The industrial revolution
Question 2
The industrial revolution refers to a period of unmatched industrial growth in North America and Europe, which marked the development of modern manufacturing societies that precipitated the rise of these regions to global superpowers. Communities that were largely agricultural before the 1880s quickly shifted and transformed from their agrarian bases to become industrial regions that housed many manufacturing sites. Throughout America and Europe, transport networks developed, promoting the movement of goods and people that encouraged the developments in manufacturing. Where revolutions like the French Revolution or the Russian Revolution took about ten years and brought massive institutional and political changes, the industrial revolution took much longer. Still, it brought far-reaching social and environmental consequences.
Hirschman and Mogford (2009) indicate that the United States economy shifted from a primarily agrarian economy to an industrial economy. At about the same time, Butt (2019) reports similar happenings in Britain and a vast majority of the neighboring nations. In Europe, the industrial revolution was popular in the 1880s and started in England and was credited for changing England’s face. In America, the revolution started slowly in the middle of the 19th century, gained traction around 1870, and ended by 1920. In these nations, individuals moved from depending on agriculture for livelihood to manufacturing industries that employed most of the population.
In England, textile manufacturing experienced rapid change as new technologies and modern manufacturing techniques promoted the UK as the dominant producer of cloth worldwide. The Spinning Jenny was the one piece of technology in textile manufacturing that led to increased thread production as well as savings on money and time (Butt, 2019). Availability of cotton and the spinning jenny replaced the traditional wool and silk industries, and people used cotton more in cloth manufacturing as it was cheaper and easier to produce in large amounts. The fashion industry in England thrived from this point on with the nation providing the rest of the world with cloth through established transport links.
In America, small workshops and firms dominated most of the country’s industrial sector as late as 1870. Industries existed in most rural and urban areas but mostly relied on power from rivers and served the local population. To the end of the 19th century, commercial electricity became available, and industries moved into large cities to use the widely available labor. Institutional change and reduced transport costs led to increased movement of goods and people across the nation, with the number of people employed in manufacturing rising four times between 1880 and 1920 (Hirschman & Mogford, 2009). In both Europe and America, the quick developments in production in these years meant that individuals born during the years saw much more progress than those in the last ten generations, making it a revolution.
Social Effects
Rural-urban migration was common during the industrial revolution as people moved from farms to factories to gain from the labor needs marking the revolution. Individuals moved from the small rural communities that were primarily self-sufficient to migrate to cities that were experiencing the benefits of commercial power and industries. The urban population increased for the first time since the Civil War from only a quarter of the people living in cities to half of the American population. The change was also accompanied by a change in professions from agriculture to offices and factories. The urban centers also became hosts to the large population of immigrants, with the number of foreign-born individuals doubling during the revolution in the United States (Hirschman & Mogford, 2009).
Environmental Effects
According to Butt (2019), the industrial revolution led to economic growth but also increased the rate of climatic and environmental degradation. The industrial revolution led to increased pollution and temperature rises that increased over the ages leading to the environmental crisis of today. The switch from manual to bulk production, especially in the textile industry, led to the growth of the fashion industry. The release of harmful dyes, as well as carbon emission from the burning of textiles, increased pollution levels significantly. Dumping of used and abandoned cloth currently makes the textile industry the largest polluter.
Further, the rise of plastics such as acrylic and nylon contributed to the release of microplastics that accumulated in the environment, especially in rivers. The increase in the plastic waste can be blamed for the extensive marine crisis across the globe. These environmental effects of the industrial revolution persist to this day.
References
Butt, M. (2019). Rethinking the Industrial Revolution in a Changing World: A Case Study of the Environmental Impacts of Textile Industry on Contemporary England. Journal of European Studies, 35(2), 92-103.
Hirschman, C., & Mogford, E. (2009). Immigration and the American industrial revolution from 1880 to 1920. Social science research, 38(4), 897–920. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2009.04.001