One of the major themes that characterized the Western civilization is industrialization. Industrialization or rather the birth and growth of the industry required certain conditions to be achieved. Labor force, financial strength, land, technology, raw materials, market and incentive, were some of the necessary preconditions. Throughout the 1600s, the Great Britain strived to possess all these conditions, and by early 1700s it was set to begin the process of developing industries. Individuals began innovative processes that led to the development of machines that took over the work that was initially done human beings and animals. In the early 1800s, Britain had already built enough industries to gain world dominance, but the process of industrialization began to spread to other western regions. The essay provides an analysis of the industrialization process from 1648 to present day.
The roots of the industrial revolution are traced in Great Britain in the mid to late 1700s (Spielvogel, 2010). However, before Britain become the starting point, many years of preparation had passed. Agricultural practices, transportation and the weather, had transformed significantly thereby leading to food abundance. Increased supply of food led to population growth and increased investment. The supply of raw material such as iron and cotton also grew exponentially. In the early 18th century the cottage industry emerged. Improved technology led by inventors such as James Hargreaves, Edmund Cartwright, and James Watt facilitated the growth of the British cotton industry (Spielvogel, 2010). The textile industry influenced the growth of the coal and iron industries. Cloth production was mainly done using the steam machine that required coal for fuel. The textile Industry also revolutionized the transportation sector leading to the development of railroads.
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The 19th century welcomed the spread of the industrial revolution to European countries such as Germany and France, and the United States. North America experienced significant changes concerning population growth, improvement in the transportation sectors, labor force growth and development of towns (Harley, 2013). In both Europe and North America, industrial revolution led to the emergence of the industrial middle and working classes. The middle class emerged as a result of industrial capitalism. The group was made of intellectuals and business people. The working class constituted of the employees who worked in the industries. Cities such as New York grew significantly and their populating increased as well.
In the 1800s, the industrial revolution influenced advancements in the communication and banking sectors. The first commercial telegraph was patented by William Cooked and Charles Wheatstone in 1837 (Open Yale Courses, 2017). Financial institutions and banks grew significantly throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. By the end of the 18th century, both New York and London had established a stock exchange. In the 20th century, industrialization continued to spread throughout the entire world. Innovations increased, and industries such as the information technology sector were formed. Nations form the east such as China experienced significant growth. Today, more regions including Africa have continued to experience growth and other effects associated with industrialization.
In conclusion, the marks of industrialization brought permanent change to the world. The dramatic effects of industrialization are felt in both positive and negative ways. The great variety of industrial goods, a division of people into classes, urbanization, the revolution of the communication and transportation sectors, globalization and changes in wages management, are some of the effects of industrialization.
References
Harley, K. C., (2013) British and European Industrialization: Discussion Papers in Economic and Social History. Cambridge History of Capitalism , Vol. 1. 2013 1-62. http://www.nuff.ox.ac.uk/economics/history/Paper111/harley111.pdf
Open Yale Courses | European Civilization, 1648-1945 | Lecture 8 - Industrial Revolutions . (2017). Oyc.yale.edu . Retrieved 27 July 2017, from http://oyc.yale.edu/history/hist-202/lecture-8
Spielvogel, J. J., (2010). Glencoe/McGraw-Hill., & National Geographic Society (U.S.). World history. New York: Glencoe//McGraw-Hill.
