Thursday, June 24, 2010
The Industrial Revolt!
The Industrial Revolution that occurred during the 18th and 19th century forever changed the production of goods and the labor used to create it. There are many factors that led to these monumental developments and thus many inventions that ultimately changed the landscape of the worldwide workplace. The biggest lead in to the industrial revolution was the agriculture revolution that took place in Europe leading up to the industrial revolution. The biggest impact of the agricultural revolution was efficiency. Combining better tools, fertilizers and crop rotation practices, people were able to produce more food with fewer workers. This newfound effectiveness led to a huge population explosion were win a 100 year period, the European population nearly doubled, thus creating a larger consumer/labor force. My biggest interests lie in the most significant byproducts of the industrial revolution and their impact on the history of the world, as well as my daily life. Often the leader of the times, England represented the home and birthplace of the industrial revolution. The changes that occurred in England would lead to tremendous strides in the socioeconomic and cultural environments throughout Europe. A few of the biggest developments and innovations to come out of the industrial revolution included a better organization of labor, better working conditions, better standard of living and my favorite tangible invention: the steam engine. The steam engine, which was first patented by James Watt in the late 18th century, proved to be possibly the best addition to efficiency in the workplace. The mechanical energy produced by the steam engine led the way in converting England and Europe’s previously manual labor intensive industry towards a machine powered manufacturing industry. The source of power for the actual engine is coal. At this point in time coal became a necessity as a building block of energy. The steam engine provided the ability for workers to use a central source of mechanical power rather than diversified man-power. The engine was a reliable constant source of power and created a new pace of work. As a stationary object the steam engine helped streamline the workplace. When the engine was put on wheels, it made the workplace more mobile. The development of the steam operated locomotive would result in a revolutionary change in transportation. The steam engine led to advances in not only industry and transportation, but also military and even space exploration. It is quite possible that the standard combustion engine may not have even come about if not for the steam engine. What other byproducts of the industrial revolution changed the way we live today?
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It's interesting how a few advancements in certain areas can cause such a drastic change to come about. One wouldn't think that increases in agricultural efficiency would be such a catalyst for the industrial revolution, but the surplus of food allowed for population increases, and the more efficient gathering methods allowed for fewer people to complete tasks. The steam engine is similar, one wouldn't expect even such a profound invention to have such a monumental impact, but it did. The steam engine allowed travel, manufacturing, and other benefits, and thus allowed the industrial revolution to take off.
ReplyDeleteI also think the steam engine is a pretty awesome invention. It helped us here in the United States in another area as well. Steamboats turned the Mississippi River into a commercial super highway. Allowing the food supplies and other products of the Midwest to reach the rest of the ever growing nation. I think it's also interesting that after all this time, we still use coal as our primary source of energy in this country. I know it catches a lot of flack, but someone should come up with an alternative before throwing it under the bus. Unless, of course, you don't mind living without electricity.
ReplyDeleteA really nice assessment of the agricultural and mechanical changes that spurred on industrialization. As others have said, it is amazing to think how think how these changes, innocent in themselves, combined to radically transform the ways in which people lived.
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