The Industrial Revolution: Definition, Inventions & Causes

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION 1 

Industrial Revolution 

Institutional Affiliation 

Student Name 

Class Name 

Date 

Industrial Revolution 

The first industrial revolution played a significant role in creating the 'modern' Europe. Many historians attribute the economic, political as well as social evolution of Europe to this first industrial revolution. This essay focuses on critically discussing the combination of factors that contributed to the First Industrial Revolution and. The essay also discusses the significant technological, social as well as economic changes of the first industrial revolution. 

The first industrial uprising was geared by various factors, such as the availability of factory workers and labor. By the mid-18 th century, the population of Europe was increasing, and the number of men, women, and children willing to work in various factories was high. Many factories and mines were also established in this era. Families across Europe sought other means to earn their livelihood and eradicate poverty ( Pollard, Sidney & Colin 48). The division of labor and classification of workers according to their different skills also played a crucial role in the industrial revolution. Factories grouped these large numbers of workers in various categories such as unskilled, semiskilled, and skilled labor for full utilization and effective production. Most women worked in mines while women and children worked in plantations, mills, and textile industries. According to Andrew Ure, b y mid-18 th to mid-19 th century, there were plenty of mineral resources and other natural resources such as wool and coal, among others. These resources were used as inputs and raw materials to different industrials such as mills and textiles across Europe. This opened the door for most European governments to explore diverse sources of materials and agricultural resources to supply the existing factories across Germany, France, and Britain. The availability of mineral resources such as coal and copper led to the establishment of different factories across Europe ( Heaton 162) . For instance, in the 1840s, English parliamentary inquiries committees were established to examine how Britain could outsource coal and set up coal industries across the country to meet the increasing needs for power and energy. 

The first industrial revolution is also significantly attributed to the establishment of industry in various rural areas across Europe. For Instance, the French regime established silk industries in rural areas of the Tarare and mill industry in Lyons France. Since most of the resources were found in rural areas, European Industrialists and government supported the setting up of factories in such areas that had enough labor and resources required. Soon these rural areas grew into cities and trade centers, which played a crucial part in the first industrial revolution ( Lottin 324) . The development of different machinery such as water spinning machines, among others, was a critical catalyst to the first industrial revolution. Various capitalists and engineers, such as Vauban and William Cooper, advocated for the use of machines in mines and textile industries for higher production. To manage the factory productions and goods produced, the ‘guilds’ (trade regulators) took the initiative to factories and traders on how they could grow their industries and boost trade. The presence of guilds spread from Britain to German and France, among other Europe countries. Various European governments collaborated with these 'guilds' to draft rules that could be used to regulate trade, such as prices of goods. The participation of 'guilds' in trade regulation was a key facilitating factor to the industrial revolution ( Pollard, Sidney & Colin 57). 

The first industrial revolution led to various technological, social, and economic changes across Europe. According to Andrew Ure, an industrial revolution analyst, the scaling of the industrial insurrection would be fastened with the invention of various machineries. Various engineers and industrial capitalists followed his recommendations in his 'The Philosophy of Manufacturers’ work to base industrial productions on machinery more than laborers. Various machines, such as mines smashing machines, among others, were invented to improve work in mines and other factories across Europe. Before the 18 th century, labor unions and organizations were declared illegal across Europe. With the first industrial revolution, European governments passed laws to legalize unions and other regulations to advocate for better working conditions for women, children, and men. Such associations guided the segmentation of workers based on their skills and area of expertise. Goubert (42) explains that different laws, such as the Prussian Workers industry regulations, English Combination Acts, and French Le Chapelier Law, among others, were passed to regulate factories' treatment of workers and trade. The first industrial revolution led to the emergence of social classes and status. The European communities developed different social classes such as Luddites (English Machine smashing segment), craftsmen, Literary, and manual workers. The relations in the societies were based on these basics and classes, with manual workers and farmers being of the lowest class. The ‘guilds’ and other European governments implemented various tax systems on different goods such as salt, farm produce, and agricultural factory labor, among others, to regulate trade. For instance, the French government implemented the tax system whose goal was to control factories and increase revenues to balance the royal budget. The rise in social problems such as crimes emerged as many families moved from rural regions to the growing cities in search of work ( Pollard, Sidney & Colin 63). The factories established could not employ all these job seekers, and to earn their living, some turned to social vices include crimes. With the expansion of industries, different Industrial capitalists and labor unions enacted various rules and regulations to regulate the performance of workers. 

References 

Goubert, Pierre. "The Ancien Regime: French Society 1600-1750, tr."  Steve Cox (London, 1973) p  42 (1974). 

Heaton, Herbert. "James Burnley, The History of Wool and Wool Combing (Book Review)."  Technology and Culture  13.3 (1972): 160-163. 

Lottin, Alain.  Chavatte, ouvrier lillois, un contemporain de Louis XIV . Flammarion, 1979.: 323-324. 

Pollard, Sidney, and Colin Holmes.  The Process of Industrialization, 1750-1870 . E. Arnold, 1968: 45-92.