What was the Industrial Revolution? What were the Inventions made at that time?
Industrial Revolution was not a single event which happened
at a particular time. In fact, Revolution is a stronger word for such a change.
It brought about a fundamental change int eh methods of producing various
goods. By it machines took prominence between 1750 and 1850.
The period of Industrial Revolution coincided with the Seven
Years War, War of American Independence and the French Revolution. Wars with France gave great impetus to the
trade of England. Again, economic blockade during the Napoleonic Wars checked the
flow of raw materials to the continent and poured them into England. This encouraged
the development of industries.
Inventions:
Textile Machine: James Hargreaves invented (in1765) the
spinning machine known as the ‘Spinning Jenny’. It could spin many threads at a
time. Richard Arkwright improved the Spinning Jenny. As this machine was worked
by waterpower, it was called ‘Water Frame’. But there were defects in both the
above inventions. Hence, Samuel Crompton invented a machine called ‘Spinning
Mule’ which had the good points of both the above inventions and defects of
neither. All these machines made spinning quick, but weavers lagged behind. Hence,
Cartwright invented the cotton gin to separate cotton fibers from cotton seeds.
All these machines developed the textile industry.
Power for working the machines – waterpower was used. But it
was not available at all places. Hence, Watt invented (1765) steam engine known
as ‘Beelzebub’.
Coal and Iron: Formerly iron was smelted with charcoal, but
charcoal was in short supply. Hence coal was used in smelting iron. Gradually iron
and coal industries were developed. The process of preparing pig iron was found
out.
Transport: Mere machines were not enough for industrial development.
Transport facilities were necessary. Roads were improved by the process found
by John Mc Adam. Then the steam engine was invented. George Stephenson was the father
of the railway locomotive. His Rocket had a speed of 30 miles per hour. In 1830
world’s first passenger railway was started between Liverpool and Manchester. Steamboats
were also prepared.
Telegraph: Faraday invented electricity. First electric
telegraph line was inaugurated in 1845. Thereafter overseas cables were laid
between England and France.
Changes in agriculture: During this period farm machinery
was invented. Then began the rapid process of enclosure. This led to the consolidation
of holdings. This is known as Agricultural Revolution.
Changes in Europe: English machines were introduced in
France, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany. In 1789, spinning jenny was
introduced in France. During the next thirty years steam was widely used in
Western Europe. Germany advanced in metallurgy, and France in fine and
beautiful textiles. But they were behind England in development.
Conclusion: Thus Industrial Revolution introduced numerous changes
in the methods of production. Factories mushroomed at different places. As industries
developed, towns also grew. Many good and bad results followed from the Revolution.
‘The Industrial Revolution solved some
important problems but gave rise to others who have evaded satisfactory solution
up till now’. Discuss.
Solution of important problems: Industrial Revolution solved
some important problems. It replaced to some extent human labor by machinery.
Inventions of different machines ushered the new order in
industries. Factory system large scale production, finished goods, quick means
of transport, dissemination of knowledge through printing press, were the outstanding
results of Industrial Revolution. It led to rapid economic progress of Europe.
New Problems: But it had created new problems like
capitalism, imperialism, etc. Hyland writes: ‘the relationship of capital and
labor, and the modification of the competitive system, constitute one of the
most pressing problems that face humanity today’. Hayes Moon and Wayland write,
‘The Industrial Revolution has left with us an unwelcome heritage. Along with
new power it gave us new problems. At the outset it enslaved children in
factories, it herded people together in sordid slums, it brought trade unions
into conflict with capitalists, it raised rents, it made some men millionaires
and millions of others paupers or almost paupers’.
The main problems are to destroy the drawbacks of
capitalism, to check the unemployment, to stop the scramble for markets, to lessen
the evils of competition, to remove the hardships of laborers to avoid the class
war.
Capitalists want freedom of trade and industry, while
government checks them. Laborers want more wages, fewer hours of work, many facilities
etc. For this purpose, they resort to strikes.
Different countries have tried socialism, syndicalism,
communism, etc., to solve the problems created by the Industrial Revolution,
but so far have failed to solve them.
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