Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution is a term used to describe a period when social and economic life changed from being mainly agricultural and rural, to being industrial and urban. It is difficult to say exactly when the Industrial Revolution began. It was a gradual process and occurred at different times in different countries. The Industrial Revolution began in Britain around 1750, spreading to France and other European countries and then to the United States around 1850, and to Canada around 1900.

The Industrial Revolution brought great change. Before that time, people’s lives centred around small villages or rural communities. Transportation was difficult and often tedious, so people seldom travelled far from home. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, it would not be uncommon for a person to spend his or her entire life within a few miles of home. In the late 18th century, however, a number of significant innovations and inventions dramatically changed people’s lives. Machines could now do work that had previously been done by hand. This was most evident on farms where machines made farm work much less labour-intensive.

In 1769, James Watt invented the steam-powered engine in England. That, along with other inventions and innovations, quickly led to the development of machines that allowed large-scale production of specialized items for consumers. The large machines were housed in factories that were located in urban centres close to mass transportation and an available work force. New jobs attracted more and more people to the towns and cities as machines on the farms reduced the number of people needed to perform tasks there. Parents who had never left their local area saw their children forced to leave home to seek work in cities and new industries.

Social organization changed considerably as a result of the Industrial Revolution,

especially in the shift from an agricultural labour force to a factory labour force. Goods previously produced in the home...