What was the Industrial Revolution?
The Industrial Revolution was the shift from hand-made goods to machine production that began in Britain around 1760. It spread to Europe and America in the 1800s and changed how people lived and worked.
New machines, such as the spinning jenny and the power loom, made textiles much faster and cheaper. James Watt's improved steam engine, patented in 1769, powered factories, mines, trains and ships. Coal and iron became the backbone of the new economy.
People moved from the countryside to growing industrial cities like Manchester and Birmingham to work in factories. Railways, starting with the Stockton and Darlington line in 1825, transformed travel and trade.
Costs and benefits
The Industrial Revolution created great wealth and many new products, but early factories had long hours, dangerous conditions and child labor. Cities became crowded and polluted. Over time, reforms improved working conditions, and later waves of industrialization brought electricity, cars and mass production.
Did You Know?
Some historians describe a Second Industrial Revolution from about 1870 to 1914, driven by steel, chemicals, electricity and the internal combustion engine.