Industrial Revolution: Key Stages, Causes, and Global Impact
The Industrial Revolution
Origins and Global Spread
The Industrial Revolution began in England in the late eighteenth century and spread throughout Europe and parts of America during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
First Stage: Late 18th to Mid-19th Century
- From the late eighteenth century to the mid-nineteenth century.
- The revolution spread to Western Europe and the United States.
Physical Factors Initiating the Revolution
- England was the first nation to achieve greater prosperity, economic, social, and political stability compared to other European countries.
Economic Drivers of the Industrial Revolution
- Removal of state-controlled mercantilist measures.
- The shift towards economic liberalism encouraged investment, particularly from wealthy landowners, merchants, and businessmen, who favored machinery production, leading to the emergence of the first factories.
- England’s possession of mineral resources such as coal and iron, a burgeoning consumer market, and its status as a great colonial empire.
Political Stability and Entrepreneurial Growth
England enjoyed significant political peace, encouraging the participation of wealthy landowners, bankers, and traders.
Social Shifts and the Rise of the Bourgeoisie
The growing power of the bourgeoisie emerged as the traditional influence of the nobility, based on inheritance, waned.
Demographic Changes and Labor Market Impact
- The population of England had grown, ensuring a large consumer market.
- England had a significant source of both skilled and unskilled labor.
- A large urban population.
- England also saw an influx of population, potentially including those who fled France due to its revolution, further boosting labor and market.
Scientific Innovations and Technological Advancements
The invention of new machines, energy sources, and improved communication and transportation methods led to a significant increase in production and consumption.
Key Characteristics of the First Stage
- Machines replaced human and animal labor in production.
- Utilization of new forms of energy.
- Steam-powered machines significantly increased production.
Consequences of the First Industrial Stage
- Closer integration of science with industrial development.
- Increased capital accumulation, often concentrated among a few.
- Development of economic liberalism and the emergence of the proletariat.
Second Stage: Mid-19th Century to Present Day
Characteristics of the Second Industrial Stage
- Transition from steam power to electricity.
- Widespread use of steel instead of iron.
- Introduction of oil as a new energy source.
- Significant improvements in communication and transportation, driving further production.
- England lost its industrial supremacy.
Impact and Global Spread of the Second Stage
- The Industrial Revolution spread to other European countries.
- The United States emerged as a major industrial power.
Industrial Growth and US Economic Power
- Abundant raw materials.
- A vast domestic market.
- Numerous inventions and technological advancements.
- A large pool of skilled labor.
- High concentration of capital for investment.
- Formation of powerful business empires.
- Implementation of protectionist policies to support domestic industry.