The Industrial Revolution
The London Times
What was the Industrial Revolution?
The Industrial Revolution was a period in time where new manufacturing processes were put in place. Most of daily way was affected in a way, shape, or form. Many of the new inventions were seen and used in common households and used as if they have been there forever. This brought many economic and social changes to Europe. Many historians agree that the Industrial Revolution started in Great Britain. In the average household, it was filled with new products and inventions. In the factories making them, life there was different. It brought negative actions such as child labor. In the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, life was unhealthy and many people were malnourished. Later, public health was focused and made lifestyle better. Some of the areas that were affected by the Industrial Revolution were agriculture, transport, mining, and technology. Each had a huge change with different ways of working due to the new products and tools being introduced. Textiles were the dominant industry during the Industrial Revolution. The industry used many modern production methods. The way factories were run were much unorganized. For once, child labor was common in factories. They allowed children to work with heavy machinery. The environment of the workplace was very unsafe. Many diseases were spread due to small areas and dirty work areas. The way people worked was very unsafe and because of that, many people have died because of that. In Great Britain, much of the wages were small due to big industries with many money. Work forces were unknown at the time. The Industrial Revolution was a turning point in history.
Inventors of the Industrial Revolution
There have been many great inventors that have contributed to the Industrial Revolution. Some are James Watt, Eli Whitney, Henry Bessemer, Edward Jenner, and Louis Pasteur. James Watt was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer. He improved the steam engine. It was crucial to the making of products in factories. It increased engine efficiency and was an improvement to the other engines. As told in the name, it used steam and pressure as an engine for energy. Eli Whitney was an American inventor who was best known for the cotton gin. It was one of the key inventions for the Industrial Revolutions. It also was a key invention for the Slaves picking cotton in the American South. It made cotton into a profitable crop. The cotton gin allowed the separation of cotton fibers from the seeds. This was much faster since the old way was took separate them by hand. Henry Bessemer was an English engineer, inventor, and businessman. He was best known for the inventor of the famous industrial process for the mass production of steel, Bessemer process. This process was able to quickly produce steel. The key to the invention was oxidation. It has many benefits to the production of steel much as keeping it molten for a while. Edward Jenner was an English physician and scientist who was best known for the invention of the smallpox vaccine. His work gave him the title, “the father of immunology”. Louis Pasteur was a French Chemist and Microbiologist. He was known for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization. He has helped caused and prevent many diseases.
Effects of the Inventions: Good or Bad?
The Industrial Revolution had a major effect on the way people did things. In factories, people had to work more with machinery than with themselves. The steam engine helped run the factories. It had many uses such has transportation, machinery, and factory systems. It did however pollute lands when it was added to the transportation of the railroad system. The steam engine was both a positive and a negative change since it made lives easier, but caused for pollution. The cotton gin was a huge key for the South. It was able to produce far more cotton at a quicker pace. With having the cotton gin, land owners soon went for more slaves, the more cotton gins, they more slaves you need. It gave another reason to use slaves in the South. It did help slaves in that they didn't have to pick the cotton by hand, but they still had to use the machine. The cotton gin was both positive and negative since it promoted the need for slaves and helped the slaves out from separation cotton. Bessemer process was a huge help for the production of steel. It was much faster and it made the work need to make steel much easier with the new method. Although it was a contributor to pollution in Industrial cities. It's both a positive and a negative change since it caused pollution and made the production of steel easier and cheaper. The smallpox vaccine gave the people a sense of relief from smallpox. People would then get out on the work force since many lives would be saved due to the invention. The small pox vaccine is a positive change. Discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization were a positive change in people’s way of life. It prevented many people from dying which lead to a bigger growth in the middle class who could afford the medicines to live.
Effects on Society
Society was changed greatly by each invention. The steam engine allowed for advances in transportation, factory systems, and the manufacture of goods. This gave society a feeling of urbanization since most people had to live and work where steam engines could be found. The cotton gin for society was the slave encourager of the south. For cotton plantation owners, it was their ticket to wealth and profit. Bessemer process changed society by introducing pollution. Much of the industrial cities were soon with pollution because of the Bessemer process. The pollution from the process would be something that workers would not like. The machinery could be dangerous and the work place would not be safe. The smallpox vaccine gave society a brighter life in the future. With life expectancy increasing due to the works in medicine, many would feel the urge to go out and work. This would be a factor in the growth of the middle class. A longer life means you would need something to pass the time. Some worked as artisans while others worked in the factories. Discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization were another example of the growth of the middle class. It also gave huge labor movements. Longer life means more people working. Society changed in that they worked more, including children. Child labor soon was seen all throughout the industrial cities. The poor needed money and so children were sent out to work.