The Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution, like most revolutions, forever changed not only the industrial and agrarian worlds; it also left its stamp on the social, cultural, economic and political fabric of society. It brought with it the good and the bad, the ugly and the beautiful, poverty and wealth, speed and fury, the small and the big, and paved the way for the world we now live in.

The causes of the Industrial Revolution were complex and remain a topic for debate. Some historians see the Revolution as an outgrowth of social and institutional changes brought by the end of feudalism in Britain after the English Civil War. The presence of a large domestic market in Britain can also be considered an important driver of the Industrial Revolution. The Government patenting saw an increase in the pace of technological development, particularly the steam engine. Some historians have stressed the importance of natural or financial resources that Britain received from its many overseas colonies that helped fuel industrial investment. Others have stressed the importance of the availability of key resources Great Britain possessed and its geographical position. Enclosure of common land and the related Agricultural Revolution made a supply of labour readily available. Local supplies of coal, iron, lead, copper, tin, limestone and water power, resulted in excellent conditions for the development and expansion of industry.

The fact that Britain emerged from the Napoleonic Wars as a nation not ravaged by financial plunder and economic collapse is also seen by historians as an important factor. Military tools were adapted to commercial and industrial use after the Napoleonic wars in the industrialisation of Great Britain thus further boosting growth. As might be expected of such a large social change, the Industrial Revolution had a major impact upon wealth and paved the way for the modern capitalist economy.

The development of the steam engine was an essential early element. Steam powered engines opened up a great expansion in coal mining by allowing mines to go deeper. WattЃfs steam engine reduced fuel costs, and made mines more profitable. The major change in the metal industries was the replacement of organic fuels based on wood with fossil fuel based on coal. Improved version of potting and stamping led to a great expansion in the output of the British iron industry. A direct consequence of the new iron making technology was that Britain became an exporter of bar iron as well as manufactured wrought iron consumer goods. Since iron was becoming cheaper and more plentiful, it also became a major structural material.

An improvement in the production of steel and the subsequent supply of cheaper iron and steel aided the development of boilers and steam engines, and eventually railways. Improvements in machine tools allowed better working of iron and steel and further boosted the industrial growth in Britain.

The large scale production of chemicals was an important development. The first of these was the production of sulphuric acid by the lead chamber process. The production of an alkali on a large scale became an important goal as well. A negative result of these new chemicals was that they produced a large amount of pollution. This large scale production of chemicals enabled the introduction of a host of other inventions. Sodium carbonate had many uses in the glass, textile, soap, and paper industries. The development of bleaching powder revolutionised the bleaching processes.

Introduction of gas lighting had an impact on social and industrial organisation because it allowed factories and stores to remain open longer. Its introduction allowed night life to flourish in cities and towns as interiors and street could be lighted on a larger scale than before.

The Industrial Revolution improved Britain's transport infrastructure with a turnpike road network, a canal, and waterway network, and a railway network. Raw materials and finished products could be moved more quickly and cheaply than before. Improved transportation also allowed new ideas and goods to spread