Industiral Revolution Free Essays

The Industrial, French and American Revolutions Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transport, and technology had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions starting in the United Kingdom, then subsequently spreading throughout Europe, North America, and eventually the world. Starting in the later part of the 18th century there began a transition in parts of Great Britain’s previously manual labour based economy towards machine-based manufacturing. It started with the mechanisation of the textile industries, the development of iron-making techniques and the increased use of refined coal. We will write a custom essay sample on Industiral Revolution or any similar topic only for you Order Now In terms of social structure, the Industrial Revolution witnessed the triumph of a middle class of industrialists and businessmen over a landed class of nobility and gentry. Ordinary working people found increased opportunities for employment in the new mills and factories, but these were often under strict working conditions with long hours of labour dominated by a pace set by machines. Most notably, average income and population began to exhibit unprecedented sustained growth. However, harsh working conditions were prevalent long before the Industrial Revolution took place. Pre-industrial society was very static and often cruel—child labour, dirty living conditions, and long working hours were just as prevalent before the Industrial Revolution. American Revolution The American revolutionary era began in 1763, after a series of victories by British forces at the conclusion of the French and Indian War ended the French military threat to British North American colonies. Adopting the policy that the colonies should pay an increased proportion of the costs associated with keeping them in the Empire, Britain imposed a series of direct taxes followed by other laws intended to demonstrate British authority, all of which proved extremely unpopular in America. Because the colonies lacked elected representation in the governing British Parliament, many colonists considered the laws to be illegitimate and a violation of their rights as Englishmen. In 1772, groups of colonists began to create Committees of Correspondence, which would lead to their own Provincial Congresses in most of the colonies. In the course of two years, the Provincial Congresses or their equivalents rejected the Parliament and effectively replaced the British ruling apparatus in the former colonies, culminating in 1774 with the coordinating First Continental Congress. In response to protests in Boston over Parliament’s attempts to assert authority, the British sent combat troops, dissolved local governments, and imposed direct rule by Royal officials. Consequently, the Colonies mobilised their militias, and fighting broke out in 1775. First ostensibly loyal to King George III, the repeated pleas by the First Continental Congress for royal intervention on their behalf with Parliament resulted in the declaration by the King that the states were â€Å"in rebellion†, and the members of Congress were traitors. In 1776, representatives from each of the original thirteen states voted unanimously in the Second Continental Congress to adopt a Declaration of Independence, which now rejected the British monarchy in addition to its Parliament. The Declaration established the United States, which was originally governed as a loose confederation through a representative democracy selected by state legislatures. French Revolution The French Revolution (1789–1799) was a period of radical social and political upheaval in French and European history. The monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years. French society underwent an epic transformation as feudal, aristocratic, and religious privileges evaporated under a sustained assault from liberal political groups and the masses on the streets. Old ideas about hierarchy and tradition succumbed to new principles of citizenship and inalienable rights. The modern era has unfolded in the shadow of the French Revolution. The growth of republics and liberal democracies, the spread of secularism (the concept that government or other entities should exist separately from religion and/or religious beliefs), the development of modern ideologies, and the invention of total war all mark their birth during the Revolution Destabilisation of accepted process and/or challenge tradition. The term ‘revolution’ is common in all three of the events as societal upheaval and revolt was at the very epicenter of the American, French and Industrial revolutions. Political, social and customary structures were vastly altered, and the ‘common man’ was given an unprecedented voice in matters of national concern. There was a newfound value and respect self determination, and people started to stand up for what they believed was right. The Industrial Revolution profoundly changed the way society functioned as conventionally, people relied on manpower to produce goods and energy, not machines. The introduction of machines in Northern America conflicted with Southern America which lived off plantations and relied on slavery, and this eventually led to the American Civil War. In all three revolutions the destabilisation of a small number of people holding power occurred. The Americans and the French overthrew their governments which were essentially a small number of aristocrats, and the Industrial revolution made it possible for anybody to produce goods and provide services. Job availabilities increased and the employment rate increased. Furthermore, the machinery introduced in the 18th and 19th centuries serves as the very basis of industries today. Whilst the machinery may have evolved, they foreshadowed the technologically savvy and advanced society that today we call the 21st century. How to cite Industiral Revolution, Papers Industiral Revolution Free Essays Essay Questions #1. What were the basic features of the new industrial system created by the Industrial Revolution, and what effects did the new system have on urban life, social