Emily Pacheco

Block 3
10-15-15
The Industrial Revolution was a time of great age throughout the world. It represented major
change from 1760 to the period 1820-1840. The movement originated in Great Britain and
affected everything from industrial manufacturing processes to the daily life of the average
citizen. I will discuss the Industrial Revolution and the effects it had on the world as a whole.
The primary industry of the time was the textiles industry. It had the most employees, output
value, and invested capital. It was the first to take on new modern production methods. The
transition to machine power drastically increased productivity and efficiency. This extended to
iron production and chemical production.
It started in Great Britain and soon expanded into Western Europe and to the United States. The
actual effects of the revolution on different sections of society differed. They manifested
themselves at different times. The trickle down effect whereby the benefits of the revolution
helped the lower classes didnt happen until towards the 1830s and 1840s. Initially, machines
like the Watt Steam Engine and the Spinning Jenny only benefited the rich industrialists.
The effects on the general population, when they did come, were major. Prior to the revolution,
most cotton spinning was done with a wheel in the home. These advances allowed families to
increase their productivity and output. It gave them more disposable income and enabled them
to facilitate the growth of a larger consumer goods market. The lower classes were able to
spend. For the first time in history, the masses had a sustained growth in living standards.
Social historians noted the change in where people lived. Industrialists wanted more workers
and the new technology largely confined itself to large factories in the cities. Thousands of
people who lived in the countryside migrated to the cities permanently. It led to the growth of
cities across the world, including London, Manchester, and Boston. The permanent shift from
rural living to city living has endured to the present day.
Trade between nations increased as they often had massive surpluses of consumer goods they
couldnt sell in the domestic market. The rate of trade increased and made nations like Great

Britain and the United States richer than ever before. Naturally, this translated to military power
and the ability to sustain worldwide trade networks and colonies.
On the other hand, the Industrial Revolution and migration led to the mass exploitation of
workers and slums. To counter this, workers formed trade unions. They fought back against
employers to win rights for themselves and their families. The formation of trade unions and the
collective unity of workers across industries are still existent today. It was the first time workers
could make demands of their employers. It enfranchised them and gave them rights to upset the
status quo and force employers to view their workers as human beings like them.
Overall, the Industrial Revolution was one of the single biggest events in human history. It
launched the modern age and drove industrial technology forward at a faster rate than ever
before. Even contemporary economics experts failed to predict the extent of the revolution and
its effects on world history. It shows why the Industrial Revolution played such a vital role in the
building of the United States of today.