as the French Revolution, The Scientific Revolution and the Agricultural Revolution, this progressive event has been known to have the most drastic, positive effects of any. Despite historian's efforts to make such general and overwhelming conclusions about such events, the ability to define what factors were most greatly affected during this time was another subject that needed to be defined. Along with the mass amounts of technological and industrial advancements that developed during this revolution, there were some changes that seemed more crucial and necessary to what was becoming a seriously lacking European economy and market. With advances like the railroad, farming equipment and the textile industry, the human effort to maintain steady outcome for struggling industries became easier as the years went on. Each industry had their own independent success, with technology and inventions that made production increase and at better qualities. During the time of the Industrial Revolution, trade between European nations increased dramatically. With the assistance of the railroad, and with more fuel to power ships to farther countries, materials and products could be shipped to farther distances and for higher prices. The European economy was thriving Ð'- more and more products were becoming necessary in foreign countries that weren't yet fully developed, and the more a country made of a certain product, the more money it could earn to support that industry. During these times of productivity and thriving economies, drastic changes were also being made. With introductions to more reliable resources and less on human labour, many people lost their jobs to machines and factories that could produce twice the amount of material in half the time. So along with these tremendous changes in industry, there also existed fall backs Ð'- less jobs, which meant less money for more people. Despite nations' flourishing economies, people within those nations were suffering a lot more than most thought. As time goes on, both countries and economies overcome and face changes; that was what the Industrial Revolution was all about Ð'- being willing to sacrifice a lifestyle for what can benefit mankind in the future.

Over the time of approximately fifty years, that amazing challenge to increase production was confronted. The first country to undertake the challenge was Britain. It was thought that the changes in manufacturing that began in Britain during the late 18th century were more revolutionary in consequence than in development. Within Britain around the mid 1750s the dominant industry was fully agricultural, in which all materials and products were produced by man in rural areas of the country. One can imagine that with technologies being created consistently, the change in lifestyle for those rural workers wouldn't be an easy one. Despite these hardships, some drastic changes were occurring as quickly as you could imagine them. The replacement of certain resources (for example the introduction of water and coal machinery) was increasing human productivity immensely. This was only one form of industrialization. Others would have included minerals and metals (by way of mining), the steam engine (by way of water), the textile and cotton industry (by way of machine) and the production of consumer goods (i.e. toys, clocks, cottons, tools, etc.) was also a thriving industry at the start of the revolution.

The first to be recognized was the Iron Horse, known to be driven by the production of consumer goods. Items like pottery, Cast-Iron tools, textiles and cottons, were all manufactured in quantities unknown to workers of the early 18th century. It was believed by historians that with the fast pace of work and production of these goods, it was nearly impossible to find the raw materials necessary for their production, and for their transportation to other countries (fuel and coal for ships).

The second form of industrial advancement was the use of water and coal. Known for Britain's geographic location, this country never had a water shortage problem; the idea to fuel machines with such a reliable resource was what Britain needed to jumpstart their voyage onto the industrialization path. For the British economy, water transportation was far cheaper than hauling goods overland; and as water became a far more popular resource in Britain, over the next 50 years, several hundred miles of canals were built which allowed for the sale of shares to raise capital. Coal was the second of Britain's natural advantages on which it was improved. Coal had been in use as a fuel for several centuries, and the location of coal fields along waterways was a vital condition. As canals and roadways improved more inland coal was brought into production for domestic use and iron makers could use coal for fuel, using it for the transportation of iron from forests to city centers.

Some say that there couldn't have been an Industrial Revolution without coal. Coal was the fuel that fed the furnaces and turned the engines of industrial expansion. The coal produced by one miner generated as much energy as twenty horses. Miners were brought to a pit and paid according to the amount of work they finished, instead of how long they worked. However, as the demand for coal grew, so did the risk of danger. In addition to all-too-frequent cave-ins, miners struggled against poor ventilation and light. With issues such as water Ð'- which increased the difficulty of hauling, the pit acted like a riverbed and filled quickly. Women and children would have to carry the water out in large skin-lined baskets, which were attached to winding wheels and pulling horses.

However in 1709, Thomas Newcomen introduced a steam-driven pump that enabled water to be sucked through to the surface; eventually performing the same work as 2500 humans. Within 20 years of its introduction, there were 78 engines draining coal and metal mines in England. Innovations such as Newcomen's engine helped spark the interest in creating greater technology using coal and water. James Watt was one of those men; His steam engine was an adaptation of already existing contraption. Watt invented his steam engine, after teaming up with Matthew Boulton, and while improving on the works of Newcomen. And with their first sale, this newly discovered steam engine was used to pump, move wheels and ultimately increase the air in the forge. These men are only some "experimenters, inventers" that dared to challenge the nature of industry. There were many men that challenged these ideas and led to the creation of modern industrialized technology.