​ ​Industrial Revolution

​For a long time, life in Europe focused on agriculture.Most people lived in the
countryside and farmed a small piece of land to sustain their families. They made
most of what they needed, including tools, furniture, and clothing, right at home
and traded for anything that they couldn't produce.
​ rom 1750, in Britain, the industrial revolution started. The Industrial Revolution
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was a cultural and economic shift from the cottage industry, traditional
agriculture, and manual labor to a system of factory-based, that included complex
machines, technological growth, new energy sources, and developments in
transportation. As the Industrial Revolution took place, society's attention turned
from the rural home to the urban factory and from human power to mechanical
power.
S​everal inventions developed production. The first branch of the industry to be
mechanized was cotton spinning and weaving. In 1767, the English inventor, James
Hargreaves created the spinning machine , made of wood, used by the rural and
domestic industry.

The industry that developed and expanded faster during the 18th century was
the textile industry. But a huge rise in population in the 18th century led to
demand for textile goods supply. This caused people to look for ways to speed up
the process and resulted in the invention of new technology. James Hargreaves
invented the spinning jenny and Richard Arkwright invented the water frame
which greatly improved the spinning process. Hargreave's invention was hand
powered but the water frame required the purpose-built factories located close to
water supplies. These new factories employed hundreds of workers and
production of goods increased. Cotton goods became cheaper and more readily
available.

The invention of the steam engine developed by James Watt was a significant
factor in the expansion of the textile industry. It replaced waterpower and had the
advantage of allowing factories to be located anywhere. It was also used to
develop the iron industry and the railroads. The railroads improved
communication and the distribution of goods.

​ ue to these and other changes happening during this period, more people living
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in the countryside struggled to survive and moved to towns and cities to find new
jobs. The growth of British cities was further accelerated by the development of
factories.Industrial cities such as Manchester and Leeds grew so much in just a
few decades.

However, the ​living conditions​ in the cities and towns were miserable.
Overcrowding, poor sanitation, spread of diseases, and a lot of pollution. As well,
workers were paid low wages that barely allowed them to afford the cost of living
with their rent and food. As a result, many of these working-class families needed
the extra income that their children earned while working. But the conditions of
their children working were terrible. They had long and inflexible work hours. The
factories were very unsafe places leading to injuries and even deaths. Beyond
the equipment, the children worked in environments that were dangerous to their
physical well being and health in general.

In contrast, the ​Industrial Revolution improved a lot the transport system including
roads, rail, canals and the London Underground. The changes came in several
stages. First Roads were improved, then Canals were built and finally the Railway
was developed. Consequently, the exportation and importation of goods increased,
improving the economic situation.

In conclusion, due to ​the Industrial Revolution, unfortunately, many people

suffered a lot but also brought innovation and good changes to the population
that time. However, it didn’t only impact them, it was a really important period that
brought us here with all the technology we have. Over the years, as technology
has continued to advance, we see things that had origins in the Industrial
Revolution.