The Industrial Revolution

        When the word “revolution” is mentioned, people think of a long struggle to overthrow a ruler. For something like the Industrial Revolution, it is odd that it is even called a “revolution.” Contrary to belief, however; there is great reason to call it so. In the Industrial Revolution, the reigning kings of traditional technology and society were decisively overthrown.

        The traditional kings of technology had reduced humanity to primitive methods of farming, manufacturing, and transport. Farming was inefficient and yielded little, textile-making was done slowly by hand at home, and horses and sailboats were the predominant form of transport. During the Industrial Revolution, these kings were overthrown by prodigious innovators and their advancements in technology. The seed drill by Jethro Tull and new methods of farming by Charles Townshend allowed for greater efficiency in farming, replacing the old and inefficient methods used by farmers before. Consequently, population began to skyrocket. Combined with a large workforce from the agricultural revolution, the advent of factories struck down the existing domestic system. New advancements in water power, electrical power, and machinery were too expensive for household businesses. Thus, people gathered in factories to work for low wages. Ultimately, the advent of factories allowed the mass-production of textiles compared to slow work at home done by hand. Additionally, Henry Cort and Henry Bessemer’s advancements in steel production allowed for the making of cheap, quality steel, and opened up even more opportunities for city jobs. Additionally, steel’s durability allowed factory parts to last longer, reducing costs and allowing even more workers to be hired. Finally, improvements in transportation allowed mass-produced goods to be distributed nearly anywhere. The age of trains and steam power allowed faster transport than the horses, carriages, and sailboats of old. While the Industrial Revolution saw the overthrowing of traditional technology, society would also have to overthrow their way of life to keep pace with the rapidly advancing technology.

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