Energy Sources and Industrial Revolution: Impacts and Innovations

New Sources of Energy and New Industries

The invention of the dynamo allowed electricity to be produced from hydropower, thanks to the alternator and the transformer. Electrical current had many possible applications in industry (driving force), in transport (trams), in communication systems (telephone), and in lighting. Oil started to be extracted as a motor fuel. The invention of the internal combustion engine enabled its use as fuel for automobiles and aviation. The first airplane flight was carried out by the Wright brothers in 1903. The use of a diesel engine in marine navigation increased the speed and capabilities of metal ships. There was a boost to create new metals such as stainless steel and aluminum. Thanks to the invention by Henry Ford, the automobile industry experienced great expansion. The chemical industry was highly developed in Germany for the manufacture of new fertilizers, chemical products, and pharmaceuticals. Thanks to concrete, the first skyscrapers were created.

A New Industrial Organization

Production was oriented towards mass production to increase productivity, decrease turnaround time, and reduce costs. This was called Taylorism. This is the manufacturing chain, that is, the division of the production process into tasks using specific machines. The workers performed precise movements and avoided unnecessary actions. Ford's factories were the first to introduce this system in cars. They achieved lower costs and extended consumption to a wider population. The need for capital to implement technological innovations stimulated industrial concentration, and businesses became increasingly larger. To eliminate competition, companies signed agreements to fix prices and the following were created:

• Cartel: Agreement between different companies.
• Trust: Fusion of companies.
• Holding: Financial group with most stocks in several companies and banks.
• Monopoly: Exclusive right of a company to market a product.

The Bourgeoisie

The bourgeoisie was the owner of industries and businesses. There was a high bourgeoisie composed of bankers, landlords, and owners of large factories. The middle bourgeoisie was made up of liberal professionals, officials, and traders. And a small bourgeoisie with a large number of employees and shopkeepers. Sometimes the old nobility became the very heart of social life. Their homes were decorated like those of the rich, they had domestic service, and their way of dressing and having fun were the social model to imitate.

The Workers

The workers formed the industrial proletariat in the factories, where workers used their labor in return for a salary. It was the largest and most disadvantaged group. The timetables, wages, and festivities were once arbitrarily set by entrepreneurs, as there was no legislation on working conditions. Their living conditions were harsh, with 12 to 14-hour workdays, and their wages were so low that they could hardly support their families. This meant that mothers and children also had to work, receiving a lower salary than men. Workers had more diseases due to unhygienic conditions.