The Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution

Introduction
The Industrial Revolution is a period from the 1790s to 1860s. In this
period, major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation,
and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural
conditions of the times. It began in the United
Kingdom, and then spread throughout Europe, North
America, Japan, and eventually the rest of the world.
The introduction of steam power fuelled by coal, the wider utilization of water wheels and powered machinery were some of the reasons of the dramatic
increases in production capacity. The Industrial Revolution walked hand in hand
with capitalism.
The Industrial Revolution is the most
important event in the history of humanity since the domestication of animals
and plants.
Social effects
Ordinary working people found increased opportunities for employment in the
new mills and factories. As late as the year 1900, most industrial workers in
the United States still worked a 10-hour day (12 hours in the steel industry),
yet earned from 20 to 40 percent less than the minimum deemed necessary for a
decent life.
Children labor
There was still limited opportunity for education, and children were
expected to work. Employers could pay a child less than an adult even though
their productivity was comparable. In England and Scotland in 1788, two-thirds
of the workers in 143 water-powered cotton mills were described as children.
National Coal Museum
It is also called the Big Pit and it is a museum in South Wales. A
working coal mine from 1860
to 1980, it was opened to visitors from 1980. The site is dedicated to
operational preservation of the Welsh heritage of coal mining, which took place during the Industrial revolution.
Labor Movement
It’s is the term for the development of a
collective organization of working
people, to campaign in their own interest for
better treatment from their employers and governments. It began when
agricultural jobs declined and employment moved to more industrial areas.
One of the main organizations created by the labor
movement was the trade unions. Their purpose
was to represent the interests of the working class. The key points they were
fighting for were the right of the workers to organize themselves and the right
to an 8-hour-working day.

Marcos E.

Elena S.