History (Essay Sample)

Student’s Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Industrial Revolution Introduction The early and late 18th century shift, which was mainly characterized by the Industrial Revolution, gave rise to many urban and industrialized areas in America and Europe. Industries like iron production and textile manufacturing developed methods and equipment that made it possible to massively create previously hand-made produced goods. Because of the innovative steam power that fueled and accelerated the industries, Britain served as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. The United States and the rest of the world were catching up to this revolutionary epoch by the middle of the 1800s. The start of the 19th century saw significant development in the steel and car industries, and historians refer to this time period as the Second Industrial Revolution. After starting in Britain, the Industrial Revolution was attractive to nations like the United States, rest of Europe and Japan. Each country adopted the revolution at their own pace. Depending on its efforts to industrialize and its ability to convince Britain into sharing the progress, each country industrialized at its own pace. Countries in Europe, therefore, managed to industrialize faster than the others. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, Britain made significant advancements that increased the productivity and efficiency of its industries (Wrigley 200). Thanks to the sheep that were being raised in the humid environment that typified most of the country's territory, Britain produced huge amounts of cotton, linen, wool, and other textiles (Stearns 54). Before the Industrial Revolution, there was a legitimate cottage economy in Britain's textile sector where dyers, weavers, and spinners operated out of their homes or even small workshops. The invention of the power loom, the water frame, the spinning Jenny, and the flying shuttle, among other developments, in the middle of the 18th century helped with the spinning of yarn and thread as well as the weaving of cloth. Clothing production required much less human work and time overall, while maximizing efficiency and effectiveness (Mokyr 35). The textile industry, which had now industrialized its manufacturing and was now even more efficient, could meet the expanding local and international demand for clothing. In the numerous colonies abroad, there was a ready market for the products. Furthermore, Britain's iron industry incorporated innovative practices. Coke was used to smelt iron ore as a new, reasonably affordable method as opposed to the traditional charcoal. Additionally, this approach also created materials of excellent quality. The rise of the railroad sector and the Napoleonic Wars generated a need for steel and iron resources, which was satisfied by Britain's expanding capacity (Mathias 102). Conclusion The Industrial Revolution had a significant impact on society worldwi...