The industrial revolution, which began in the 18th century, refers to the change from manufacturing and use of hand tools to using machinery, lasted from 1760 to 1840. The main causes of the industrial revolution included the mining of new resources, the agricultural revolution, government policies, and the scientific revolt. The industrial revolution resulted in significant advancements in farming, transport, and working as well as the economy.
The transportation revolution was a phase in the U.S. when new technological developments made carriage services more efficient and cheaper. The use of engines and steamboats improved transport services, providing means for mass production in different industries, which made the manufacturing of machinery grow rapidly (Stearns, 2020). Transportation helped in trade expansion due to the introduction of roads, railways, and canals.
Modernization in the early 19th century led to a shift from an agrarian economy where manufacturing was low and moved to a manufacturing economy where it was mainly through machines. This era of manufacturing led to high production all over the U.S. and improved its economy. This transformation inspired people of the West who used railroads and settled in the urban areas. Industrialization led to urbanization, where a rapid movement of people from rural areas to cities started. This movement to cities happened because people in rural areas felt relieved that farming did not require many workforces like before (Rymarczyk, 2020. Industrialization brought significant changes in farming, including farmers’ ability to cover large areas. Implementing machines such as tractors enabled farmers to cover large tracts of land using less time and labor. Such changes in farming led to increased production on farms. The industrial revolution negatively affected the working class, who had moved out of the rural areas to seek jobs.
After industrialization, the working class employed in industries could not keep up with the speed of machinery, and it became hard for them to continue being there. Exposure to dust and heavy metals worsened health conditions, and most people left their jobs while others took their children to work in the industries (Rymarczyk, 2020). Industrialization created the modern middle class, which consisted of people who owned and ran newly established factories, railway roads, and mines. People in this class lived more comfortably than those in the industrial working class.
The nature of work changed due to the introduction of machines, new methods of organizing work, and new sources of power, which made working in industries easier. People stopped working with handmade tools and started using machines in farms and industries, leading to high production. Market changes affected both women and men in adverse ways because the introduction of machines changed the working mode. Most men were given heavy jobs while women and children did the rest of the work. Working with machines was dangerous for women and children, who received little pay.
References
Rymarczyk, J. (2020). Technologies, opportunities, and challenges of the industrial revolution 4.0: Theoretical considerations. Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review, 8(1), 185-198.
Stearns, P. N. (2020). The industrial revolution in world history. Routledge.