The Industrial Revolution: Transformation of Economy and Society

The Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was the result of a set of economic and technological changes, which first occurred in Britain in the mid-eighteenth century and which led to a profound transformation of the economy and society. In the mid-eighteenth century, Europe began a process of growth (demographic revolution). The population grew from 140 million in 1750 to 187 million in 1800 and 266 million in 1850. The highest growth was in Britain. The causes of this growth were the increase in food production, improved hygiene, and advancements in medicine. There was, therefore, a decrease in mortality and a slight increase in the birthrate.

Population Increase and its Impact

The population increase led to an increase in food demand. As a result, there was a rise in prices. This was due to land privatization and the use of new agricultural methods. Laws were passed which put an end to the old aristocratic regime, thus the land became private property. Fallow was eliminated and replaced by forage plants. Mechanized farming was introduced, along with new crops such as potatoes and corn, and livestock expansion.

Technological Innovation

Another element of the transformation was technological innovation. Machines initially replaced manual labor. Each technical progress implied higher productivity and lower costs, thus higher profits. The first machines were operated by human force, later, they were hydraulic. But the energy source that revolutionized production and transport was steam. The steam engine used coal as fuel, a symbol of the Industrial Revolution. This technological progress used an impulse system where every worker in a factory was responsible for a portion of production.

The Cotton Industry

The cotton industry was the first to be mechanized in Britain, first in spinning and then in weaving. In the eighteenth century, the government banned the import of cloth from India in order to stimulate the production of this fabric in the country.

To begin to produce more, new technological advances were incorporated. First, there was the flying shuttle, later, new spinning machines, and finally, the power loom.

The Steel Industry

Another industrial sector was the steel industry. Previously there were but a few iron quantities, as the charcoal furnaces were operating with a very low calorific value. The invention that allowed greater iron production was the use of carbon coke, and later an invention that allowed the conversion of iron into steel.