The Industrial Revolution was a period marked by rapid urbanization and industrial development. It started in Britain in the 1700s and rapidly spread through entire Europe and North America. This period witnessed the improvement in transportation, communication and banking system. Here are a few important lesser known facts about this most important industrial development in world history:
- Britain was the breeding ground of this revolution as it had vast deposits of coal and iron ore that helped run machines in the factories. The industrial revolution primarily began in the textile industry before spreading over to the rest of the industries.
- The industrial revolution lasted for more than 100 years. It can broadly be divided into two phases: The first wave lasted from 1700 to mid-1800s. The second wave of the revolution began from the mid-1800s and lasted till early 1900s. During the second phase, the factories began to use technology, electricity and production line.
- The revolution brought cultural & societal changes. People from rural areas moved to cities to work in factories & workshops. The cities, thus, became overcrowded and polluted.
- Mode of transportation changed dramatically during this phase. Earlier, people used to commute by horses, boats etc however during the industrial revolution they began to use railroads, automobiles and steamboats.
- This period saw rapid development of cities. These were mostly concentrated around the seaports, coalfields and railroads.
- The steam engine was one of the most important inventions during this period. The first commercial steam engine was built by Thomas Newcomen in 1712. Later James Watt, an inventor and mechanical engineer, improved the model. Watt’s model was used extensively in industrial setting, saving 75% fuel costs.
- The industrial revolution initiated a demand for metal parts used in different kinds of machinery. This triggered the development of multifarious machine tools for cutting metal parts.
- One more major change in the era of the industrial revolution was introduction of coal in place of woods and other bio fuels. Discovery of large coal reserves & relatively less labor requirement for generating a given amount of heat led to the popularity of this form of energy. On the other hand, cutting and converting wood to heat was a more tedious job to do.
Hopefully, the details shared above about the industrial revolution will give you an overview of one of the key eras of our history. In case you are a student of History, searching for a quality tutor within your vicinity then download WONK today from Google PlayStore.
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