Short note: Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was the shift from hand-made, home-based production to machine-based factory production, which started in Britain around 1760 and spread to Europe, the USA and Japan in the 19th century.

Causes (why Britain first): availability of coal and iron, capital from trade and colonies, colonies as markets and raw material sources, agricultural revolution freeing labour, scientific progress, stable government and patent laws.

Main inventions: spinning jenny (1764), Watt's steam engine (1769), power loom (1785), coke smelting of iron, steam locomotive (1829), railways and steamships.

Effects:

• Economic: mass production, growth of trade, capitalism and the factory system.
• Social: urbanisation, rise of the working class and middle class, child labour, slums, later labour laws and trade unions.
• Political: colonialism and imperialism to secure raw materials and markets.
• Environmental: coal smoke and smog, water pollution, deforestation, rising CO₂ and the start of climate change.

The Industrial Revolution changed the agricultural society into an industrial society and laid the foundation for modern technology and the later information society.