The industrial revolution is marked with multifarious and radical changes in social-economic. The industrial revolution, which occurred in the 19th century is said to have improved the production of the agricultural activities, living standards were also enhanced, and thus there was a high increase in the size of the population. A shift in the population was experienced in its age structure, a period which is referred to as demographic changeover or the transition.
This shift was characterized by the change from high to low mortality and fertility. On the other hand, it promoted the movement of people. Therefore, the industrial revolution was said to bring about economic as well as demographic change with the full influence of the movement of people1.
The movement of people, which was a result of the industrial revolution is one of the major causes of the population shift. There was a technological improvement in the transport sector during the era of the industrial revolution, which promoted the easier movement of people, thus causing a huge population shift. At the same time, people moved from rural areas into urban centers for commercial activities. Consequently, there was a huge population increase in urban areas, while in the rural areas the population reduced. The industrial revolution was first said to have taken place in England before it rolled to other parts of the continent – Europe.
The industrial revolution resulted in immigration where a large population moved from Europe to the United States. There was a change in subsistence technology, which led to people being forced into the United States because industrial technology shattered the traditional methods used in agricultural activities. They moved to the U.S in search of jobs that also had been created by the same technological development.
Abundance farmland was also available in the U.S, and therefore, there was a stable labor demand where those, who moved from Europe could be absorbed. Hence, the experience of huge population shifts in the U.S by an increase while in Europe the population shifts were based on a decrease in population. The industrial revolution did not only cause the movement of people from Europe to the U.S, but it also promoted the movement of people from the rural parts of Europe since the farming was no longer labor-intensive into the cities as factories were developed near to the cities2.
In conclusion, the industrial revolution is said to have replaced the manpower as well as animal power into the use of machines and also the use of innovative energy forms. Even though there was agricultural production increase, on the other hand, it resulted in the massive movement of people. The movement of people, which caused a huge population shift in the United States and also in Europe was said to have been the largest, especially in human history.
It was also believed to have destroyed traditional living into new technological; a movement from labor-intensive into capital intensive, thus investments had to be done on machines. Even though people moved from rural areas in Europe as their survival way of life was threatened, the population still grew afterward as there was an increase in production. It is clearly illustrated that the industrial revolution was the major cause of the huge population shift through the movement of people.
Bibliography
Healey, Joseph F. Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender. New York: Pine Forge Press, 2009.
Moody, Harry R. Aging: concepts and controversies. New York : Pine Forge Press, 2006.
Footnotes
- Harry R. Moody, Aging: concepts and controversies ( New York: Pine Forge Press, 2006), 12.
- Joseph F. Healey, Diversity and Society: Race, Ethnicity, and Gender (New York: Pine Forge Press, 2009), 58.