The Industrial Revolution Spread Across Europe after 1815 (Essay Sample)

The Industrial Revolution Spread Across Europe after 1815

Rural agricultural communities in Great Britain underwent a substantial transformation into urban ones during the European industrial revolution in the eighteenth century. After industrialization, people started manufacturing previously made-by-hand products in large volumes. The course was a pivotal historical moment that impacted every facet of everyday life after 1815. For instance, trade operations, population boom, and average income changed significantly after the industrial revolution. Europe also possessed territories in North America and the Caribbean while using the East India Company to exert significant political control and military supremacy in India. These international networks drew new technologies and raw materials into Europe to support the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution's spread in Europe resulted from capitalism, the agricultural transformation, and the availability of raw materials like coal, particularly for the iron smelting industries.
The rise of the agricultural revolution in Britain is by far the leading cause of the industrial revolution in Europe after 1815. According to Humphries and Schneider (130), the agricultural revolution set the stage for European industrialization due to improved farming practices and enhanced animal production, which raised food production in Europe. Notably, adequate food production led to considerable growth in the European population providing sufficient labor supply. In addition, the new methods increased food output while requiring fewer workers to complete the same amount of work. Consequently, the rural population migrated to urban areas to work in mines and factories instead of staying on their farmlands. Specifically, the "Enclosure Movement" in Britain increased the amount of privately owned land, compelling small-scale farmers to abandon their ancestral farms. Incidentally, there was a consequential significant rural-urban movement as the devastated farmers sought employment in metropolitan areas. As a result, there was a sizable workforce for emerging European industries.