classes, family life, and standards of living? Student Contribution #1: I. Basic features of new industrial system a. We will write a custom essay sample on Industiral Revolution or any similar topic only for you Order Now Organization of labor b. New work disciplines c. Skill specialization d. Transportation system and manufacturing technologies II. Effects of the features a. Urban life i. Encouraged urbanization ii. Built small towns close to urban factories b. Social classes i. Created more hierarchy within society ii. Fostered creation of new social classes c. Family life i. Changed roles for women and children ii. Children worked in the factories rather than attend school or stay at home iii. Child workers often worked longer hours than the parents d. Standards of living i. Created higher quality goods quicker and less expensive ii. Led to lower quality of living e. Society i. Supported population growth 1. Reduced deaths to foreign wars 2. Increased emigration of other countries i. Created better public health policies The rise of industrial society in the West was linked to three historical events. 1) The Protestant Work Ethic which stated that heaven was the reward for working hard. Industrial societies required many people to work hard for little earthly reward, so it was cheaper for the industrialists to have people working for a heavenly reward. 2) The Scientific Revolution which led to advances in technology and development of mac hines to make industrial production possible, efficient, and profitable. ) Autocratic political systems and a strong sense of nationalism which gave countries the structure and motivation to produce goods and services for the glory of the king and the nation. There were other factors that supported industrialization. The Commercial Revolution resulted in the expansion of markets for the sale of manufactured goods. Increases in the population of urban manufacturing cities provided workers for the factories and consumers to purchase the manufactured goods. Banks and wealthy individuals provided investment capital to people to allow them to start businesses, further growing the economy. Transportation systems made it easier to get raw materials to factories and allowed export of finished goods to consumers. The industrialization of the West had an impact on society in six ways. 1) Work sites shifted from farm to factory, requiring workers to move to the cities where the industrial jobs were located, and to learn new skills. 2) Populations grew due to better quality and quantity of food in the cities, fewer deaths as a result of fewer foreign wars, and the separation of sewer water from drinking water and other public health improvements. ) Urbanization was encouraged, which resulted in expanded public education and opportunities for upward social mobility. 4) New social classes were formed, namely the industrial middle class (factory owners) and the industrial working class (factory workers). 5) New economic theories developed. The old economic theory, mercantilism, measured the wealth of a nation by how much gold and silver it controlled. Three new economic theorie s tied wealth to productivity instead of owning gold. ) Classical economists believed in â€Å"laissez faire† policies in which the market was allowed to work unimpeded by outside forces, and that the â€Å"invisible hand† of the market would maximize economic growth and thus benefit everyone in society, the workers as well as the factory owners. This theory took hold at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, around the middle of the 18th century. b) Liberal economists were reformers whose theories gained popularity in the early part of the 19th century. They were reformers who believed the workers were powerless and treated unfairly in the classical system. They supported labor unions to give workers more power, increased pay for workers, and women’s suffrage. c) Radical economists came later, in the mid- 1800s. They wanted to restructure society and distribute wealth evenly among the owners and the workers. Utopian Socialists held this view, and several utopian societies were established during this time. 6) New political theories developed. i) Christian Socialism promoted communal property and living as being based on Christian principles. i) Revolutionary Socialism advocated revolution of the masses against the wealthy as the only way to change society for the better. Revolutionary socialists believed that oppression of the masses by the few had characterized societies since the beginning of time. They wanted to reverse this and put the power in the hands of the people. iii) Anarchism was the most radical theory and promot ed the abolition of all governments. Anarchists believed all governments were bad because they deprived people of freedom. Conflicts among the workers and factory owners were common during industrialization. Workers were treated poorly and had no rights. They were forced to work long hours at low pay in order to maximize production and profit for the factory owners. Women and children often had to work longer hours for less pay and at more dangerous jobs than men. Living conditions for workers were crowded and unsanitary, and their quality of life was terrible. A small number of industrialists became very rich and powerful, while the large number of workers who actually produced the wealth were poor and miserable. Conditions for workers gradually improved during the Industrial Revolution. Craft and industrial labor unions formed, uniting workers under a single leader who spoke with one voice for all of the workers as they fought for changes. Political clubs formed, where new ideas of how society should work were discussed. Neighborhood organizations called â€Å"Friendly Societies† provided care and support for neighbors who were sick or out of work. Occasionally, riots broke out, violent attacks on the industrial class by workers who felt they had no other way to change their lives. All of these actions helped to gradually make the industrial society better for the workers. How to cite Industiral Revolution, Essay examples