Industrial Revolution: Technological & Economic Shifts

Characteristics of the Industrial Revolution

Labor dynamics were significantly related to developments in the First Industrial Revolution (1R.I.), including the exodus of large populations. The origin of these changes was primarily England.

Scientific and Technological Progress

Key Innovations

• Steam Power: Machines powered by steam and mechanical spinning jennies were pivotal.
• Electricity: Investigations in this field gained momentum in the 17th century. Electricity was first used for lighting, and its application extended to productive structures, making its qualities most important.
• Oil: This oily liquid, formed by hydrocarbons that naturally emerges from the soil, became crucial. The oil industry began in the 19th century when the first underground drilling was performed in the U.S. Oil derivatives have since become essential for everyday life and industry.

Infrastructure and Transport Advancements

Progress in Transportation

The progress in transport and common means of transportation reached formidable advancement, providing the essential infrastructure for large-scale industrial development. This allowed for an increased capacity to transport vehicles and cargo for the new economy.

Industrial Zone Requirements

Industrial zones required:

• Fast and regular food supply.
• Provision of necessary inputs, such as fuel, coal, and iron.
• Rapid arrival of their production to markets.

Key Transport and Communication Systems

• Railways: Favored economic integration at national and international levels by enabling the fast displacement of people and products. Railways became a center of economic development; their construction demanded significant capital and generated many jobs.
• Boating: Volume increased with the development of international trade. Port facilities were improved, and major shipping ports were established.
• Automobiles: The first gasoline-powered road cars were constructed in 1885.
• Telegraphs and Telephones: These were fundamental breakthroughs that allowed long-distance communication. The electric telegraph, for instance, transmitted written messages over distance.

Organizational and Economic Changes

• National markets were consolidated with the gradual elimination of internal customs in each country and increased consumption.
• Half a century before the First World War, there was an international trade expansion that covered the whole world. Every nation needed to focus on production where it had the most possibilities.

Implications of the Industrial Revolution

From the First Industrial Revolution, the large industrial enterprise and entrepreneurship replaced the small producer as the dynamic agent of social renewal. Companies did not decrease or remain stagnant; production grew rapidly.