This time period is quite an exciting period to be studying the Industrial
Revolution, because of the fact that there is another revolution going on in the
workplace. Every time technology changes, everything around it changes, and it
is an exponential process. Technology increases, and then, using the new
technology, it increases even more. 20 years ago, people used filing cabinets,
and a pencil and paper, but recently, with the invention of computers, all that
has been turned into hard disks, and emails, and gigabytes. Before the
Industrial Revolution, people were farmers, and life was pretty slow, but with
inventions like the cotton gin, and the assembly line, mass production evolved.
Mass production is when companies can “pump” out the same product at a very
efficient and inexpensive rate. The assembly line was one of these methods. An
item would be sent down a treadmill, and at each point, there would be someone
to work on one aspect of it. One person would punch a hole, and the next person
would put in a screw, and so on, down the line, until the item was complete.
This began something called division of labor. This was when people would repeat
the same task over and over again, such as in an assembly line. This was very
repetitive, and quite boring. England was a country that was the ideal for the
Industrial Revolution it was on the water, so it was perfect for trade. It had
lots of natural resources, and also a large population. The population both led
to more ideas, and more workers. The country was also a wealthy one, with a good
economy, and therefore there were ample investors for companies to begin. The
revolution eventually spread to Western Europe, and even to the Americas. There
is no doubt that inventions and technology was the key to the Industrial
Revolution. It changed the way things are made, it changed the price, and it
changed the working conditions. It was indeed, revolutionary. PART 2 The
Industrial Revolution in Britain changed the society profoundly; it caused a
complete change in working conditions and the relationship between the working
and middle classes. The working conditions became very harsh during the
industrial revolution. Assembly lines led to mass production, which led to the
division of labor. The division of labor was a method of working which involved
doing the same task over and over. It was totally mindless, and it led to
bitterness towards the middle class from the working class. The managers of the
factories, whom were members of the working class, became more concerned with
profit vs. expenses after learning about mass production, and started to cut
wages to make a quick buck. This also led to bitterness on the part of the
working class. The emergence of the strong middle class was part of the marked
changed that occurred during the Industrial Revolution in Britain. These working
conditions are still applicable to the factory workers of today; this shows how
revolutionary they were. This was the first time in history the working and
middle classes disputed over conditions, and wages. This relationship is still
very common, and very important. If the workers don’t complain, then they will
not work as hard because of their feeling of resentment towards their bosses.
And vice-versa, if the bosses don’t try to lower wages, then they will have to
make up for it with higher prices, and then the consumer suffers. The protest
towards bosses led to the formation of unions, which are still a very important
part of the economy. The Industrial Revolution affected the whole stability of a
nation, not only the economy. It affected the relationships between classes, and
also the relationships between countries. The most important part is how all of
these concepts are very much applicable to today’s economy, which is why the
Industrial Revolution was such an important period of time in the history of the
world.