Introduction
The French revolution significantly and rapidly transformed France’s political system, and Napoleon’s conquests extended several of the revolutionary concepts to other regions of Europe in an incredibly rapid and startling manner. During this period, the early 19th century, another revolution, an industrial kind of revolution, was altering the European social and economic landscape. This period in history witnessed the industrial revolution take a huge leap in industrial production.
The impact of the industrial revolution on European society
Through the industrial revolution, traditional methods of labor that were mostly dependent on handcrafts and farming, changed to manufacturing by the use of machines. It was a revolutionary revolution that changed European culture and how most Europe-based countries related with other nations. The growth of huge factories prompted widespread migrations from rural to urban areas, where impersonal cohabitation replaced the usual closeness of rural life. Higher production levels of production prompted a search for new materials, patterns of consumption, and a transit revolution that made raw materials more accessible.
The Industrial Revolution began in Britain, and by the year 1850, Britain was the richest country in the world. By the 19th century, both Germany and the United States had exceeded Britain in industrial productivity, indicating that the European continent and other regions of the world were not left behind (Shahroom and Hussin 12). In Britain, a variety of variables or conditions came together to create the first Industrial Revolution. One of these was the eighteenth-century agricultural revolution, the agricultural transition resulted in a large rise in food output, due to advancements in farming and stock breeding procedures. Britain could feed its people at less prices with minimal labor. In contrast to the rest of Europe, even average British households did not have to spend the majority of their money on food, allowing them to spend it on manufactured goods.
Economic Effects
The propping-up development of today’s Europe was an unequaled economic transformation that adopted the generally expanding commercial activity and the industrial revolution. Most of the economic changes experienced were stimulated by the impressive population growth of the 18th century that extended into the 19th century. Many economic historians argued that the invention of the railroads was an important factor that contributed the most to the economic progress of Europe in the 1800s (Shahroom and Hussin 23). The industrial revolution’s great productivity convinced most entrepreneurs to reinvest most of their profits in the new capital investments, this greatly contributed to the economy’s expanding productivity.
Industrial Revolution’s Social Impact
Europe’s and the world’s social existence was revolutionized by industrialization. Although part of Europe was still wrapped up in traditional ways in the mid-19th century, the industrial revolution’s impact was felt. The revolution brought about a big change in the social setting. One notable change was that work was no longer done at home by use of hand but in factories by machines operated by men (Shahroom and Hussin 25). The early factories were characterized by harsh and insecure working conditions. Factory owners turned to employing women and children for cheap labor, as a result, child labor rose as it brought a low cost of production. This resulted in the working-class citizens living in poverty while the middle class, which comprised their bosses, continued growing wealthy.
Conclusion
One of the changes major driving forces in the 19th century was the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution brought about the western civilization that the world identifies with today, it all began in Britain before spreading to other parts of Europe, then the rest of the world eventually. By manipulating the environment, and materials to benefit man, the industrial revolution set to prove to the 17th century’ that man had the power to dominate nature. The revolution’s ground-breaking inventions tend to cover up the evil that is workforce dehumanization and the use of children and women workforce for cheap labor.
Work Cited
Shahroom, Aida Aryani, and Norhayati Hussin. Industrial revolution 4.0 and education. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8.9 (2018): 314-319.